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Reviews > Clothing > Hats > OR Motion Fleece Balaclava > Rob Patterson > Field ReportOutdoor Research Motion Fleece Balaclava - Field Report
Product description: The hat is a simple balaclava, constructed out of four panels of Motion Fleece fabric connected with flat-locked stitching. The size large is slightly roomy on my rather large (24 in or 61 cm circumference) head and reaches just to the base of my neck. There is an embroidered 'OR' logo at the base of the hat. The hat fits well, allows excellent peripheral vision, and when put on seems to want to cover my entire head except for the area from my mid-forehead to just below my nose, but can be easily worn over my nose or under my mouth or chin. The balaclava can be easily rolled up and worn as a hat (with very little bulk), or worn as a neck gaiter. The 'Motion Fleece' fabric is considerably lighter than a 100 weight fleece and feels more line a 50 weight fleece, has a nice amount of stretch to it, is smooth on the outside and slightly fuzzy on the inside. The balaclava is comfortable to wear, moves with my head, layers well and does not interfere with my hearing. During the past two months, the balaclava has seen about two weeks worth of use, while downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking, and snowshoeing. We've definitely had a very odd winter and temperatures have ranged from just above freezing down to -35 C (in and around -38 F). Weather wise its been mainly bluebird days with a few days of snow fall thrown in. My take on the hat: Overall I've found the Motion Fleece Balaclava to be a welcome addition to my layering system. Typically I find that it adds about the warmth of a wool beanie while protecting my entire head from cold and layering much better under a helmet. I have found the fabric, while not windproof by any means, to dull the wind slightly, to wick sweat away very well and to comfortable enough to wear all day. When used as a helmet liner the balaclava comes into its own, providing a nice amount of warmth, and some protection from the snow without impeding my hearing at all. Furthermore when used with a hoodless jacket the balaclava protects nicely against falling snow (think getting dumped on while skiing under laden trees) and when worn under a hood to add noticeable warmth and to prevent any clamminess in the hood. Lastly when worn in the sun the black fabric can get pretty warm pretty fast. In the two months that I've had the balaclava I've encountered some issues with the fit of the balaclava, and while nothing that really effects its performance they are none-the-less worth noting. Specifically, while there is ample fabric for the base of the balaclava to reach my collarbone in the front, the back is slightly stingier and reaches down only to my C7 Vertebra, but this tends to be a non-issue when worn with a collared shell or shirt. Beyond that I have found the top of the face opening to rest about mid-forehead when the balaclava is worn over the chin or mouth and I have found the balaclava to be most comfortable tucked under my chin or with the bottom of the face opening resting just below my mouth. About the only really negative thing I find that I could say about the fit of the balaclava is that occasionally the doubled back face fabric of the balaclava uncomfortably dug into the sides of my face - but than again when your wearing a balaclava it usually means the weather is also less then 100% comfortable. Lastly the balaclava has a bit of a tendency to get bunched up under a helmet's chin strap (I've used it with a Giro 9.9 ski helmet and a Petzl Elios climbing helmet), but this is not significant and is in-line with what one would find with other similar products. As for using the balaclava as a Watchcap type hat or as a neck gaiter, I have found it to work better in the latter then it did in the former. As a hat, well, the balaclava just looks odd and requires some practice to get the folding right (It takes a bit of practice so that the rolls cover my ears and so there is no gap between the roll and the top of the face opening), but once you get it down it works great for high intensity activates like Nordic Skiing, with the roll providing some wind protection for my ears and the fabric remaining soft and wicking sweat well. As a neck-gaiter, the balaclava works significantly better and comfortably seals out drafts with any of my jackets. While a bit uncomfortable to pull up over my chin and not as warm as a 200-weight neck-gaiter, the balaclava none-the-less did a great job with this and for this reason alone it will stay in my pack for warmer weather trips. Overall I really like the Motion Fleece Balaclava and the versatility it affords, but am having just a bit of trouble figuring out just how to use it properly. Things I like:
Things I dislike:
Backpacking Background: I'm an avid backpacker, and have hiked through most of Canada. Because of a number of factors I tend to use heavy to mid-weight gear but am looking at moving towards lightweight backpacking. Thus far, I've always used tents, and heavyweight backpacks. I also am an avid white-water paddler, long distance canoeist, and in the winter ski downhill, cross-country (skate and classic), climb (rock and ice), and with luck this winter I'll learn to snowshoe. Read more reviews of Outdoor Research gear Read more gear reviews by Robert Patterson Reviews > Clothing > Hats > OR Motion Fleece Balaclava > Rob Patterson > Field Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||