Merino buff vs windproof fleece balaclava?

The Outdoor Research PS 50 (motion fleece) balaclava weighs 1.6oz, but after reading some folk's good experiences with a light merino balaclava 'buff' and wind, I may go with this 1.1oz merino: http://www.amazon.com/Buff-105580-Black-Balaclava-Wool/dp/B00DRM0L7U/

I cant find this one.. the post is from 2005 so that explains it: "also own a Manzella Lightweight Polypropylene Balaclava from Campmor (Item Number: 92872) for only $5.99. it weighs 1oz."

Whatever you get, keep in mind that when a buff gets wet, you can't breathe through it.

Merino buff and turtle fur fleece hat is the best. You will find the merino does not really "shed wind" at all, it's thin and the weave although nice is not that thick. I used this combo while hunting last month in -2 degrees, when the wind picked up it was frostbite dangerous. I used the merino over my mouth and nose when I had to, but the condensation on the merino is not good so I could not do that a lot.

You don't have to buy an expensive fleece baclava, hunting stores carry them for under 20.00 and you can check it out that way also.

As it turns out you almost never need a windproof balaclava for backpacking. Simply covering your skin with anything at all is sufficient in my experiences down to 5ºF with still winds.

For me the balaclava of choice is the Patagonia Capilene 4 Balaclava not because it is so warm (it is awesome in still winds and keeps the chill off in windy conditions) but because air flows freely through it even when it is damp. Most other balaclavas become impossible to breathe through when wet but the Capilene 4's loose knit and grid fleece makes it easy.

When it is any colder or very windy I use a Talus Coldavenger which keeps the air by your face warm while still being easy to breathe through and ski goggles for my eyes. I think it is windproof. The hood of my wind shell or hardshell (often both) goes on top. I pair this with any hat of my choice as well as the above Cap4 Balaclava or the hood of my R1 fleece.

Finally, I do prefer going modular with my headwear because it is the easiest way to regulate my temperature while moving.

The merino buff is a better choice. I can breath through my smartwool neck gaiter all day long in severe weather with no problem, while my the rest of my team is wearing polyester coverings with a mouth hole cut out to breath through. I can breath through my Smartwool neckgaiter when it's wet, and it keeps me warm.

Thanks for the suggestions! I ended up cutting into a Bula doubled fleece gaiter to make it a single layer weighing ~24g, and I'll just use that combined with a hat. I don't need great breathability and I won't be doing anything too strenuous with it– I'm a tramp, not a hiker.

I wore my Merino Wool Balaclava Buff for the last three days of last week in temperatures of 30 to 40 F. I wore it with my nose exposed, but my mouth covered. It is a pretty thin weave and is not difficult to breathe through. It does virtually nothing to stop wind but does help me to keep my jaws warm and I have jaw pain when I get out in cold weather. The Balaclava Buff is thin enough to wear under a watch cap or some other cap and I had no trouble with my head and ears. I'll definitely be wearing it again.

I have a SmartWool merino neck gaiter. Love it. But it's not really windproof at all. 20mph will blow through it. It does, however, retain it's insulation value when wet (and if you pull it up over your face your breath will make it damp). It does an excellent job of keeping my neck/face warm and dry.

Have also been looking for a windproof balaclava myself…. problem is none of them are breathable. I have heard good things about Cap4 material and will be trying it out.

I like my Merino buff combined with a warm beanie. When hiking I normally just use it as a neck gaiter, but when I'm sleeping it put it over my whole face—eyes, mouth, and nose. That keeps everything a little warmer and most importantly warms and moistens my breath. Without it, I wake up with a cold and dried out respiratory system.

Windproof fleece would be awful for a balaclava. They make it "windproof" with some kind of laminate like a PU or GoreTex laminate. Marketing hype notwithstanding, these laminate layers cut the breathability down to near zero. This is horrible for something that you wear over your head and need to breath thru! Think wearing a rain jacket over your face! Horrible.

Unless I were camping on Everest, I can't imagine ever needing more warmth than a Power Stretch fleece balaclava. For hiking in the New Hampshire mountains, even that is way too hot except on the coldest days.

I was under the impression from friends who wear them that the benefit of a buff is the diverse ways you wear it to pair with other clothing items.While they advertise 30 some combinations I'd use it as either a hat/scarf or face protection.

Personally I use a $3 cotton scarf from walmart. I regulate temperature depending on uphill/downhill by pulling it up or down for neck scarf vs face protection. No problem breathing because when it's over the nose the bottom is open.

It seems like the smallest layer of anything over neck/face/head makes a big difference.