Manufacturer Statements:
On the easily navigated website of the manufacturer, I found the Ibex "Roaster" Boxers in the appropriate category "baselayer". As the website now lists the spring catalog as well, it is only found in the winter section. The description says:

Boxer length midweight baselayer. Form fit is comfortable under performance outerwear.
Specs:
18.5 Superfine Merino Wool
Form Fit
Elastic Waistband
Easy Care
Machine Washable
Average Weight 6 oz
USA

where I assume "USA" indicates the country of manufacture.

First Impression:
The boxers are black (called "graphite" by the manufacturer) and made of a stretchy material which does not feel like wool at all. It is soft and smooth to the touch. They feature a broad elastic waistband. The seams are relatively flat and in black. Nevertheless, they are quite obvious because they are about 6 mm (1/4 in) across. The seams on the front give these a clear "underwear" look. While it is meant to be underwear, I am nevertheless somewhat disappointed by this. From the picture on the manufacturer's website, I thought it might be possible to wear these as an only layer, which would substantially increase the time of year in which I'd be wearing them. Of course, I can still do that, as long as I don't mind being seen walking around in underwear. And, admittedly, it is good-looking underwear. Still, I believe these will exclusively serve as underwear for me.

Fit/Comfort:
They are very soft to the touch - I'm not sure if they really feel softer than cotton underwear or if it's just that I would expect them to be more scratchy, but they really are comfortable. They fit rather loosely, however. At 87 cm (34 in) waistline when ordering, I was at the bottom end of size L as per the manufacturer's sizing chart when selecting my size. As generally all my clothes are size "L", I thought no more about ordering size "L". I am currently closer to 85 cm (33.5 in), which would put me right between size M and size L as per the manufacturer's sizing chart. The boxers (which are tagged as size L) aren't at all loose around the waist - the elastic waistband fits snugly. Surprisingly, however, the remainder of the boxers do not have the snug "form fit" which I had come to expect from the advertisement and the picture shown on the website.
Specifically, the material does not hug my crotch and thighs - there are some folds and it lacks the supportive feeling I have in briefs. If I had this feeling in briefs, I'd simply consider them to be too large. But these are boxers, so I won't hold it against them. Still, I wonder if whoever made the sizing chart is used to "larger" people. I am somewhat athletic, so maybe the circumference of my thighs is lower than it would be if I weren't athletic at all or were a hard-core bicyclist. Still, they will serve.
They feel warm, though not terribly so even when worn indoors so while I may not want to wear them on hot summer days (the Long Term Testing period extends to September, so I'll find out for sure), I am already pretty sure that these are good not just for the colder third of the year.

Trying Out:
I've taken these for a little walk and have worn them around the house before and after. In my normal pants (jeans), they felt nice. While I was unaccustomed to the looser feeling as compared to my usual briefs, this was not unpleasant. Friends of kilts etc. may know what I'm talking about. Warmth was good, never too hot. They seem like a well-made product, which should serve well in a variety of circumstances. I'll let you know about all of them once I've found out.

Test Plan:
I'll be wearing them for all my hikes during the test period. This will include a number of day-hikes as well as - so far - at least one weekend and a four-day trip. Temperatures should be anywhere from 5 to 35 C (40 to 95 F), precipitation likely just as variable (though I assume that I will always be wearing something on top of these). I will take particular care to try and report on the temperature range in which I found these comfortable. I may also try these out as swimming trunks.

Pros/Cons:
PROS: Comfortable. Should be Low-Maintenance.
CONS: Unnecessarily distinct underwear look.

Personal Biographical Information:
Name: André Corterier
Gender: M
Age: 33
Height: 1,85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight: 80 kg (175 lb)
Email: andreDOTcorterierATfreenetDOTde
Home: Bonn, Germany
DATE: 2005-03-30

Backpacking Background:
I began backpacking in my late teens using Europe’s "InterRail"-System – weight hardly mattered, as we were on trains a lot. I recently rediscovered backpacking and have started out slowly – single-day 15 mile (24 km) jaunts by myself or even shorter hikes in the company of my little daughter. I am getting started on longer hikes, as a lightweight packer and hammock-camper. I’ve begun upgrading my old gear and am now shooting for a dry FSO weight (everything carried From the Skin Out except food, fuel and water) of about 10 kg (22 lb) for three-season camping. Not quite there yet.

Read more reviews of Ibex gear
Read more gear reviews by Andre Corterier

Initial Report

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