Minus33 Merino WoolExpedition Heavyweight Balaclava - Skiing Face Warmer - Cold Weather Gear - Kodiak Fleece

Over the past few years, I've become more interested in new cold-battling winter gear. Among other things, I've been testing balaclavas, scarves, and neck warmers. I got this one from Kodiak, and after wearing it through last winter, I think it's a worthy addition to my winter arsenal for specific kinds of days.The material is a bit thinner than some other items I rely on. For example, I have a couple of fleece neck warmers that are thicker. And with the longer neck warmers, I can pull them up over my ears, which is great. But of course they don't form a continuous coverage all the way over my head, so I have to wear a hat with them. I was curious to see if a balaclava that covers continuously from my neck up over my head and part of my face could be better. The answer is, "sort of." This balaclava does provide continuous coverage. But because the material is thinner, it does not work in any particular spots as well as the neck warmers. And while wearing this balaclava, I had to also wear a hat. As a result, on the bitterest cold days, I still prefer the combination of a thick neck warmer, scarf, and hat.Overall, this balaclava is a good option on moderately cold days, when you want to wear just one warming item, as opposed to a combination. I recommend it for that purpose.

Does not stay over nose..

I am such a huge fan of this brand. I never understood how versatile wool actually is until I began wearing shearling slippers a few years ago and wore them through the pandemic. Wool actually has remarkable moisture wicking and antimicrobial properties. The Minus33 stuff seems thin and flimsy but it is quite remarkable material. It breathes like nobody's business.I would not recommend it for standing around in a North Dakota blizzard or as a standalone item that will by itself ward off wind chill, but for lower temps it is an excellent base layer to be worn with appropriate outdoor gear, and in moderate cold temps it will do quite well to keep you warm but dry when you are hiking or otherwise engaging in activities.Washes easily with minimal to no pilling. I love it!

This Minus33 Kodiak Fleece Balaclava isn't as warm as I was hoping it would be. I put it on in the house (hoping I wouldn't scare the &#$@ out of my wife) and left it on for a couple minutes. I really didn't feel much warmth at all. If I put my knit stocking cap on for a few minutes in the house I definitely feel the warmth.If I were a runner I feel this would be a very good Balaclava on extremely cold days.I will say that I like the features of this balaclava. You can easily adjust the opening to below your nose or even below your chin however, you can breath very easily with this over your mouth. I didn't feel any dampness from my nose or mouth while I had it on.The length of the material covering the neck is quite long. At first I had the extra material kind of bunched up at the bottom. I feel this would be uncomfortable after a while. However, when I folded the extra material up over itself (toward my chin) it was much more comfortable and I could feel a little more warmth.I will keep searching for that super warm and comfortable balaclava.