Men's Diomede Merino Wool Snorkel Hoody

Weather variance in the Valhallas in late March and April is a thing. Shedding layers on the up track only goes as far as your base layer and while I did manage to sweat my ass off, the Diomede Snorkel hoody wicked it and dried quickly. The snorkel is magic when you rise above the trees, the wind kicks up and you’re able to keep the sideways flying graupel from getting into your ears. The bonus is that you can wear this for four straight days or more and it doesn’t get stinky. A quick wash with short, low heat dry cycle will put it back into perfect form.

This is a truly phenomenal baselayer. The feel is very soft, the breathability is fantastic, and the snorkel hoody makes for a great adjustment during ski tours or days on the resort when you want to add a little more warmth to your head.

THAT BEING SAID.... DO NOT PUT THIS THING IN THE DRYER... or it will shrink into a children's garment. I've ruined my base layer just doing my laundry so be warned.

Definitely the best base layer I ever owned, and I have tried many in my guiding life. Top breathability. Super comfortable. I use it when guiding clients, for my trail running training, when taking care of kids in freezing playgrounds :). A best friend on cold days!

This is my new favorite baselayer for typical winter resort skiing and backcountry skiing when it's sufficiently cold (highs in the teens). As the title says, it is very breathable, warm, stretch. It offers little to no wind resistance so I only use if for tours when it's cold enough to have a breathable wind shell over it. The hood is hinged like a balaclava which makes it more versatile in my opinion. A word on sizing, I am a solid size L in Beringia outerwear (St. Elias jacket and Tsurugi anorak) and own both a M and L in . The M is very form fitting, the L more loose fitting. Overall I prefer the tight fitting M for performance use, it has plenty of stretch for me. If they added thumbhole loops for easier layering this would be the most perfect baselayer ever made!

Got this at the beginning of last winter, I guide in the Yukon and Nunavut and thought it would be a good addition to my closet full of base layers, but found myself reaching for it whenever temps were below -10....which is all the time up here. Fit is comfortable, and fabric is soft against my skin and there are NO bulky seams. Even used it as a base layer for winter running. All in all a really high quality product that is very warm!