When designing this hoodie, we skipped the frivolous pockets, gimmicks and multiple zippers that you find on most “travel” hoodies. Instead,  we opted for a sleek, timeless, and minimalist design. This makes for a hoodie that has all the features you need and looks great in any situation. Less really is better.

 

Unbound Merino makes clothing that helps you see more of the world, without the burden of hauling around bulky luggage. Stylish, simple apparel that can be worn for weeks or even months – without ever needing to be washed.  Which means you can ditch the big suitcase, because all you’ll need is your backpack.

The latest addition to our selective line is a must have for all trips, an ultralight hoodie made from nature’s most high performance technical fabric – Merino wool. Here’s why The Compact Travel Hoodie will be the best hoodie you’ve ever traveled with:

 

• It’s mind-blowingly thin and light, yet super warm: Don’t let it’s lightweight fool you. Merino wool is a high performance insulator and body temperature regulator. Although this is one of the lightest hoodies you’ll ever put on – it stood up to our extreme tests, standing strong in the frigid cold Canadian winter.
• It compresses to a small roll: Saving you tons of bag space compared to a traditional bulkier sweater.
• It’s wrinkle resistant: That means it’s great for packing. When you pull it out of your bag, it’ll be good to go.
• It’s antibacterial and odor-resistant: It stays clean and fresh without needing to be washed, even after months of wearing. 
• It’s fast drying & moisture wicking: That means you’ll always stay dry and comfortable.
• It’s warm, yet breathable: Merino wool is a great insulator, but it’s also naturally breathable. That means your extra body heat will escape and you’ll never overheat.
• Includes a carrying pouch for easy transport.

 

Not to mention, it’s sleek, minimal and versatile design will have you looking great no matter where your travels take you.

 

 

Over the past  year, travelers in over 90 countries have come to wear and love Unbound Merino T-Shirts, socks and underwear – Now, the Unbound Merino Compact Hoodie is here to help you travel lighter and smarter.

 

 

When you pack light, you travel more freely. Packing light helps you helps you disconnect from the often cluttered and material world you left behind. Not to mention…

 

 

 

That’s right! Because the Compact Travel Hoodie is antibacterial, moisture wicking and odor-resistant, our hoodie will stay clean and fresh month after month without needing a wash. That means you can drastically reduce how many warm threads you need to pack. This hoodie covers all your bases, and feels new and fresh every time you put it on. Plus, you won’t have to visit the laundromat while trying to enjoy your vacation.

 

 

Merino wool is nature’s ultimate performance fabric. Typically used for high-performance active-wear, we took all the benefits of this incredible fiber and used it to create a sleek and stylish hoodie you can wear just about anywhere and look great.  Here’s why our Merino wool will change the way you pack:

 

 

 

Lose your shirt while camping?  Don’t sweat it, Merino Wool garments will biodegrade back into soil within a few years.

Between Australia and New Zealand there are about 70 million Merino sheep producing this miraculous fiber year round, raised on a simple diet of grass pasture. Each year, the Merino produce a brand-new fleece making this natural harvest of wool completely renewable and sustainable. All while creating a thriving, multi-generational and ethical industry in both nations.

 

The benefits of Unbound go beyond travel. Having less (but better) stuff will not only simplify your life abroad, it will also add simplicity to your life at home.

Here are just some of the things that will happen when you Live Unbound:

Your laundry machine will be lonelier than ever. With a wardrobe full of clothing that rarely needs to be washed, you’ll save time, money and energy.

There’s an endless amount of decisions to be made from the second you wake up.  Spend less time deciding what to wear in the morning, so you can keep focused on the things that really matter.

In a perfect world, you would be wearing your favourite clothing every day. Unbound lets you live in that world. Clothing that doesn’t go through the wash cycle with every wear keeps it’s form and fit. It’s like the first time you put it on, every time.

A lot of clothing purchased today is more or less disposable. It’s designed to deteriorate after a few wears. While it may seem to be a cheaper option with the initial purchase – it ends up costing more over time. Not to mention the human and environmental cost. Having a few items that last long create more value in the long run and is a better way to live.

Some people would say that wearing the same thing every day is weird and unfashionable. We say Steve Jobs was onto something. His clothing became his uniform, and his uniform asserted his status as a true icon.

Alice Gregory, a writer living in New York, had this to say about what happens when you wear the same thing every day:

“This is the reason why characters in picture books never change their outfit: Children—like adults, if they’d only admit it—crave continuity. Adopting the habit of wearing a uniform is not unstylish—this is a classification that no longer applies.”

 

 

 

Unbound Merino was founded by three lifelong best friends. In high school we got our first real taste of travel when we made art prints depicting our favorite bands and sold them on the road to make enough money to get from one concert to another.

Following a rock band around America was an adventure that paved the way for an addiction to experiencing the world. While traveling abroad, we discovered better and more effective ways to live simply and get the most out of each trip. 

Unbound Merino was created with that same spirit in mind – to solve a problem we’ve had in our own travels. Turns out, hauling around luggage was just no way to see the world. Our vision was dreamed up and tested while on the road. The more we traveled luggage free, the more we realized that this was the only way to travel.

Since launching, our mission has been to bring that discovery – that sense of freedom, spontaneity and adventure – to people all over the world.

Our purpose is to help make your travel that much more rewarding.

 

MINIMALISM.

In a world dominated by fast-fashion, we want to slow things down. We produce timeless, versatile pieces that are designed to last. You’ll quickly find that the benefits of Unbound extend far beyond travel and into your everyday life. Helping you declutter your daily routine, save money and time, and focus on the things that actually matter.

 

SIMPLE CLOTHING. EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMANCE.

It’s the mantra behind every piece we create. All of our clothing is designed with style and function in mind. We purposely skip the flashy logos or embellishments to give you clothing that you’d be just as comfortable wearing to workout or go out. Clothing you can wear on a day trip to a bazaar, or dress up for a night out. We have worked collaboratively with Australian Merino wool farmers to source nature’s ultimate performance fiber. It’s super soft to the touch, durable, and ultra light.

“LESS, BUT BETTER.”

This approach was coined by legendary German industrial designer Dieter Rams. His hugely influential work for companies like Braun was beautiful, functional, and timeless. This minimalist and functionalist approach is at the core of everything we do as a company and every piece of clothing we create. It’s also what our clothing can help you achieve in your travels and everyday life. It’s our promise to you.

 

1.  Why doesn’t Unbound Merino clothing smell bad, even if worn for days or months at a time? 

To understand why Unbound Merino doesn’t retain odor, it’s first important to understand why most clothing ends up smelling after a wear or two. The sweat from your body doesn’t actually have any odor. But when it absorbs into materials like cotton, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria – which is where those bad smells come from. Merino wool doesn’t give sweat the opportunity to develop bacteria because of how effectively it wicks the moisture away from your body. Merino constantly pulls sweat away from the body allowing it to evaporate. This keeps you dry and keeps your shirt from smelling bad.

We have put our product to the test like you wouldn’t believe. We have tried to find the limits of how many wears our clothing could handle before absolutely needing a wash and we haven’t found that limit yet.

Here is an example of what one of our the shirts from our first campaign (also available in this campaign) has gone through without a single wash:

• Worn 46 days in a row without exception
• In that 46 days worn in the gym around 6 or 7 times through heavy cardio (testing the product was the motivation for the gym more so than sheer discipline)
• Worn twice in the sauna (we meant it when we said we took this to the limits)
• Worn to bed some nights and stayed on the body right through the day
• Taken to Shanghai, Bangkok and Koh Tao, Thailand and worn daily in sweltering 40 degree weather.  (see our Indiegogo video from our previous campaign)

All of the above was done without a wash. It never smelled. Not even slightly.

It’s important to note that whenever it was worn and heavily perspired into, it was hung up to air out and dry off before being put back on. Nobody wants to wear a wet shirt, and it does need to air out so that the moisture wicks away and bacteria isn’t formed. When alternating between 2 or 3 shirts over a trip, you can go months without a wash with ease. Our various hoodie prototypes we have been wearing almost every single day for over a year. One prototype has not been washed the entire year and has been worn frequently throughout the year. 

2.  Can I wear Unbound underwear everyday without a wash?

This is one of the more awkward questions to answer… The short answer is yes. Absolutely. But that’s assuming you keep yourself clean. Catch our drift? Unlike cotton underwear, these will wick away moisture and prevent any odour causing bacteria so they can be worn for many days without a wash. That said, life happens so use your judgement and refresh these with a quick hand wash and air dry as  frequently as you require.

3.  Where is your clothing made?

Our hoodie, shirts and underwear are made in facilities in Wuxi and Jiaxing, China and our socks are made in our hometown of Toronto, Canada. 

4.  When I do wash my Unbound Merino clothing, what are the care instructions?

Your hoodie, shirts, socks and underwear can be washed in a regular washing machine at a normal or cool temperature setting. Use regular detergent and avoid fabric softener. We prefer to hand wash because it’s easier and quicker (when traveling) but the choice is yours.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT TUMBLE DRY. After a wash, ring out the water and lay your clothing flat on a towel to air dry, flipping periodically. Don’t leave directly in the sun to dry.

5.  Where will your clothing ship from?

All orders will ship from Toronto, Canada.

6.  When can I expect my order to arrive?

All orders will begin to ship in September, 2018. Shipping within Canada should take 3-5 days from the date of shipment, In the US should take 5-7 days and international orders should take around 4-6 weeks.  

7. What if my order just doesn’t fit right?

We are happy to offer exchanges if your Unbound Merino hoodie or shirts don’t fit right. Just send your order back to us within 15 days and we’ll send the right size. However, we are unable to exchange underwear and socks for sanitary reasons. So please refer to our sizing chart as carefully as possible!

8.  Wool sounds itchy, is Merino wool itchy?

Not at all. It feels completely different to the touch than the traditional wool you’re thinking of. It’s light and soft on the skin and with it’s moisture wicking properties it maintains that smooth feel all day, even when you perspire while wearing it.

 

 

Like with any campaign, bringing a product to market is an endeavour filled with many challenges. While we are aware that things can happen that can stall the delivery timeline – we made sure to be very meticulous and to address these challenges ahead of time.

Since our last campaign, we’ve gained a ton of experience mass producing high quality apparel and have established deep relationships with our suppliers and manufacturers. We are confident in our ability to deliver the highest quality product, and to deliver it on time. Having said that – there are always unforeseen things that can happen outside of our control. And as a result, there is a possibility delivery timelines can be stalled. However, we are confident in our production timeline and we will do everything we can to avoid being late on our committed delivery dates. 

 

SPECIAL THANK YOU’S

Putting this campaign together has been an incredibly rewarding experience, to say the very least. We can’t wait to get The Compact Travel Hoodie out into the real world. We want to give a special thanks to a few people. We couldn’t have put this campaign together without you. THANK YOU!

Angela, Justine & Marni

Naeem 

Riz

Nathan Dallaire

Erik

Mitch Chiba

Paul Teitelman 

EO Toronto  (especially forum 7!)

Josh Mcaree

Kevin Sarasom

Alvin

Justin Smith

Adam

Alex Ikonn

Pauline Siu

Wilson (King of Prussia)

Les Rubenovitch

Lucas Walker

Herscu the Guru

Ken Seto

Jon Goodman 

Aaron Gaistman and Toronto Sound

The good people at Indiegogo

Everyone who has supported us since our 2016 launch, and everyone who supports this campaign …. THANK YOU!