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Reviews > Clothing > Base Layers and Undies > Icebreaker Sprite Hot Pants > Owner Review by Andrea Murland

Icebreaker Sprite Hot Pants
Owner Review by Andrea Murland
January 6, 2014

Tester Information

Name: Andrea Murland
Email: amurland AT shaw DOT ca
Age: 28
Location: Elkford & Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Weight: 130 lb (59 kg)

I began hiking frequently in 2006 and have since hiked in Western Canada, Australia, and spent 2 months backpacking in the Alps. I spend most weekends either day-hiking or on 2-3 day backpacking trips, with some longer trips when I can manage them. I also snowshoe and ski in the winter, but don’t have a lot of experience with winter in the backcountry yet. Elevation is typically 500-3,000 m (1,600-10,000 ft), in the Canadian Rockies and the Selkirk, Purcell, and Monashee ranges. I try for a light pack, but I don’t consider myself a lightweight backpacker.

Image Courtesy of Icebreaker
Sprite Hot Pants

Product Information

Manufacturer: Icebreaker
Manufacturer's URL: www.icebreaker.com
Year of Manufacture: 2012
Model: Sprite Hot Pants
MSRP: US $34.99
Size: Medium
Sizes Available: XS, S, M, L, XL
Colour: Gulf (no longer available), Magenta
Listed Weight: None
Measured Weight: 39 g (1.4 oz)


Care Instructions (from tag):
Machine wash warm with similar colours, do not use softeners, do not bleach, line dry in the shade, do not tumble dry, warm iron, do not iron labels, do not dry clean

Description

The Icebreaker Sprite Hot Pants are underwear made from 150-weight merino wool (96%) and elastane (4%). They are cut as boy-shorts, with full coverage. The waistband of the pants is a 3 cm (1.2 in) wide brushed elastic band in contrasting colour, with “ICEBREAKER” woven in white. The leg holes are finished with a standard folded-over hem. The hot pants have a double layer of fabric through the crotch area, with a flatlock seam at either end. There is also a flatlock seam up the centre of the back of the pants. Each side of the underwear has a strip of fabric in the contrasting colour running vertically.
My underwear

Field Conditions

I bought my first pair of the hot pants in the fall of 2012, and bought a second pair a year later. The first one was worn extensively for backcountry skiing, including overnight and hut trips, and then through the spring, summer and fall for hiking and search & rescue work. The second pair has now also been used for skiing. I would estimate that I’ve worn these underwear for about 25 days, and slept in them 10 times. Temperatures ranged from -25 C (-13 F) to 30 C (86 F).

Review

Comfort & Fit:
My two pairs of the Sprite Hot Pants have become some of my favourite backcountry underwear. First, sizing. I fit right into the size Medium in the Icebreaker size guide, which I would say is accurate. The waistband is snug without digging into my waist, and the leg openings are very slightly loose, without being too big. There is no elastic on the bottom of the legs to hold them in place, so occasionally, if I have just the right combination of other layers on, the legs creep up slightly (read: slight wedgie). The fabric is soft and comfortable. I don’t find the seams to be irritating at all and I will willingly sleep in the underwear. I like the boy-short style, as underwear lines don’t seem to show as much on me with that style.

Moisture & Odour Control:
I like these underwear in all seasons. In the winter, they keep me warm even when sweaty, and transport moisture to my outer layers well. In the summer, I don’t get hot in them, and they dry quickly with just one layer on top. The double-layer area does take a bit longer to dry. As far as odour goes, there are overnight trips where I think that they’re far less stinky than other offerings in my drawer, and other trips where I am not sure there’s a difference. I think they’re better overall, especially with sweat-induced stink.

Durability:
The older of my two pairs still performs just as well as when new. It looks slightly more worn and has a bit of discolouration in the crotch area. I can’t discern any noticeable stretching. I have washed it about 20 times, in the washing machine with regular detergent, and hung it to dry.

Summary

The Icebreaker Sprite Hot Pants are merino wool boy-short style underwear that are comfortable and perform well. They have a spot in my gear as long as they last.

Thumbs Up:
Comfortable fabric
Good odour management
Good breathability

Thumbs Down:
Occasionally creep upwards


Read more gear reviews by Andrea Murland

Reviews > Clothing > Base Layers and Undies > Icebreaker Sprite Hot Pants > Owner Review by Andrea Murland



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