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.

The post Maloja OilinM Hoodie Review appeared first on gritandgearonline.com.

What I Loved

Wind-resistance

Howling, frigid wind that penetrates fabric and chills the legs is a major contributor to a lack of warmth and comfort. The Maloja BraidaM touring pants did not have this problem thanks to a wind-blocking front made from GORE-TEX INFINIUM Windstopper. The membrane, when integrated into apparel, blocks all wind while still retaining its breathability. This was a bit of a (nice) shock to me because Maloja doesn’t specify on their site that the BraidaM’s are made with GORE-TEX Infinium Windstopper but they are. They really should call this out because it’s an important justification of the $239 price tag.  

Breathability & Ventilation

Another contributing factor to discomfort is when you work up a sweat and the sweat is trapped between your skin and the fabric. The Maloja BraidaM touring pants mitigate this problem in two ways. Two nicely long zippered ventilated slits on the thighs that open to a breathable mesh fabric and the GORE-TEX Infinium membrane. The breathable mesh fabric speaks for itself and anything with made with GORE-TEX Infinium is highly breathable and desirable.

Stretchy and non-Restrictive

Even with their attractive slim fit and a Brynje of Norway baselayer. We all like to show off our fine physiques on the trails but if that “sleek silhouette” isn’t done right, it’s an endless fight against constricting fabric. This wasn’t the case for me. The two contributing factors are its stretchy 4-way fabric that allows for an unimpeded range of motion and the sizing. I wear a size small and found the Maloja size small to be accurate.

Foot/bootstrap

This is a nice bonus because it holds the pant leg securely beneath your ski boot and does not impede ski bindings. The bottoms of the begs are also reinforced with a nice Cordura fabric for extra protection against twigs and branches, wet snow, or hard snow chunks.

What I Didn’t Like

Nothing to say here.

Final Thoughts

Like Braunschweiger and Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, the wind-resistant, breathable, agile and GORE-TEX Infinium Windstopper-infused  Maloja BraidaM Ski Touring pants is another fine example of German engineering! Pairs beautifully with the Maloja OilinM hoodie.

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