Gear Review: Icebreaker Bodyfit260 Leggings

I've done a fair amount of winter camping/hiking and have always been happy with the performance of a polypro base layer. For some time now however I've been hearing about the benefits of using merino wool instead. The natural fiber insulates when wet, is soft on the skin and has a natural odor resistance (a big plus on extended outings). So I decided to give it a try when I went up to Alaska to train for the Iditarod Trail Invitational.

For 5 days and 4 nights I wore the Icebreaker Men's Bodyfit260 Mid-Weight Leggings under a pair of cycling tights and they never left my body. During the day we spent hours pedalling and pushing fat bikes across frozen lakes, swamps and rivers - and at night slept out under the stars with temps in the single digits. The Icebreakers stayed on me the entire time.

From an insulating perspective the most I can say is that I had no complaints. This wasn't a scientific experiment and I had other layers on top of the base - so I can't really say whether it was better than the polypro or not.

From a comfort perspective however, I'm going to have to proclaim the Icebreakers the winner. On longer trips comfort really takes on a new significance. After a couple days of wearing the same item you start to feel all the little things you might otherwise not notice. This is especially the case with fitted items. Tags, seams and fabric will start to take a toll on your skin.

After a few days in polypros my skin and leg hairs will become sensitive to the fabric. I think the sensation is akin to "hat hair ache": when you wear a hat for an extended period your hair can hurt/tingle when you finally remove it. It's not really something I notice it during periods of activity, but when I get into my sleeping bag at the end of the day I can feel my skin ache just a little. With the Icebreakers I didn't have this problem. I can only assume that the fabric didn't cause my leg hairs to bend and snag in the same way that I assume the polypro does. This was a major plus in my opinion. At the end of the day there are no prizes for being uncomfortable.

When we got back to our Anchorage hotel I decided to give them a "sniff test". Five days of continuous sweating and drying left me smelling horrible, however the Icebreakers smelt as if they were right out of the box. My polypros would have been a petri dish compared to these.

I was also please with their durability: no snags, pulls or loose threads. Back home I ran them through the wash and they snapped back into shape without any issues. Frankly, they could have gone right back into the box and sold as new. So I'm quite pleased with their durability.

I did some in-store comparisons with a few different brands - most notably Ibex. At the time of this writing I was not impressed with the durability of the Ibex clothing. Just trying them on in the store I could feel threads breaking and it looked as if it would easily snag and tear. In their defense however, the ones I tried on were slightly lighter weight than the Icebreakers - but I don't feel that should have left threads breaking. They might be fine to wear around town, but I wouldn't use them on a long term outing.

In the end, while I don't think the Icebreaker product has significant benefits over the polypro for short trips (1-2 days), I will undoubtedly be using them for any extended trip. The comfort and odor-resistance absolutely sold me.

Gear Review: Arc'teryx Venta SV Softshell Jacket

I compared numerous softshell jackets for the ITI race spanning different price points from $140 to $400. My basic requirements were for a softshell that was windproof, had good ventilation, a hem drawcord, and a hood. I ended up purchasing the Arc'Teryx Venta SV.

1. High-quality zippers were easy to use and had smooth, mostly trouble free action. This was important to me because I wanted a jacket I could easily vent while riding a bike and didn't want to deal with snags while pedalling over snow and ice.

2. Collar independent of the hood. With only a hood, wind can tunnel down the back of the hood into the jacket.

3. Hood big enough to fit over a helmet.

4. Somewhat looser fit than the more athletic cut jackets Arc'Teryx makes. This made it comfortable to wear with multiple layers underneath. I've seen a few reviews where people were bothered with the looser cut of this jacket, expecting something that sits closer to the body. However, I tried many different layering options and any softshell with a closer cut left me feeling restricted.

I took this jacket with me up to Alaska Ultrasport's 5-day Winter Training Camp over the holidays. It rarely left my body. I even slept in it while camping out and I had no issues with comfort.

Arc'Teryx gear is generally high quality, but it is also undoutedly expensive when compared to other brands. Do a little searching, sometimes you can find a closeout color from the prior season and save a hundred bucks. That's just what I did and got my jacket for about $260 from Oregon Mountain Community. Be sure to read the return policies before you buy though! Some places will have restrictions on returning/exchanging closeout merchandise.