Merinowolle

When I unpacked it, I was initially curious about what to expect. After all, the hoodie has a considerable retail price, but this can definitely be justified by the Norwegian company's sustainable, animal-friendly production methods. But the quality should also be right.

Down, synthetic or wool. We are now spoiled for choice when it comes to materials. In addition to standards for down and sustainable alternatives in the development of synthetic fiber products, more and more emphasis is also being placed on sustainability and certifications for wool. This is also the case with the "Ortovox Wool Promise".

Most of us know the Icelander not only as a breed of horse, but also as a scratchy, woolly turtleneck sweater with a classic design from the north of Europe. The Norwegian brand Devold has helped shape the change from scratchy to warm and soft in the company's 150-year history and has been producing extremely attractive merino wool underwear for years. Since this winter, the signature line has been available in new colors with various traditional patterns.

Merino underwear has been state of the art for some time now, but the Norwegians at Devold have come up with something new. The Tuvegga Sport Air line is not only made from highly breathable merino mesh, but can also be worn on both sides thanks to body mapping and a roughened structure. The shirt is warmer when worn on one side and more breathable on the other.

A third layer jacket with merino wool sounds a bit strange at first. On closer inspection, however, you realize that the merino wool is only used on the inside. On the outside, the jacket shines with the high-performance Dermizax®EV membrane from Toray with a water column of at least 20,000 mm and is therefore permanently wind and waterproof.

There was already a GOTW article about this product some time ago. In it, I described my first impressions. Since then, the gloves have regularly accompanied me into the mountains, not only for skiing, but also as a warm glove for summer mountaineering in the Alps.

You would think that ski gloves would have the least influence on our performance on the ascent and descent. However, as everyone knows, cold fingers and wet gloves can spoil the fun. Since the overall experience usually counts when skiing, snowboarding or any other snow sports activity, it's worth taking a close look at your gloves.

Merino wool underwear has become an integral part of skiing and outdoor sports. The advantages are too great, such as the comfortable feel, the avoidance of perspiration odor and the good temperature regulation. In addition, although the good pieces are generally more expensive than the various synthetic fiber pieces, they are also more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Of course, this also applies to the garments from our partner company Devold from Norway, which has been processing wool there for over 150 years.

The Helix Long Sleeve Zip from Icebreaker has probably become my most-used garment over the last year, as it excels in a number of areas.

The First Light Hybrid Hoody from Black Diamond combines highly insulating Primaloft with breathable merino wool in a body-mapping process: merino is used in areas where you are more likely to sweat.

PowderGuide partner Devold is a traditional Norwegian manufacturer of wool clothing that has been dressing fishermen, farmers and polar pioneers like Fridtjof Nansen since the 19th century. Nowadays, in addition to the classic Norwegian sweaters that kept Fridtjof warm and cozy, there is also an extensive range of merino underwear for all kinds of sporting activities. This week, the Breeze ski underwear ensemble is our Gear of the Week.

So far, I haven't given much thought to my baselayers. My main focus when buying underwear was really only on whether it was warm or less warm. I didn't pay much attention to the material or the fit. However, since I tested the Fjellrapp baselayer from Bergans, my attitude towards mundane underwear has changed fundamentally.