Humane Innards

The Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoody’s 800-fill down comes as a result of a partnership between Outdoor Research and  a supplier who sources its down globally from farmers who have pledged allegiance to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS).

Before I dive into the review, I think it’s worth mentioning how the down in jackets and other down-insulated products comes to be, the varying types of down and its origins. It isn’t always a process that is as warm and cozy as your down jacket or sleeping bag.

Lucky Geese vs Unlucky Geese

In a perfect world, the down in your jacket, sleeping bag, gloves and comforter come as the byproduct of the food industry. Geese and ducks are raised on farms with good food, fresh air, clean water and warm beds. When big enough, they’re slaughtered for their meat and the sleeve of a down jacket is filled. These are the lucky birds.

Unlucky geese are forcibly live-plucked several times a year for their entire lives to increase their meat production and their down is collected post-humously. The really unlucky geese are the ones who get live-lucked up to six times per year while being force-fed and then slaughtered for their bloated livers.

Responsibly-sourced Solution

These grisly practices have prompted the outdoor industry to search for a more ethical solution to obtaining down. Which ALLIED Feather & Down, a supplier who sources its down globally from geese farmers who only raise birds for meat and sells to companies, has done. ALLIED Feather & Down has responded to this scourge of animal abuse in two significant ways:

1. Created the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) which certifies and oversees a global network of goose and duck farmers that adhere to the standards and supply their partners with responsibly-sourced and processed down.
2. Created Track My Down, a program that enables ALLIED partner products like the Outdoor Research Helium down hoody to include a TrackMyDown.com hangtag with a lot number that traces the origin of the down (Europe or Asia), content (goose vs duck), fill power, care tips and information on the differences between European and Asian down.

TrackmyDown.com Hangtag

Think of the TMD hangtag as the 23andMe of your down jacket or sleeping bag.

My Outdoor Research Helium down hoody’s down comes from the perfect world side—as told by its TrackmyDown.com hangtag of 1508L19F2577 where I learned its full story and then some:

• The down in my Helium came from Europe. European birds live longer, grow larger and produce a higher quality down. Their Asian counterparts aren’t as lucky due to the need to feed the denser Asian population. Plus, birds in cold climates naturally grow warmer down.
• The down in my jacket is 100% grey goose! Goose down is better than duck down.
• Its verified fill-power is 810 fill power, which traps more air for its weight than 800 fill power. Bonus warmth. Woot!
• The specific break-down of the 810 fill contents is 91.3% down cluster, 4.3% down fiber, 1.8% feather fiber and 2.1% waterfowl, 0% broken feathers and quill, 0.4% landfowl and 0.1% residue.
• The differences between European and Asian down, old geese and young ducks. For example, a mature goose that lived on a farm Northern Norway will have a denser down than the youthful duck in Southern China—but a mature duck from Southern China will have a higher-quality down than a youthful goose on a farm in Northern Norway.

Warmth

Outdoor Research states that the Helium Down hoody offers 800 fill power; however, per its Track my Down hangtag, my jacket is actually insulated with 810 fill power.

So far this fall and winter, Minnesota has had an odd variety of normal seasonal temperatures (high 30’s) and abnormal (high teen’s, snow and gale-force winds to seventy-five degrees and sunny). On the high teens days, it has translated to a very warm jacket that performs well running around town on errands, walking outside and even a late fall hiking trip on the Superior Hiking Trail.

The hood is phenomenal and, when its bungee cords are tightened, stays on even in gusty 30-mph winds. It’s also helmet compatible for you ice climbers and mountaineers.

Fit

The Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoody performs as expected in this category. It’s designed to be worn as a stand-alone down jacket or as an insulating midlayer under a rainjacket or softshell.

Since fit is oftentimes aligned with size, I feel it is sized correctly. I’m a size small in general so that’s the size I went with. It was the right call. What impressed me the most in the fit was the length of the arms. They’re plenty long enough to cover my wrists when I’m stretching or reaching.

Packability

There is no reason to ever leave the Helium down hoody behind. If you don’t plan to wear it out the door, it packs down into a hand pocket so that you can stash it in any pack or bag. I’m dating myself by saying this but I consider the Helium down hoody to be in the “down sweater” category—but on caffeine. Unlike other 800-fill down sweaters I’ve had that easily stuff into their own pockets, the Helium takes a little more effort. This came as no surprise. The Helium has more down, it has a hood and its exterior fabric has more oomph to it (more on that in “Durability”).

Anyway, to make what could be an unnecessarily long story short, I did get the Helium packed into its own pocket—but was afraid to zip it all the way in case it ripped from its own girth. And as you can see from the photos above, despite having more insulation, a more durable exoskelten and a hood, it’s still just as packable in size as the unhooded, 800-fill Patagonia down sweater.

 Weather & Abrasion Resistance

The Outdoor Research Helium down hoody blew me away here. Like really blew me away. It actually has waterproofing in the shoulders and hood, thanks to the Pertex® Quantum Diamond Fuse technology. It is the same technology found in Outdoor Research’s Helium Rain products. To be clear, the Helium is not a rain jacket. But if you’re outside hiking, climbing, snowshoeing, winter camping, etc, and it starts to snow, the waterproof Pertex® Quantum Diamond Fuse technology will ensure snowflakes that melt on you hood and shoulders will not seep into the lining.

This also translates to increased durability and abrasion-resistance. Pertex Quantum is essentially very tightly woven yarns with diamond-shaped fibers that resist snags, block wind and have beading properties to repel rain and melting snow.

Final Thoughts

Warm with responsibly sourced down from Europe, versatile, packable, durable, weather- and water-resistant, the Outdoor Research Helium down hoody blew me away.

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This is the fifth installment and renewed effort to empower and promote women-led businesses.

Wild Rye CEO and founder, Cassie Abel, is welcoming Boise-based goodbuy as a supporting partner for this year’s Women-Led Wednesday, an annual shopping holiday to support conscious consumerism in support of women-led brands. This is the fifth installment and renewed effort to empower and promote women-led businesses.

Women-led brands are encouraged to join the movement for this year’s Women-Led Wednesday, falling on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which is November 23, 2022. With only 2% of venture funds that go to female founders, there’s a scarce number of women at the top when it comes to Fortune 500 companies. “The ultimate goal is a massive ripple effect,” said Abel. “If consumers make a point to shop women-led, then women-led businesses are more likely to succeed, which means more women at the top, more female role models and thus more opportunities for young up-and-coming women in business to soar to the top in the future.”

The list of brands is over 500, ranging from outdoors and active lifestyle gear and apparel to artisan canned wine. Women-Led Wednesday shopping holiday includes names such as Title Nine, Wild Rye, Blueberry Bikes, Catalyst, Society Nine, Alpaca Raft, Dirt Chalk Bags, Liv Cycling, and so many more. The supporting partnership between goodbuy and Wild Rye, both female-founded brands, aligns with goals of raising up other women in business. “Joining forces and partnering on Women-Led Wednesday means diverting spending away from mega-retailers and into the pockets of small, women-owned businesses,” said Cary Telander Fortin, goodbuy co-founder.

You can help the list of brands grow if you’re interested to be included as brands can apply at any time, without cost. All you need to do is commit to promote participation and help raise awareness. It’s going to be a great day of holiday shopping from so many fantastic brands during Women-Led Wednesday! While extra savings will be promoted for the holiday, it’s encouraged for you to shop women-led throughout the year, and the website’s brand directory will provide easy access on an ongoing basis.

For those interested in joining the Women-Led Wednesday community, please visit here. To shop Women-Led Wednesday brands, please visit here.

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Versatile, Multipurpose Use

The Chrome Cobra 3.0 Hoodie arrived in late January. In Minnesota, January means snowshoeing, fatbiking, bike commuting, Nordic skiing, travel and staying warm when binging on Netflix.

Its construction and style make it stand out as both a mid-layer and an outer-layer, but doesn’t look like it fits specifically in any real sport or activity category. This is a good thing because its non-binary style and purpose increases its versatility—a must, in my opinion, if one is going to spend $180 on a garment.

Bulk-free Warmth & Performance

As I said above, the Chrome Cobra 3.0 Hoodie works equally well as a mid-layer and an outer-layer. With light-weight merino wool baselayer, I wore it as a midlayer with a Northface Apex softshell jacket or down vest while snowshoeing. The temperatures on these tests runs ranged from 10 to 20 degrees and I was plenty comfortable. Mostly, though, I wore it as an outer layer fatbiking, commuter biking and Nordic skiing with only a Kora Shola yak wool baselayer Merino wool baselayer.

As with anything, you have to temper your baselayers to the temperatures. For example, I was sweating like cold beer glass on a hot day the day I Nordic skied in 20 degrees with a heavyweight baselayer. When fatbiking on a -5-degree day with just a heavyweight baselayer, I was freezing (and with freezing comes whining, moaning, cryonics, etc). You get the picture. Use your best judgement.

Features

The Chrome Cobra 3.0 is a blend of Merino wool and recycled polyester to combine breathability, warmth and durability. While 100% Merino wool is my fave, I honestly didn’t feel any difference with the polyester blended in. A couple other interesting features that the Cobra 3.0 offers are:

Two-way Zipper

For fatbiking and commuter cycling, this is a must for me because I’m generally wearing bulkier bottoms. Opening the zipper four or five inches below makes for a more comfortable ride when in the aggressive cycling position in the saddle. The zipper pull here is nicely glove-friendly, too.

Thumbholes

Of all the garments I own that have thumb loops, the Chrome Cobra 3.0 is the only one in which I don’t feel any biting at the base of my thumb. This is because the arms are delightfully long. Noice.

Rear Pocket with a Full Pass-through

Great for carrying tools, ID, money, and what have you but they need to be re-thought. The zipper pulls are microscopic and most definitely NOT glove-friendly. The Cobra 3.0 is an evergreen staple in the Chrome line, going back a decade with incremental updates made each year. So I’m kind of scratching head wondering why nobody thought to add glove-friendly zipper pulls to the pockets on a Merino wool hoodie intended to be worn in cold weather. (Note: the front zipper pull is glove-friendly, just not the pocket zipper pulls.)

Style

Beautifully longer in the back as a cycling jacket should be, I love how it has an element of being form-fitting but still has just enough room to accommodate any size baselayer. I also love how high the front zipper comes up, how it doesn’t sit at my throat and the delightful snuggle-effect it gives when fully zipped. My only criticism on the style is the color. It’s only available in black. This is not to say I want an option that includes pink (hell no!) but maybe a nice dark red.

Final Thoughts

If I was anal enough to do a rating scale on a scale of 10, I would give the Chrome Merino Cobra 3.0 Hoodie a solid 9 (I had to subtract a point for the microscopic zipper pulls). It is a highly-functional, highly-versatile, warm, breathable, well-designed and durable cold-weather Merino-blend hoodie for absolutely every type of cold-weather activity on your agenda. It’s even a fantastic piece for the shoulder seasons and for Spring and Fall hiking and camping. Even you yoga-goers will love it.

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No Lacing Required

With a five-inch shaft height, it’s not too terribly an ordeal to enter the traditional way. However, the LOWA Casara GTX offers two convenient access points: zip on/off or lace on/off. My preference is to just zip and go. It took me a few iterations to get the laces dialed in for zipper entry.

If the laces were too loose, the Casaras had too much wiggle room and felt a little clumsy (this could be a recipe for blisters if you’re going to walk in them all day). If I laced them tighter, they felt nice and snug (although still very comfortable) but then I put them back, zipping the zipper required a degree of strength I didn’t possess in my fingers. So, experiment. Find your sweet spot. When you do, you’ll never have to touch the laces again.

Warm and Waterproof Innards

The LOWA Casara GTX’s derive their insulation from a GORE-TEX Panda® lining. I’m going to be completely transparent in that I have no idea what GORE-TEX Panda lining is. I searched and searched and searched, all over the GORE-TEX site for a technology description but no go. What I can say is that there are two ranges of GORE-TEX products: Original and Infinium. Original is “best-in-class waterproof protection”, as well as windproof and breathable. Infinium is “high-performance in drier weather conditions. The label in the Casara’s delivery box was that of Original. Therefore, they offer waterproof protection.

Has this been my experience with the Casara’s? Yes. With the exception of walking in deep snow, I wear the Casara’s everywhere. Minnesota’s winter of 2020-2021 has been a lottery. It came on like a lion in early November, giving me hope that we’d have a cold winter with ample snow. But then it went out like a lamb in December, melting our snowpack into slurries of slush. Then came a week of below zero temps, followed by a week of milder temperatures and snow.

This cycle has repeated itself ever since. I tell you this because I have worn the Cassara’s through all these cycles (in an urban setting) and the GORE-TEX lining has kept my feet dry and warm — especially on the day I renewed my driver’s license and had to wait outside in a line for 40 minutes when it was 22 degrees. All around me, miserable souls jogged in place or tapped side to side in a futile effort to keep the blood flow circulating in their feet. I just stood in one place, feet warm, loathing the DMV like any normal day.

Traction

LOWA named the Casara’s outsole the “LOWA® Sneaker Winter. It has a serrated stud arrangement that helps to shed snowpack on sidewalks, which helps to resist and mitigate slips, skids and slides.

If you plan to be walking on frozen, icy snow or ice you’ll be happy to know that they are Kahtoola MICROspike and Kahtoola NANOspike compatible. Should you want to walk snow that is deeper than 2-3 inches, they’re also compatible with Kahtoola INSTAgaiter Mid gaiters. 

Fit

The Casara’s run true to size—your actual shoe size. I wear a size 7.5 shoe but always go up to an 8 in hiking boots, which is the size I requested in my sample pair. At first I thought I should go with a 7.5 since technically they’re a shoe not a boot. But I went with the 8 figuring if they felt on the big side I could wear a thicker sock.

The bottom line is that the 8’s work because I’m wearing a thicker sock. My advice is if you have the opportunity to try them on, try on your actual size and a half-size up for comparison. Just be sure to try them on with a sock weight that you expect to wear with them. I wear a merino wool hiking sock; the same type of sock I wear in hiking boots. If you aren’t able to try them on first, go with the half-size up and plan to wear a thicker sock. Either way, I think, you’ll be fine.

Final Thoughts

Just when I thought my LOWA Alba II GTX’s were my go-to winter boot for wintry city streets, LOWA came up with the Casara’s. While the Casara’s don’t have the same terrain range as the Alba II’s, they still have all the finely-tuned details that makes a LOWA a LOWA: Outstanding traction, supportive, comfortable, warm, rugged, durable, well-made (in Europe, not China) and generally just good looking.

Well done again, LOWA.

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Comfort

When mentioning comfort, the Freel shorts are really no joke. It can be difficult to find a good fitting bike short for women as some brands just change the colors of the guy shorts they have, make them in smaller sizes and don’t really change anything about the style or fit of the short to hug the woman’s body just right. It does help that Wild Rye was started by adventurous women who understand the needs of like-minded women and making great quality products to encourage us to get outside.

Fit, Style, Llamas!

The moment I saw my llama covered Freel bike shorts, I knew it was a match made in heaven. But when I felt the material and put them on, I couldn’t wait to get out on my bike and show them off. The shorts fit like a glove. There was no pinching, restraint, or discomfort whatsoever during biking, hiking and just walking around.

Pockets and Durability

The shorts have a nice storage pocket that will hold a cell phone, energy bars, or other essentials you’d want to have fast and easy access to. The positioning of the pocket is perfect, so it doesn’t impede on your riding while sitting on your seat. You can feel the durability of the shorts, and the four-way stretch nylon fabric makes movement seamless and easy. They withstood hiking through rocks, shrubbery and trees, and with the abrasion resistant nylon, there was absolutely no worry about tearing the fabric.

Features

In addition to the features mentioned above, the Freel shorts are also water repellant, have UPF 50, they are breathable, have front pockets, a gusseted crotch, and are 88% nylon, 12% spandex. The shorts are true to size.

Final Thoughts

There’s no question that Wild Rye did beyond excellent with their Freel mountain bike shorts. I’d recommend these shorts to all female mountain biking crushers out there. While they may seem a bit pricey, ladies, if you want durable, quality, and comfortable mountain biking shorts, put the Freel shorts on your list. They are well worth it. Retail price, $119.

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In an industry where many manufacturers still embrace ‘shrink it and pink it’  and call it a day, it denigrates women’s apparel and products as a mere afterthought. Fortunately, these twelve women-founded, women-led companies make products for you, your body shape and all your adventures, be it hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, skiing, climbing, adventure travel, cycling, surfing, running and whatever you feel like doing.

AdventurHER Travel Adventure

Most outdoorswomen today were introduced to the outdoors and mentored by family or friends who were outdoorsy. But what happens when you don’t have that conduit? Founder, owner and guide extraordinaire of AdventurHER Travel Alli Neal set out to be that conduit. That mentor who nudges or (gently) kicks women in the rear to get outdoors “capably, confidently, and comfortably.”

Talk about women-found, women-led companies! To say AdventurHER is woman-led is to be literal about it. Alli leads women outdoors from all skill levels to camp, climb, surf, hike, bike, ski, SUP, you name it, all while ensuring supportive environment to build skills, confidence and, really, just have fun–whether it’s a weekend ice climbing clinic in Winona, MN or climbing and canyoneering in Moab, UT, inn to inn cycling in Ireland or something completely customized for you. | Adventurhertravel.com

Freshly Minted Socks

Suzette Ayotte is a Maine native and transplant to San Francisco. She founded Freshly Minted socks because she happens to be an avid cyclist with a designer’s eye. All Freshly Minted socks, which are made in Italy, have mid-century modern designs and colors for the cycling life. The price point is a very affordable and reasonable $20 and a portion is donated to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. Jump here to SpinCycle News to read more about NICA to get more kids on bikes. | Thefreshlyminted.com

Title Nine

If you’ve never heard of Title IX, it’s the much-needed legislation that passed in 1972 that opened up (most) sports to women. Missy Parks, the founder, saw that sports apparel manufacturers were in no hurry to accommodate women athletes. In 1989, Missy started Title Nine with the barest of bones office space in her Berkeley, CA garage: A rotary dial phone (with only 1 line) on her living room table.

Her first round of catalog distribution to 13,000 recipients netted a whopping 56 orders—of which only seven came from people she didn’t know. After several years of epic ideas and even more epic fails, Title Nine now has 23 stores in 11 states with a thriving catalog and website platform—and is still being led by Missy Parks. | Titlenine.com

Skirt Sports

Nicole DeBoom launched Skirt Sports the day after she won the 2004 Wisconsin Ironman Triathlon—wearing a prototype skirt she made at home. There are very few women founded, women led companies to begin with. Even fewere reach 15 years in business. Skirt Sports did just that in September 2019.

For active women of literally all shapes and sizes, Skirt Sports offers a vast line of running shorts, skirts, tops, leggings, bras and, for the cyclist, a skirt with a chamois. But the skirt that really hits the sweet spot is the Lotta Breeze Capri skirt with its flattering style and fun prints. | Skirtsports.com

Carve Designs

Carve Designs is an example of how the best ideas spring from lounging in hammocks, swaying in the breeze in San Pancho, Mexico. It was there that surfers Jennifer Hinton and Thayer Sylvester discussed the dismal prevalence of true surfing boardshorts for women—especially those of shapes and sizes that are never featured in catalogs.

Enter women-founded, women-led Carve Designs, which set out to fill the board short gap and then some. Today, Carve Designs, which is still run by Jen and Thayer, keeps true to their mission: Design athletic and casualwear for women of all shapes and sizes who push boundaries. Additionally, Carve Designs remains true to their sustainability initiatives by making a significant portion of their swimwear and activewear in California. | carvedesigns.com

Houdini

Like so many women athletes in modern dark ages, Swedish mountaineer and ski guide Lotta Giornofelice need clothes that didn’t exist: clothes climbing and ski touring that regulated body temperature for for start- and stop activities. So she made them herself, starting with fleece underwear for herself and some friends.

Today, Houdini creates minimalist styles that are functional for both women and men. But sustainability has—and always will be—the cornerstone of their brand: 100 percent of all the fabrics used in this season are recycled, recyclable, renewable, biodegradable Bluesign certified. | Houdinisportswear.com

Lightheart Gear

Not only is Lightheart Gear woman-founded and women-led, it was started as a sewing project by virtue of the Appalachian Trail. Founder and owner (and retired Air Force nurse, marathon runner, master sewer, AT and PCT hiker) Judy Gross was hiking the AT with a 4.5-pound one-person tent that was heavy and took up the bulk of her pack space. She believed that the current offering of lightweight tents on the market could be better so she approached her first tent design, a one-person shelter, with a problem-solving perspective.

She wanted lightweight. Had to be able to sit upright. Didn’t want to trip over guy-lines in the middle of night. And it couldn’t take up the bulk of the space in her pack. She designed and sewed the first prototype in her basement. Today, in addition to lightweight tents like the Lightheart Gear Firefly, the Lightheart Gear product line includes hiking skirts, rain gear all designed and produced in North Carolina. | Lightheartgear.com

Shredly

This woman-founded, woman-led company was started by Colorado mountain biker  (via a Kickstarter campaign) Ashley Rankin when she saw an opportunity to create a specialized niche of mountain bike shorts for women. And create she did! In a kaleidoscope of wild patterns with total trail functionality. There is no mistaking a Shredly short, especially the pro-unicorn Shredly Tina. In mountain biking apparel, Shredly is distinct. Today, she is still the designer and product tester and makes it all in Colorado. | Shredly.com

MuttRuk

Colorado native and outdoor/dog enthusiast Gretchen Dill founded MuttRuk because she wanted to create a backpack solution for hiking with dogs. After 12 years at a desk job as a Graphic Designer, spending lots of free time outdoors, and seeing a slew of local trails shut down to use by dogs, she felt it was about time to take action in both her career and impact on outdoor spaces.

Inspired by innovative gear, and using her background in design, she took the leap into the world of product design. MuttRuk represents an attitude of adventure as well as respect for our outdoor spaces. A brand that advocates for trail clean up by providing helpful solutions, and an advocate for rescue and training to help both owner and dog grow in confidence and bond together. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in June of this year, MuttRuk is now into production and the MuttRuck Hit the Trail Bundle Pack—which includes 14-liter pack and a rollout water dish for your dog! | Muttruck.com

Astrid Wild

Founder and owner of Maria Paulsson Ronnback designs outdoor clothing for women by women. Inspired by her Nordic roots, Astrid Wild Outdoor Fashion is 100 percent focused on design, the woman’s body, and versatile clothing made for wild adventures, recreation and the city outdoor life. Astrid Wild aims to inspire women to live a happier and healthier life, by spending more time in nature and connecting with like-minded women. | Astridwild.com

Blyss Running

Blyss Running hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Founder and owner Alyson Neel began running in her early forties by virtue of a Couch to 5k program. Running taught her that the athletic wear industry had no clue about what a woman needs and wants from her running apparel.

In 2015 Alyson used her background in fashion merchandising to design a pair of shorts. Then she made a running skirt. Today she designs and makes running wear for women like the Blyss Distance Short with deep pockets, longer lengths and higher waistbands—all while running marathons and designing and proudly making all her products in the US. | Blyssrunning.com

Krimson Klover

The heart and soul of Krimson Klover is adventure, which is what drove founder and creative director Rhonda Swenson to become a flight attendant. An unlikely beginning, yes, but connections she made while traveling soon morphed into designing sweaters and selling them through a small boutique sweater company—which she eventually purchased and became Krimson Klover.

Today, Krimson Klover remains a woman-founded woman-led company whose lineup includes slow-fashion style, like the Scandinavian-inspired Astrid Full-zip sweater for the adventurous woman. | Krimsonklover.com

Lo & Sons

Don’t let the “sons” trip you up. Helen Lo founded Lo & Sons to design and manufacture premium, thoughtfully-designed bags for travel and work. Helen, who has a PhD in social welfare, wanted a travel carry-on that was functional, not fugly, and environmentally-friendly. The first two points were easy to check off the wish list but the environmentally-friendly point wasn’t because it didn’t exist.

At 60 years of age, when many people are thinking about downshifting careers into the retirement, Helen gunned the accelerator. She believed it wasn’t enough to just“do no harm” when it comes to environmental impact. Lo & Sons is one of the growing number of brands that are leading the way to reversing decades of damage to the environment. | Loandsons.com

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What I Liked 

Weather-resistance

Humans were summiting 8,000-meter peaks and tending goats in January on the Steppes of Mongolia while wearing wool long before any lab-born textiles were even a remote idea in someone’s head. The Maloja OilinM Hoodie is constructed with heavy-weight Merino wool on the outside and was very effective at blocking cold gusty wind and repelling snow. When it did get wet it dried fast and still kept me warm. 

Naturally Odor-resistant and Breathable

During hot conditions and/or strenuous exercise, we regulate our body temperature through perspiration. However, it isn’t the sweat itself that drives body odor (sweat has no odor). Body odor is a result of high levels of perspiration pooling on the skin. Warm, wet skin is an incubus of bacterial growth and it’s the bacteria that causes us to smell like a compost pile.

What does this have to do with wool? Wool readily absorbs moisture and keeps the skin surface drier to deter bacteria. The wool then binds the odors within its fibers where the bacterial can’t thrive. This process is also what allows you to wear the same wool garment for days and weeks before it needs to be washed. When you add all this up, it’s a trifecta of Mother Nature’s most efficient product for outdoor apparel.

Multipurpose Use

The Maloja OilinM Hoodie’s construction and style makes it stand out as both a mid-layer and an outer-layer, which increases its versatility. As a mid-layer, I wore it under a Patagonia Adze jacket while snowshoeing on a -10 degree day. As an outer layer, its long waist and cut made it perfect for fatbiking or commuter cycling on 15-degree days when worn over a heavy-weight Merino wool baselayer.

It’s also ideal for Nordic skiing (see photo below), especially when paired with the Maloja BraidaM Ski Touring Pants. Basically, if you have $229 to spend on an active Merino wool jacket, the Maloja OilinM meets the qualifications for fatbiking, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, travel and the emerging “sport” of athleisure (e.g. binge-watching season 4 of Better Call Saul). Even you yoga junkies will appreciate the BraidaM.

Warmth without Bulk 

The coldest temperature I’ve worn the Maloja OilinM as an outer layer was about 5 degrees and I was cross-country skiing. On this particular day, I paired it with a Kora Shola yak wool baselayer. After I had been skiing for about fifteen minutes, I was comfortable. On days when it was twenty-or-so degrees, I paired it with a Brynje of Norway Lady Wool Thermo Mesh Long Sleeve shirt and the combination was comfortable. On extremely cold days—like below zero—its fitted style works best as a mid-layer. What’s nice about the cut of the Maloja OilinM Hoodie is that it works very well as a mid-layer under a heavier outerlayer when conditions call for it.

What Could be Better

It has two zippered side pockets that don’t hold anything larger than a set of keys. It would be nice to have a rear zippered pocket that is big enough to hold a smartphone or an iPod.

Final Thoughts

The Maloja OilinM Hoodie, with its highly-functional recycled polyester fleece on the inside and the superb moisture-wicking properties of Merino wool on the outside make this a jacket you can use for a variety of activities year-round.

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What I Liked

Warm

I tested the DAEHLIE Training Wool Baselayers while biking in 55° F and I felt comfortable.  I was not overheating or cold.  I also tested it Nordic skiing in 20° F and felt comfortable as well.  This is a huge feat to accomplish for me because I get cold very easily.  I am sure that the base layer did its job because I know I was sweating; however, the baselayers stayed dry. 

Comfortable

Wow! It is the DAEHLIE Training Wool Baselayers are most comfortable set of baselayers I have worn. It is a 60% Merino wool and 40% Polyester blend that is very soft feeling. I did not feel any rubbing or restrictions from the material. I had full range of motion in my shoulders and even though I was sweating I didn’t feel clammy after skiing. In fact I stopped and did my grocery shopping on the way home and felt dry and comfortable.

Fit

I have an athletic build and I’m short (5’ 1”). Most things don’t fit me well. This baselayer felt like it was designed for my athletic build.  I normally wear a medium top and a small bottom, however, in the DAEHLIE sizing I fit a small Sweater Training Wool Long Sleeve top and a small in the the Training Wool Pants and they were a perfect fit. It was nice to have the sizing chart on the DAEHLIE’s website for guidance on the sizing.

The Training Wool Pants have a looser mesh weave in the waist and hip area in the back and on the calf area on the pants (which is where things are often too tight for me). The Sweater Training Wool Long Sleeve top has the looser mesh area the length of the arm along the under part and extends from the armpit down into the rib area (again, areas that are usually tight on me). This looser mesh weave also helps with release of heat when I was too warm. The rest of the base layer material is made of a tighter weave that almost feels silky.  Both base layers fit under my outer layers of tight fitting tights and a lightweight soft shell jacket, easily without bunching in any area.

Multiple Wears in Between Washing

Have you ever worn something and after a while it smells even after you wash it? And no matter what you do, you just can’t get that smell out? I have not had that issue with these baselayers due to the 60% Merino wool and 40% Polyester blend. The Merino wool material absorbs the moisture from the sweat, which gives the smelly bacteria less to live on, and holds onto it until it is washed. I did not test out how many days I could go before they smelled however, I did make it at least 4 days before I washed them with out any hint of a stink.

What I didn’t Like

Nothing

I don’t really have a didn’t like.

Final Thoughts

I am very happy with the DAEHLIE Training Wool Baselayers. I am definitely taking good care of this under layer set. I want them to last a long time. I have some future adventures planned and they are absolutely coming with me!

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I first learned about Brynje of Norway in 2010 when my husband—who at the time was active duty military—spent the month of February in Norway on a winter training deployment with the Norwegian Home Guard. He came home with a set of Norwegian Home Guard-issued wool fishnet baselayers. I had never seen anything like it and was instantly fixated on the brilliance of the fishnet design for baselayers.

What I Loved

Lightweight and Extremely Packable

More so than my Smartwool and Ibex. Brynje of Norway’s fishnet mesh design simply uses less fabric. When I ball up the bottoms or tops of the Brynje of Norway and compare to my Smartwool and Ibex tops, the Brynje of Norway are noticeably smaller—which means they are lighter and will take up less space in a backpack.

Bulk-free Fit

The Brynje of Norway Lady Wool Thermo Mesh baselayers go on like a pair of fishnet stockings and form to my body. But they’re not entirely fishnet. They have solid wool panels in the front core, shoulders and knees and fit better under any midlayer and over my bike chamois. More so than my Smartwool and Ibex because, again, there is just less fabric.

Exceptional warmth and moisture-transfer

Wool is the original tech fabric and keeps you warmer, drier and can go much longer in between washes than synthetic fabrics. In theory, you’d think that the fishnet style on the arms, legs and back wouldn’t keep you as warm as a solid-wool design but they do. I found this to be true snowshoeing and fatbiking when the temperatures hovered in the high-teens to low twenties with chilly wind.

When snowshoeing I wore only the Brynje of Norway Lady Wool Thermo Mesh baselayers with a North Face Apex softshell a pair of Ibex snowpants as my outerlayers. On the fatbike my outerlayers were a Pearl Izumi Versa Quilted Hoodie and a pair of Club Ride tights. I was certainly warm enough but what was most noticeable was how much better they managed and transferred moisture than my other wool baselayers. After fatbiking, the Pearl Izumi Versa Quilted Hoodie was soaking wet but my back and core were not.

The logic of the Brynje of Norway Lady Wool Thermo Mesh baselayers is pretty simple. The gaps in the fishnet mesh trap warmth against the skin where you need it but also don’t hold onto moisture because there just isn’t enough fabric to hold it. So sweat passes onto your next layer.

Longterm Durability

I’ve only had my Brynje of Norway Lady Wool Thermo Mesh baselayers fishnets since late December. But remember earlier when I mentioned my husband’s first encounter with them? It was 2011. Nine years later he is still living the dream in them during the winter. Plus, they’re made in Europe. As an aside, my husband always washed his in Woolite on the gentle cycle and air dried them. I intend to do the same to ensure an equally long life.

What I didn’t Like

Nothing. There is nothing that is nit-pickable with Brynje of Norway Lady Wool Thermo Mesh baselayers.

Final Thoughts

Some shoppers might balk at the steep price tag ($95 for a top and $100 for the bottoms) but you do get what you pay for: a quality, long-lasting and durable baselayer that is made in Europe.

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What I Loved

Timeless Heritage Style

Every fall, the runways of New York, Paris, Milan and London inflict upon us the “new styles” that we’re all expected to empty our 401ks to buy. Some aren’t bad but many are just the crackpot experiments of designers that are absurd and unrealistic. Thanks to its heritage style and timeless design, the Toad & Co Tangerine Falls jacket will be relevant twenty years from now–and it only costs $150.

Functionality and Warmth

The Toad and Co Tangerine Falls jacket exudes “Trail to Tavern” from every fiber of its organic cotton and canvas blend. Thanks to its DWR finish, it repels light drizzle on the trail or while out and about shopping, running errands or commuting to work. Aside from its DWR coating, the Toad & Co Tangerine Falls jacket contains 60 grams of insulation in the body and 40 grams in the sleeves. On the inside of the jacket is a lightweight flannel lining and the two hand pockets are lined with a lovely, silky fleece. Its 30.5” length does a great job of keeping the bum warm in temperatures down to the low-forties.

Substantial

When I hold this jacket I do not feel a lightweight jacket at all. I feel a substantial jacket that has enough weight to provide warmth. I was checking out some similar looking jackets on the racks at Nordstrom’s a few weeks earlier. They were in the style of the Tangerine Falls jacket but were feather light. They had no lining, no insulation, and no weight to them. Their purpose was fashion and only fashion. They were not jackets. The Tangerine Falls is the antithesis of those jackets with its heftier weight, warmth and heavy duty zippers and snaps.

Size

It’s accurate. I’m normally a small in tops and jackets and the size small of the Tangerine Falls jacket fits correctly. While I have somewhat broad shoulders, I did not feel that it was tight in the shoulders at all. Sleeve length is about as perfect as one can get. For layering, I wore either lightweight or mid-weight long-sleeved shirts. I experimented with mid-layers and bulky wool sweaters but found that it wasn’t such a good idea. The additional bulk made the jacket too tight.

What Could be Better

Nothing. I honestly can’t think of anything that would make the Tangerine Falls jacket better. I think Toad and Co nailed it here.

Final Thoughts

There are times when a piece of clothing comes along that isn’t necessarily ground-breaking or earth-shattering in its design but I love it anyway. For $150, you can’t go wrong with the Toad & Co. Tangerine Falls jacket and its classic, timeless and beautiful heritage style.

For day hikes on cool days with moderate wind, or even wearing around town in the early spring or late fall, and the clouds unleash a drizzle, it’ll definitely do what you need it to do—without bleeding your 401k.

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