Ibex Shak hoodie or Icebreaker Nomad hoodie?

Huh… how do you like that? Ibex took down the Shak M’s Hoody…

Part of the difference is that the Shak fabric is 390 g.m 2 whereas the Nomad is Sport 320 g.m 2… deliberately a more breathable knit than the Exp 320 g.m 2 that Icebreaker makes, if you really want dense look into their Outer series. Icebreaker intends the Sport to be midlayer…

Anyhow, I have the Nomad, it’s REALLY nice. Pretty good on a chilly, mildly windy night even without a wind jacket. With a wind jacket (aka as a midlater as it’s designed to be), it’s warm.

Fit’s pretty good, and the hood’s fairly form fitting… better than I hear the M’s Shak was but not as good as the Patagonia R1 Hoody.

If you really want a wind resistant M’s hoody… check out the Icebreaker Conquest Hood as it’s made out of Exp 320 g.m 2

Anyhow, just my two cents…

I have the Conquest hoodie and have found it quite wind resistant and very warm. When I got it I wanted a little more warmth than the Nomad for everyday use, not just on the trail. It weighs 22oz in a large, which would also be very close to the Nomad weight.

Ibex says they'll offer a men's hoodie next winter, but they don't have anything now. I didn't want to wait, so I got a Nomad. I am happy with it.

It is not as dense as my non-hooded Shak, wind gets through it easily. Shaks can work as insulation or outerwear (in some condistions), but I only use the Nomad as insulation. For face coverage, fully zipped, the hood can cover my chin.

If you want something with more wind resistance, the Icebreaker Conquest is another option. I don't have direct experience, but the similar outerwear (Allstar Jacket) has been fairly wind resistant. It is considerably heavier though.

I don't have either hoodie but, I have both Ibex and Icebreaker products using the same fabrics as the Shak and Nomad. So, here is my take on the material.

Ibex has a rough, hard feel. The Icebreaker's feel makes you want to bury your face in it.

The weave on teh Ibex appears to be denser and is probably more durable, especially if you are going to treat it roughly. If you wanted to wear one to a cocktail party, I'd pick the Ibex as it tends to keep it's finish whereas the Icebreaker will start showing tiny nappy fuzz balls over time.

However, putting on the Icebreaker is like crawling into a WM down sleeping bag whereas the Ibex is more like curling up in an Army blanket. And, for the life of me, I can't figure out why Ibex embroiders their logo on with 50 lb. test fishing line that makes it impossible to wear next to skin.

So, like everything else in life, there are pros & cons but I hope you can gather enough information to make a decision that is right for your needs.

Thanks for the feedback everybody. I guess I probably should be comparing the Conquest hoodie with the hooded Shak, but that full zipper is a major turn off for me–though I guess it shouldn't be as it provides improved venting for the relatively warmer garment. I think I kind of do like the more open weave of the Icebreaker 320 sport, for the same reason I like the open waffle pattern in my R1 hoodie. Added versatility–as long as it's used with a windshirt–and reduced weight over the denser fabric. The comment about the softness of the Icebreaker fabric is a good one. I have a shirt made of their superfine 190 merino and I practically live in the thing. In building a winter wool layering system where I may be wearing the hoodie next to my skin, I can definitely see the advantage that the softness factor would have.