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Reviews > Clothing > Underwear > Ibex Roaster Underwear > Rob Patterson > Long Term ReportIbex Roaster Boxer - Long Term Report:
Product description: Made from midweight Merino wool (about the same weight as midweight polypropylene), the boxers arrived nicely packaged in zip-lock bag, with much of the product literature printed on it. Once opened up, the boxers themselves bore hang-tags for both Ibex baselayers and for 18.5 Superfine Merino Wool. The boxers are fairly form fitting, and supportive, sitting nicely above my waist and reaching down to mid-thigh. Entirely sewn with flat stitching there are no side seams to the boxers (a nice feature when carrying a pack), and the front, while lacking a fly, benefits from a double layer of wool over the groin area for warmth. The hand of the material is very soft, with a nice amount of stretch to it, and I have not found the boxers to be itchy at all, in fact they feel like nice warm flannel. For a more complete description please see my Initial Report. Test Conditions: In the six months that I've had the boxers I've used them as both normal everyday underwear around town, as well as under more hi-tech clothing while biking, climbing, canoeing, jogging and hiking. In the past four months most of my testing has been from the stern of a canoe as I worked as a canoe tripping guide in Algonquin Park this summer, amassing over 50 trip days. Temperatures have ranged from a little below freezing, to the high 30's (in Celsius) (which translates into a bit over 86 Fahrenheit), and the weather has ranged from light hail/snow, to truly miserable multi-day rainstorms, which in turn have become some of the nicest days that I can remember. My take on the boxers Well I've put these boxers through a whole season of canoe guiding in Ontario's Algonquin Park, and have only the highest praise for these boxers. While I dislike the fact that they can take a while to dry on trip, and can be just a little to warm in the hottest months, I've loved the boxer's buttery soft fabric, durability and comfort. These are, bar none, the most comfortable underwear in my closet, and I'm going to buy another pair. The fabric has held up well with zero pilling and the waistband remains comfortable firm. The only complaint that I have about the boxers is the fact that the fabric has relaxed somewhat with use, meaning that they are not quite as good at keeping my privates from creeping under my climbing harness's leg straps as they used to be (ouch!). Nonetheless, I am very happy with the durability of the boxers. Otherwise, the boxers have continued to provide a wonderfully butter soft fabric, a very comfortable cut, very good support, and excellent comfort when wet. While I have found the boxers to take a while to dry when soaked, they are always comfortable and have become my favorite boxers; I plan to buy another pair - or two. For a more detailed look at the boxer's performance, please see my Field Report. Things I like:
Things I dislike:
Suggested Improvements: I think these are some of the best underwear that I've tried, but like most things they could use a little tweaking. Specifically I'd like to see a fly added, or the waistline lowered for going to the washroom, but as the fit of the boxers is so good, my preference is for a fly. Also I'd like to see the bottom of the elastic waistband sewn into the boxers. On one occasion the elastic twisted around on me, and a slight alteration in how the boxers are sewn would prevent this from happening. I've noticed that while the boxers have held their shape well, the fabric has loosened up a bit with lots of use, and they are not quite as supportive as they were in the beginning; nonetheless they are my favorite pair of underwear. Other that that, I'd love to see a lighter weight version offered for the summer. As is these boxers are fantastic in the shoulder seasons and on slightly cooler or rainy days, as once the full force of summer rolled around, I found myself wishing for a slightly quicker drying and cooler model.
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 snowshoe. Read more reviews of Ibex gear Read more gear reviews by Robert Patterson Reviews > Clothing > Underwear > Ibex Roaster Underwear > Rob Patterson > Long Term Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||