Last weekend, I spent three days in the Sierra foothills, camping and kayaking on the Kings River. Ahead of the trip, Icebreaker sent me their merino wool Quantum Hood to try on, and it ended up being the only layer I brought with me.
I wore my Quantum hoodie day and night… pre-breakfast, post-kayaking, around the campfire and on a hike. I wore it as a layer over a tee, a cover-up over a bikini, and even as a top by itself.
This isn’t your grandma’s wool, the kind that looked like a rug and made you itch like crazy. This is your kind of wool — sustainable, soft and stylish, the kind of wool you can wear even when it’s not winter. The kind of wool that will become one of your favorite fleeces. The kind of wool that Icebreaker and I are teaming up to give away!
Icebreaker merino comes from the wool of merino sheep in New Zealand, which are known for having the softest and finest wool of any sheep.
With their unique Baacode system, you can even trace the origin of your merino wool, right down to the exact sheep station (out of Icebreaker’s 120 sheep stations in New Zealand) where your fiber was grown. Meet the farmers and their families, learn about their flocks and farms, and locate them all on a map. How’s that for sustainable?
The thing I like most about Icebreaker merino is that it’s got balls. Literally.
Unlike regular sheep who chomp on grasses in the lowlands, the Icebreaker sheep live in the extremes of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. They’re impressively hardy in an environment where other sheep would freeze to death. So when you’re out in the extremes, whether it’s backpacking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail or post-holing to a backcountry peak in Utah, you know that your Icebreaker merino can hang. Their full line of baselayers, tops and bottoms, jackets, and accessories is breathable in the summer, insulating in the winter, and won’t stink up a storm. (I’m going on two weeks and it still smells fresh. I swear.)
The Quantum hood was surprisingly toasty for being deceptively thin. It kept me warm through cool nights on the river, and stayed warm even when worn over a cold and wet bathing suit.
Want to win your own Quantum hoodie? Whether you’re a kayaker, climber, hiker, biker, skier, snowboarder, or just a lover all things outdoors, this versatile layer will take you from the warmest days of spring through the coldest nights of winter.
For one lucky winner, Icebreaker will be giving away a Men’s or Women’s Quantum Hood (retail value $180), in your choice of color!
How to enter: Simply leave a comment below and tell me where you would rock your Icebreaker merino. Climbing up Half Dome? Sailing to the Keys? Or just gardening on a dewy morning? To receive an additional entry, follow @gardenbetty on Twitter, and leave a second comment below indicating your Twitter username. You have two chances to win!
The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time on Friday, May 18, 2012. Winner will be drawn at random and announced the following week. Good luck!
Giveaway Rules
- Giveaway begins May 14, 2012 and ends May 18, 2012.
- No purchase is necessary. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post.
- Only US residents ages 18 and older are eligible to enter.
- Two entries allowed per person.
- Odds of winning are based on number of entries received.
- Winner will be drawn at random.
- If winner does not respond within 48 hours after time of contact, that entry will be forfeited and a new winner will be drawn.
This post is brought to you by Icebreaker. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that support Garden Betty.
Update: A big thanks to everyone who entered!
This giveaway is now closed. The winner has been announced here.
I would rock mine in the morning on camping trips with the kids. I only wake up early when we’re camping for some reason!
I could wear this pretty much all year in Seattle, but I’d really love it for a camping trip I’m taking to the Wallowas in NE Oregon this August. And then to Argentina in September!
I would wear it on our annual trip to the Wisconsin to see family.
I love to hike the trails of the nearby state parks.
I’m heading on a girls trip to Queenstown and Wanaka in September. We have lots of adventurous things planned. I would love a new outfit like the Women’s Quantum Hood to wear. @nikcarmichael.
The top of the grand canyon.
I wore my Icebreaker during the Tough Mudder and was the only one warm throughout the icy water.
Followed @tessasainz
I am heading up to Yosemite for the first time over Memorial Day and would love to take that sucka with me and hit the trails! I am also following you on Twitter at @adkinla:twitter Thanks!
We’ve decided to explore our new state this year, so hiking the mountains and kayaking a bit too!
I would rock my Icebreaker merino hiking Mt. Tam!
I would wear it hiking around Park City this summer.
Oooooh! That looks comfy and cute. Despite living in the Keys when it gets down to 74 I have a sweatshirt on! Down to 60, people have ski caps on! That looks perfect to walk the trails in Big Pine Key in the fall looking for Key Deer!
I follow you! (@taylortroost)
I would rock it on cool Seattle Summer evenings after playing outside all day in the PNW!
Climbing in Red Rocks with Rory, of course!! 😉
I follow you on twitter. (@AvFanBarb)
I would wear it on a hike with my daughter up to Flattop and Hallets in Rocky Mountain National Park!
Im planning on going up to the Ca coastal redwoods, it would be perfect for trekking 🙂
I would cherish my windbreaker while camping on the Russian river after our canoe trip. Guerneville can be so chilly the end of May! Having a Merino wool sweater would certainly remind me of my honeymoon in NZ last December. Pick me, pick me!!! 😉
I would wear it hiking, on my way to the mountain, and on an early morning SUP cruise!!!
Garden Betty, I just finished the last of the pickles I made using your recipe last fall. The garlic were my favorite. As for the merino hoodie, I’d wear it to my grandchildren’s baseball and softball practices and games until the weather decides to stay warm here in Northern Indiana. Other than that, we walk by the lake every morning and it’s be terrific for that too. Enjoy your posts.
In the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming, riding on a cool morning.
Followed you on twitter. My username is missmariekeyes. Thank you so much!
I would rock my Icebreaker merino while working in the vineyard during cold, foggy mornings here in Healdsburg. And hopefully on a windy day in the beach in Tulum, when my partner and I go on vacation this year.
Would be perfect for camping the Whites this summer. I love Icebreaker- wore one of their shirts all the way through my AT thru hike! It’s a little banged up but still functional and held together through some tough stuff!! 🙂
This would be perfect for my fall camping trips on Assteague Island. Thanks!
oh, I would so love to have this on cool spring/fall mornings while landscaping in the Ozark hills!
I would rock the Quantum Hoodie on the shores of Lake Superior, skipping rocks into the water! :
)
I would rock the Quantum Hoodie on the shores of Lake Superior, skipping rocks into the water! 🙂
GB love your Blog! Always so informative and fun! The Quantum Hoodie is awesome! I think It would be my go to for just about everything. Riding bikes with the family, walks with friends, my son’s LAX games or soccer (depending the season)!
Riding bikes. My hubby just bought me a great new bike. Thanks for the giveaway!
Following you on Twitter also!
Walking the dogs at the beach! It’s cold here in northern ca!
CLIMBING! I always need a layer in between climbs. I’d wear it to the beautiful Enchanted Rock 😀
I just started hiking in SC and don’t have any gear amassed yet, so it would be awesome to snag something cozy and light for the colder months!
Oh, and I’m following on twitter. My username is shespeaksbark
This is such a fun giveaway! I would wear this ALL the time hiking with my husband and dogs. I’m always cold so a little sheep wool could help me out!
Looks like an excellent tool. I would go to Nepal again, to visit my in-laws.
Great Giveaway!
I would love to bring it along on my hikes in Point Reyes and along the northern California coast this summer, it stays pretty cold and foggy all summer so layers are essential.