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Reviews > Clothing > Underwear > Ibex Roaster Underwear > Tom Van Rossum > Initial ReportIBEX Roaster BoxerInitial Report 17 March 2005 Biographical Information Name: Tom Van Rossum Age: 48 Gender: Male Height: 5'10" (1.78 m) Weight: 155 lb (70 kg) Email: tomvr1 at yahoo dot com Portland, Oregon, USA I started backpacking in Scouts and have been hiking ever since. Most trips are in the typically wet mountainous Cascade Range in Washington and Oregon - from thick underbrush, to old growth forests, to snow above the tree line, I enjoy it all. I also make occasional trips to the more arid region east of the mountains or along the very wet Pacific coast. One or two night weekend backpacking trips are my most common, followed by day hikes, and a couple of week-long hikes each year. I am a traditional "heavy" packer enjoying comfort and low risk. The last couple of years I have tried to lighten my load but have had minimal success. For a base layer I usually wear cotton or polyester. The only wool base layer I have used is a Smartwool T-shirt which I love so I am anxious to see how these boxers perform. I will be primarily looking for comfort, temperature regulation, and durability. And yes, I find most wool products scratchy and irritating. Product Information (from their web site and packaging) Website: http://www.ibexwear.com Ibex advertises these boxers as a mid weight base layer with the following features:
Sizes: Men's - S, M, L, XL, XXL Women's - XS, S, M, L, XL "At a web-thin 18.5 microns, IBEX 100% superfine Merino is the finest and highest quality wool fiber on the market today. It shatters every old perception you've ever had about wearing wool. IBEX WOOL BASE LAYERS are your foundation for performance and personal climate control." quote from the package Description and Initial Impressions I was impressed with the IBEX packaging. The boxers come in an attractive, informative, and sturdy bag. The bag is black plastic with nice outdoor photographs and plenty of product information. A nice feature is the clear panel in the bottom of the bag so you can see the color of the boxers. The side notches at the top of the package make it easy to tear off the top of the bag and get to the Ziploc-type opening. Right from the start the look and feel of the packaging gave me the impression that these must be high quality boxers. The first thing I noticed when I took them out of the package was how soft they are. The second, is that they do not have a fly. The front panel has two layers of cloth but no fly opening. I have never seen men's underwear without a fly and am dubious about this. I am a men's size medium and the boxers fit fine. These boxers are form fitting providing support similar to briefs. The color graphite adequately describes the color. After wearing them and washing them once, my initial impressions are:
Test Strategy My plan is to wear these boxers one or two days per week while day hiking, backpacking and working outdoors for the next six months. Three areas I will be making special note of are 1) Comfort, 2) Temperature regulation, and 3) Durability. I will test and answer the following questions: COMFORT
Since
I will be wearing
them regularly, they will be subject to a wide variety of
backpacking conditions and temperatures.Does the wool make me itch? Do they give me a wedgie? Does the waistband roll? Do my legs chafe? Are they comfortable when wet? Are they truly "no-stink"? TEMPERATURE REGULATION Do they keep me warm in cold weather? Is there a temperature when it is too warm to wear them? Do they keep me warm when wet? How are they at moisture management (sweat)? DURABILITY How do they hold up after repeated use and washings? Shrinkage? How long do they take to air dry? Tom Van Rossum Read more reviews of Ibex gear Read more gear reviews by Tom Van Rossum Reviews > Clothing > Underwear > Ibex Roaster Underwear > Tom Van Rossum > Initial Report | |||