Personal Information:
Name: Christine Korhonen
Age: 31
Gender: female
Height: 5'4" (1.6 m)
Weight: 150 lb (68 kg)
E-mail: chris@wormguy.com
Location: Western Montana
Date: March 11, 2005

Backpacking Background:
I'm in Montana where I'm enjoying the summers and becoming re-acquainted with winter. Now that I'm back above the snow line, I'm attempting some winter camping and snowshoeing. I'm a lightweight backpacker mentally, if not always in practice. My summer pack weight is around 19 lb (9 kg) with a tent, but my winter pack hovers around 25 lb (11 kg).

Product Information:
Manufacturer: Ibex
URL: www.ibexwear.com
Item: Neck Gaiter
MSRP: US $20
Color: Red Rock/Graphite
Size: Large

Dimensions:
Listed Weight: 2.2 oz (62 g)
Measured Weight: 2.2 oz (62 g)
Measured Size- Flat: 9¾" wide x 7" high (25 cm x 18 cm)

Neck Gaiter Description:
The Ibex neck gaiter is an alternative to a scarf. It's a tube made of finely knit Merino wool that goes on over my head. There are no fasteners. The outside is red, a color named Red Rock by Ibex, while the inside is black (Graphite). The inside and outside fabrics are stitched together at the top and bottom of the gaiter. Although the gaiter is advertised as reversible, the black side is softer; it's knit in a fine interlock stitch. The outer red side uses a "dense-knit," as described by Ibex. The inside and outside layers each consist of two pieces stitched together using flat seams down the front of the gaiter. The Ibex logo is embroidered on the front of the red side. There are two tags with washing instructions and sizing information loosely stitched to the back of the black layer.

The neck gaiter came with a small hang tag attached. The tag indicates that the gaiter is part of the wool Ibextremities collection, the Ibex line of accessories.

First Impressions:
The neck gaiter seems to be very well made. It's quite thick, yet soft and light. The wool is very cozy, not itchy at all. The gaiter stretches. I can fit it over my head without messing up my hair very much.   I like the muted red color.

When I first put the gaiter on, the wool felt cool on my neck. On, the gaiter covers my neck and chin. I can pull the gaiter up to cover my nose, but this moves the bottom edge away from my neck. When pulled up, the gaiter is loose around my nose. It doesn't stay over my nose on its own. I can breathe with the gaiter covering my nose and mouth, but it warms up in there quite quickly.

Expectations from Website:
The neck gaiter looks just as I expected, although the dimensions are not provided on the website. The gaiter comes in two sizes, medium and large. There is no sizing information for the gaiter on the website.   I called the Ibex toll-free number to find out what size I should pick and was told by the helpful person who answered that women tend to purchase the medium size while men get the large. The woman on the phone mentioned that she would get a large if she were buying a neck gaiter. Since I have been told I have a large head, I went with the large. The large feels comfortable, but it may be a little loose on me.   It would be nice if there were sizing suggestions for the gaiter on the Ibex website.

Test Plan:
I will test the neck gaiter along the trails of Montana, Wyoming, and Michigan.   We're having a very warm winter here in Montana, but I will do my best to find appropriate testing conditions. I may not be able to test the gaiter in below-freezing conditions, but I will determine the highest temperature when I can wear the gaiter comfortably. I will also see how well the gaiter protects my neck from wind and any moisture that comes my way.

Read more reviews of Ibex gear
Read more gear reviews by Christine Korhonen

Initial Report

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