R1 hoody $69

That's a great price.

Too bad they don't have black.

I actually have been really trying not to buy any more black gear… too much black stuff in the bottom of my sleeping bag/pack at those 3am alpine starts, and I can't sort out my gloves/shirts/jackets from each other. Get two people in a dark tent full of black gear and it's really a mess! I got a red one.

Thanks, I just picked one up.

Not only is black impossible to see at night, especially against a black sleeping bag or inside a pack with black extension collar, but it is also not the greatest color to have around my perpetually shedding blond dog! That's why khaki is THE fashion color for me, whether at home or in the wilds.

Just picked one up in Please don't shoot me orange ;-)

Sorry to veer off-course, but how does a R1 fleece hoody compare to something like a merino hoody?

While I don't own a merino midweight hoody, I do own an R1 and other merino layers. I find that the R1 really is quite nice – as a second layer, there really isn't the smell factor, and while not as soft as merino, the fit is decent, and the thing is well made. For $69, I'd say go for it, especially when a similar decent merino item will set you back at least $120.

Bought! Thanx!

While I found a merino hoody priced about the same, I have some qualms about getting the merino. I'd hate to pay $70 for it, and have the chance that my wife accidentally shrinks it to sausage casing when she does the laundry.

Can you wear a backpack directly on these or would it wear quickly under the shoulder straps?

The R1 fabric has a hard outer face so I dont think it will have any problems under pack straps. I haven't noticed any problems with my r1 garments in this regard.

Thanks Jon.

ask and you shall receive. was debating and now i'm forced into it! I went for the cheney-target-practice orange :P

I already have the R1 without a hood. Will the hood make that much of a difference to buy another?

The hood just means you don't have to pack a balaclava or a hat.

YES!

lol. i knew matt couldn't resist!

I will defend hoods on my torso layers until the day I die. The exception to this rule is any piece that is exclusively meant as an inner layer, such as a Montbell ExLite jacket, or their other non-hooded inner layers (UL Down Inner and UL Thermawrap JACKET).

My current system is either a Capilene 1 LS (maybe new BPL hoody?)or R1 hoody, hooded Ether windshirt, Montbell UL down parka or Thermawrap parka and a hooded rain gear – either a poncho/tarp or Rab Drillium jacket.

And seriously, softshells are useless without hoods, too. Major manufacturers need to stop making softshells without hoods. Please stop making sub-par softshells without hoods – without a hood they cannot be an shell. They turn into urban wear.