ICEBREAKER MERINO BASE LAYERS
Already know about Icebreaker and want to buy go to the “Icebreaker Store” You may choose the country you reside in from a drop down menu at the top left of the site so that you may shop in your currency.
For the rest of you “What’s the big stink all about you ask?” This expression may very well be about to change forever to something more like “Where’s the big stink”. Move over synthetics and make way for Icebreaker Merino wool. What if I told you I’d found a light, breathable, wicking garment? You’d say been there, done that, already own the t-shirt. Hey let me finish, what if I then said that same garment kept you warm in cold weather and cool in warm weather? Starting to get interesting says you but then I come at you with the Pièce de résistance, what if you could wear that Merino Base Layer for 40 days without washing it and it wouldn’t smell? Seriously, 40 days and no smell and let’s throw in no itch just to top it all off.
Like you I was skeptical, so before my Alaskan Bear tour I wore an Icebreaker Men’s Bodyfit 150 for five days around my cottage in sweltering temperatures to test things out. Let me just say, one day in my synthetics and you wouldn’t want to be within three city blocks of me but after five days in the Icebreaker Merino Base Layer still no smell. I took that little test on the road while out on an Alaskan Bear Photography Tour August 2012 and wore the same Merino shirt for ten days and once again no smell and this after heavy trekking and sweating daily. I can also attest to the warm in cool weather and cool in warm weather attributes along with breathable and no itch as Alaska threw all kinds of weather at us. I also layered with an Icebreaker Men’s Bodyfit 260 and Icebreaker Men’s 200 Leggings for additional warmth on the really cold days.
I loaned out one of my Men’s Bodyfit 150 merino wool base layer tops to Buck Wilde, my bear guide in Alaska, and he liked it so much that I left him with a 150 and 200 as a thank you for the most memorable grizzly bear experience of my life, pictures can be seen at COOLwildlife Coastal Bear Pictures. He was going camping with the bears in Hallo Bay for two months after my tour so I figured he could put them to good use. I will be touching base with Buck in October to see how 40 plus days stands up to the no stink test.
Icebreaker base layers are measured for warmth by a numbering system. The 150 is the lightest weight moving up to 200, 260, 380, etc. each one providing more warmth as the numbers get higher and you can layer as required so it’s really easy to build out a layered system with just three pieces. Perfect for those that wish to travel light and be prepared for extreme weather conditions.
For the outdoor adventurer, athletic folks Icebreaker clothing is like sex on a stick. If you’re thinking you need to rush out and buy a full set of tops and bottoms in varying weights you’d be right. Having said that it just doesn’t seem fair that this new technology development is hoarded by adventurers, so I got to thinking what the other possible applications for this clothing might be just to be more inclusive. Here are a few every day ideas just to get you thinking:
- hockey base layer that can stay in duffle bag for the entire season (gross but doable)
- single guy can do laundry every six months, but only if he wants to and is not actively dating
- cheating scoundrel of a husband – no perfume smell on clothes (other stupidity at your own risk)
- smokers who claim to have quit can now get away with a mint and crossed fingers, no more smelly clothing
and the list goes on. Spend three hours at a bar with friends and a few pitchers of beer and I am sure you could come up with two pages of fun and practical uses for this stuff. And feel free to spill beer all down the front of yourself cause it won’t smell in the morning. How’s that for putting an end to the next day nagging about your drinking habits, you’re free and clear my friends.:))
If you want to see the entire Icebreaker collection it’s best to shop directly at the Icebreaker store. Remember to choose the country you reside in from a drop down menu at the top left of the site so that you may shop in your preferred currency. Suffice it say I will never buy synthetics or cotton again, for my money Icebreaker Merino Wool is the only way to go. I now own a complete collection of merino underwear, merino t-shirts, merino base layers and athletic clothing for running, golf, etc. I’ve never been cooler, happier and smelling so good in all my life.
Hope you enjoy too!!!
