Favorite Balaclava?

a hood in the base or mid layer actually

that way i dont lose it

My personal favorite is the OR ninjaclava. Open face, with the ability to pull the mouth down or the top off.

I wear it all day hiking and to bed. In the winter, it nearly doesn't leave my head the entire trip. I layer a hat overtop when it's really cold.

For winter activities (the only time I use a balaclava) I prefer the modular nature of the separate headgear because the mouth/nose area always get wet from respiration and I like to alternate between two during the day in order to dry one out (next to the body, under my softshell).

Since my softshell/windshirt has a hood, I am looking for slight insulation with high breathability and drying times. As such, I do not want a membrane material, but do want both full coverage and the ability to vent.

My OR Ninjaclava is perfect for this- light insulation, can be pulled down easily below the chin without chaffing, or I can fully cover the nose and mouth, wear goggles and be completely protected.

It looks like REI's Performance Headliner is a similar design.

Evey other balaclava I have (Nordic Gear, OR Gorilla, neoprene face masks, MH Powerstretch) is either too warm, not full coverage, or uncomfortable around the nose.

Edit: Steve beat me to it… so I'll just second his post.

Hood. I wear my BPL Beartooth hoody for the duration of most trips, it has a well designed balaclava style hood. My Montbell UL Down parka has a tight cinching hood as well, that goes on at night when under my quilt or at camp. I've done away with separate balaclava headwear, just another item to pack for me. I previously owned a Mountain Hardwear Butter balaclava and really liked it, it fit very well, the material is like Powerstretch and amazingly soft next to skin, can be worn when briskly hiking no problem. I'd recommend that one. It's on sale at Moosejaw.

I love my MH powerstretch balaclava.

Ex Norwegian Army double layer merino (Olive one side, white the other).
3.5oz.

And washable at 60 degC after very extended wear!

I've been reasonably happy with my MH Butter, but am hoping the merino hoody I just picked up will render it redundant.

-David

You’re inquiry sent me on a search for other balaclava options, I stumbled upon the Smartwool Combo balaclava. It looks cleverly designed using a head mapping approach, it has a Lightweight NTS merino wool on top in a grey color for less bulk, with a warmer Midweight merino wool on the neck and face region in black. They also incorporated some “Earlets” in the ear region for improved hearing. Might be worth checking out.

Man I've never seen this one. I have the SW Unisex OSFA 'clava and like it, although it's a little tight with all my hair.

Love the look of that one though.

patagonia's R1 is the only balaclava i own. i like it a lot. that wool one looks interesting but i'd be concerned with durability. mine takes quite a beating…

My Pace Balaclava is my favorite and comes on all trips with me. It is a lightweight (36g) polpro and very stretchy. I almost always wear it pulled down below my chin. Very breathable, just enough insulation for when it is not cold enough for a windstopper hat. A nice wide face opening and less than $20.

http://www.pacesportswear.com/022504.aspx

No longer maid I think but I really like Golite Balaclava at 1.5oz.
I bring it when I am tarping at higher elevations-Gotta keep them cheeks warm. Go Giants!!!!!!!!!

I've been very happy w/ my R1, it's used pretty much year round. @ 1.9 oz it's a pretty versatile piece

+1 OR Ninjaclava. I should've worn it around today with all-black baselayers, come to think of it. :)

I recently joined the balaclava game with an OR Option Balaclava. At 1.4oz it's thinner than a lot of the other options out there but the stretchy fabric is pretty nice. I can wear it around my face with my mouth exposed or close it up more with just the nose in or out too. I've only worn in camp during the evening and at night. I somewhat dislike that it clouds my hearing but maybe that's a good thing though.

"I love my MH powerstretch balaclava."

+1 It's a good lightweight one that works for most 3+ season hiking. As a quilt user I needed one to sleep in. I wear it like a beanie cap, I double it up to make it warmer, or if its really cold, I pull it all the way down. Even in 20F with strong winds while hiking, I found it warm enough.

It all depends on the dough. I like mine with lots of nuts and honey. It's hard to find it fresh in my neighborhood.

My favorite is the Mountain Hardwear Powerstretch Balaclava. It's very soft on the inside. I wear it to sleep at night in my quilt. I put the opening just below my lip. This keeps my quilt clean from my neck and chin. In the morning I roll it up and wear it like a watch cap. When it's too warm to wear it, I turn it inside out and put it over my stuff sack pillow. I have a large diameter head and this one fit me the best after trying on all they had at REI.

I'm also in the market for a new balaclava. Is also be curious which of these allow easy use as a watchcap/beanie- my problem with so many balaclavas is that I can't find a good fit wearing out as a cap. Either too right, work bits of my head exposed, etc. My big gourd is casually to blame, I imagine.

How are the MH Powerstretch, Patagonia R1 Balaclava, and OR Ninjaclava in this regard? How about as a wind blocker?

I've never handled the Patagonia, but it looks promising, especially as a cap- looks like the forehead bit comes down farther than most I've looked at.

the R1 one works pretty well for a cap, it's fairly stretchy material so it can be molded into shape pretty easy

if you have a larger noggin, it does come in a medium and a large

does anyone have a suggestion for a combo setup for me? I would like a lightweight balaclava that i can use with a cap when its colder, and without the cab when its not so bad. I like versatility/layering in my setups. The balaclava needs to be windproof.