I love merino wool, so much that I once put it in my Tinder profile. I’m constantly on the hunt for new merino wool that I can put to the test. Mammoth Lakes-based Ridge Merino entered the market a few years ago, and I got my hands on the Ridge Merino Solstice Hoody to test out. Here’s how it fared.
Spring is just around the corner and it’s time to trade our puffies for lighter mid layers. The Patagonia Performance Better Sweater is perfect for those crisp spring days.
I’m a pretty dang lazy person. I wear the exact same thing to work nearly every day, because it’s easy and I don’t have to think about it, plus bike commuting means I don’t want to get my nice things sweaty and dirty. I do laundry every other week, but also because doing laundry is expensive and I hate wasting quarters. I also like clothes that hide when I eat too many cookies, which is all the time. The Black Diamond Dawn Wall Hoody is perfect. The polyester stretch jersey is technical and casual all at once. Toss it on at work or at the crag; you won’t look out of place at either.
This past summer has been the summer of weekend road trips. Friday nights we were tossing our gear in the back of the car and driving for hours. I’m basically the best sleeping road trip partner you can possibly find, and I do it in comfort. The Black Diamond Dawn Wall Hoody was my best friend for those sloth-like hours and hours in the front seat.
I’m the world’s laziest person ever; when it comes to the elements, I tend to baby my down jackets and prefer my stinky, synthetic insulation over the fluffy good stuff. When Outdoor Research sent over their Diode Hoody, I was a little skeptical. A down jacket to battle the elements? It didn’t seem real.