first of all the merino is great--after buying my fiance a Sugoi Wallaroo 170 long sleeve and having a bunch of short-sleeve stoic/bc merino pieces, and a 260gt 1/4zip from ice breaker, i'd decided i too wanted a long-sleeve base layer out of merino. the price on steepandcheap was great--and the shirt itself fits well and is your typical high quality merino layer. I have a 38in chest and the small fits loosely, not tight like a stoic/bc.com tshirt or underarmour or anything. however, the shirt has some intentional design flaws, as i see them.

as shown in the other pictures, the hem of this shirt is a normal hem that looks like it has been roughly cut with scissors. Thus it rolls after being washed and will get some loose threads. i have been told by icebreaker that this is an intentional design that they felt was an 'important trend to capture'. well the trend is forever captured in this shirt. hopefully on the next run they don't feel like they need to re-capture it. in the future i will look to buy sugoi, bc.com/stoic, ibex merino layers instead of icebreaker. the 'raw hem' is as retarded of an idea of buying pre-worn jeans with scuffs and holes, and at MSRP, you're paying top dollar for the 'important trend'. screw that

yeah i'm convinced on the merino. Only downside for pure merino (and not blends with synthetic) is that its going to be $25 on sale...and $45-60MSRP depending on brand. Only downside. The convincing part is the lack of odor after extended wear. An hour sweating in a synthetic shirt and the stank is established like a fat man at a buffet. The merino does such an excellent job, days later, I smell the shirt to see if it is good for another go and muse, "this doesn't really smell, does it?" The fact that it is soft, fits well, made in canada, and looks good is just icing.
this stoic shirt is the same as the bc.com merino shirts, sans the goat. Honestly, I prefer the goat logo and the bc.com colors, to me it is a marketing switcheroo and that leaves a bunch of question marks over bc.com brand loyalist's head. But hey, brand it with a squirrel logo or arcane alchemy symbols, so long as it's merino i'm buying.

the microfleece lining has pilled up and removed in a few spots with lots of wear, but these are my favorite pants ever.
I wear 32x32 in most jeans/khakis, etc, and go smaller if anything--the medium fit me well, hang just a tad lower on my waist though. these have function great for rock climbing, summer mountaineering, and in less extreme cold temperatures, single day winter mountaineering events (no colder than 20F though). They dry incredible quick, are durable, microfleece lining is soft, pockets are great/zip closure--and it is hard to beat the goat logo!

I wouldn't pay MSRP for this - get it on sale!impeccable stitching, patagonia lifetime guarantee, doesn't wrinkle easy, dries fast, works on the trail, boat, office, hostel, or pub. Here it is doing duty on a hot, humid night in puerto ayacucho in venezeula. Found this whisky flavored alcohol, thought the buck on the bottle looked identical to my west virginia hat's buck. In the mean time, the Patagonia Pique Vitaliti Polo Shirt was unpiqued and non-plused by the situation.

nice piece, solid fit, no pilling, doesn't show abrasion/wear, hasn't lost soft-fleecy feeling 4years and 2000+ miles later..as other person said, goes under shells great. hood is a bit 'scuba' like. not a lot of warmth if the wind picks up. better than a regular fleece for 5-10mph winds yet thinner than you'd expect. weight is spot on around 1lb.

but never, ever, and I mean EVER, pay full price for this. That would be one of the bigger rip-offs I know of, gear wise. The MSRP for what this piece functionally offers, even with arcy label should be around $150 max.

Stoic Breaker Fleece seems to offer a similar package, though from the sounds of reviews I read it blocks the wind better, has a waist-draw cord, internal pocket, and is a bit heavier (maybe heavier duty too).

This beanie is great for under a helmet or for light warmth, but don't ask it to do more, it is after all, a light-weight beanie! Works great for a layer piece under a heavier hat as well. Can't beat Merino either -- stuffs tiny and easily into any pants or jacket pocket or nook on a pack.Cons: looks like a goofy swim-cap when worn alone, imo, and others, based on what I've heard. :P This how I prefer to sport it.

nothing fancy, full coverage, keeps the noggin safe. what more to say. holds the headlamp fine, easy to adjust.

quick break on the way up North Sister, Oregon. Not the most atrocious place for rock fall, but worth protecting the bowl of cold spaghetti

But if you want bulletproof, you shouldn't be buying an UL puffy from Mont Bell! This jacket has served me very well over a range of uses, from a warm puffy for camp while backpacking (works great as a pillow or sleeping bag supplementer) to a puffy-layer for the summit on a pac-nw volcano.this seems to be the only photo I can find with this piece on, but swear, I wear it a ton when its cold!I did find that a second tool stored in a gear loop on a harness was causing some abrasion and fraying where it was catching a sharp edge on the jacket. but I mean, we're talking sharp metal edges against this thin-feeling material, and it only made it look fritzy, didnt even rip it!

I got the mens, then got my fiance the same jacket! so warm! She is 5'8", 135 and the large "fits perfect" she says. I uploaded a picture of her flying a kite on mt hood while wearing the jacket. She loves it more than a down product simply because there are no worries about it getting wet.

The pick and the edges on the adze of my raven pro are sharp enough to tear up my pack or rip up my the back seats in my buddys truck when we throw stuff in the cab, so this is needed. Axes vary, as the petzl snow-walker has a rounded adze and the pick is not nearly as sharp--this would be overkill for that ax, but i don't mind carrying the 6grams or whatever to protect my gear and car or whatever else the adze and pick will try to snag while transporting and stowing.

this sizing is crazy! I'm 5'8" - 140lbs. I ordered size small. The sleeves hand down to the middle knuckle, and the hem of the shirt goes down to my crotch, like a friggin miniskirt!! Yet it is uncomfortably tight all around my armpits and chest. Someone said it fits like a sausage casing - I would agree - and that would be fine since it would be used as a baselayer, so long as it didn't hang down to my crotch and have sleeves for someone with 35 or 36 inch arms!

honestly, the small would fit someone who is 6ft, 140lbs probably, but not if you're shorter or heavier than that.

totally returning this - sizing is messed up! This is why this item is on SAC with almost 900 pieces in stock! there should be a disclaimer when ordering it!