Reader Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5

This may be my most versatile piece of gear. The temperature range of this long-sleeve top is amazing.

I can't say enough good things about Malden Mills' Polartec Power Stretch. It's lightwieght (10 oz for the longsleeve zip T). It draws almost all moisture to the woven outer face, so much so that it can be soaked, wrung out and the inside fleece feels essentially dry, immediately. Its smooth outer face makes it more durable and increases its warmth by decreasing convective heat loss. It's incredibly comfortable and stretchy.

Now on to the Mountain Hardwear touch. This garment's construction is top-notch. The seams are perfect. It has a deep, lightweight chest zipper for temperature adjustments. It's cut snugly enough that it hugs most of my torso, making it a much more effective insulator. I should also mention that I'm pretty thin so it may be restrictive to a more portly gentleman. Now the grand finale: the collar. It's sewn from 2 layers of fabric and fits my neck snugly but not restrictively when zipped up. This fraction of an ounce of fabric beefs up the warmth of the garment considerably.

This is the only torso insulation I bring on most of my 2-season trips. It's so versatile that I can wear it while on the move when it's cold, or while kicking around camp on a normal night. It's so comfortable I never want to take it off.

Edited by Guyenet on 09/08/2005 01:20:24 MDT.

Rating: 4 / 5

I'm right with your about the powerstretch. I am constantly amazed by how WARM this stuff is, in spite of its relative thinness. Mountain Hardwear clothing, however, has never fit me very well. I wear a medium in most manufacturers and when I tried on the medium of this shirt in the store, it fit me well. However when I got it home, the sleeves were too short and the collar seemed too tight. I brought it in to exchange it, but the large seemed too billowy to use it as a base layer. I ended up sticking with the medium and mostly use it underneath some other layer, so the slightly exposed wrists can be dealt with. The one thing I really can't live with, though, is the reversibile zipper slider. That thing rests right on my adams apple when its zipped up and it's really uncomfortably tight there--and it's not like my neck is any bigger than average.

Edited by artsandt on 07/13/2009 12:49:01 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

The Mountain Hardware products have always amazed me. The Power stretch zip is so amazingly warm.

Downside is the heavy zipper. This is not great for ultralight, however this is perfect under my Montbell down inner jacket, and I am able to use these to jackets and a rain jacket to about 20 degrees and still be comfortable.

The weight is not all that attractive but when it comes to comfort, this is the most comfortable jacket/long underwear I have ever worn.

I wear this inside my sleeping bag so that if I do start sweating this will wick away the sweat and I won’t end up tearing a hole in my sleeping bag from having moist skin.

I purchased the power zip top after I was so impressed with the bottoms. If you want comfort this is the way to go.