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 love to ROCK the hoodie on the Appalachian Trail in Historic Harpers Ferrry home of the Applachian Trail Conservacy. A walk from the Potomac River up to Maryland Heights is quite a haul. It can get chilly and the Quantum Hood would be most fabulous.
Hippycas@yahoo.com
We are planning to take our new RV up to Bodega Bay and Point Reyes in June and a multi functional wool hoodie would be nice to bring along with us!
I’m headed on a two week long road trip in Ireland and would love to surprise my husband with this for his 30th birthday while we’re there. He loves “fancy” sweaters and jackets!
I would certainly wear it for a morning of hiking around lake Champlain in Vermont. Vermont weather varies greatly – having a lightweight layer is key!
@gardenbetty- thank you for sharing all of your adventures and mad skills. Go girl power! Love @easterade:twitter
Hey @gardenbetty:twitter I would rock it in my local community p-patch and in my backyard “farm” as I desperately try to grow tomatoes and veg in cold Seattle summers. I would rock it on local hikes as I introduce Washington to my upstate New York man. I would most definitely rock it on all my running adventures as I head out of state to run half-marathons and see as many new cities and sites as possible. Thanks for all your inspiration!
Cold nights on the beach! Definitely!
I would rock it on the slopes in Utah!
Do two comments count for additional support of winning the giveaway? 🙂 Would absolutely LOVE to win this!
I’d love to rock my new Quantum hoodie up to Camp Muir on an incredible summer morning on Mt. Rainier!
After a cold Northern California surfing session!
I would wear it while out camping and canoeing and long walks on the beach!.
I would wear the Quantum Hood while going on long road bike rides.
Following you on Twitter as @dsvitko. Love to garden, planning to add backyard chickens soon!
I’m a big fan of Icebreaker. If I were lucky enough to win, I’d give it to my beautiful wife to use on her morning walks.
I follow you on Twitter as well – @amyliz34
Would love to wear it hiking with my kiddos…and we hike all over Missouri!
Super cute! I absolutely love icebreaker clothing!! This would come in really handy for those varying days ahead, as I am moving to CO soon. 🙂
I’d wear the icebreaker quantum hoody on a morning of of extreme gardening ( cutting my one acre lawn with a human powered mower) followed by an afternoon of bouldering at Lincoln Woods RI — a great local crag about 20 minutes from my garden.
And I follow you on twitter as @ehdub:disqus
Back and forth to work on my commute by bike.
And I follow you on Twitter – @WormFactory.
I would wear mine working in the garden AND hiking on Mt. Baker!
I would wear this Hood during morning walks. This would be perfect.
I’d probably wear it on chilly morning runs, once i have this baby of course!
Also, I follow you on Twitter now 🙂 username @anniemalee
Oh, what a great contest! I would love this jacket for hiking in the Adirondacks and other mountains here near Lake Champlain. Thank you!
Love it! I would wear it on an early morning kayak down the colorado river.
Camping with my two young sons! New England weather can change prettty quickly and it would be great to have the Hoodie. Thanks for the giveaway!
I would love to try one of these, I have been looking for that “all around” layer that is worn during every excursion. I think I would first put it to the test during an upcoming camping trip.
Hiking on Mt. Rainier. I’m very curious how much warmer the wool jackets are compared the synthetics I get from REI. It would be nice to wear something more natural (but warmth is more important…i get cold very easily!).
I’m also a new follower on twitter (@debralu) and also LIKE your Facebook page (Deb Jacobs). Thanks for the chance to win this gorgeous hoodie!
I’d love to wear this during early morning bass fishing trips out on the lake!!
I would wear this for a late night walk 🙂
This looks like a perfect layer for a Smoky Mountain hike.
I’d wear it on a multiday euro trip!
I’d rock it everywhere. Especially upstate NY at West Point and New Paltz and the Gunks where we love to take long walks
I would snuggle up in my Icebreaker next to my fiance with a morning fire, a french press, and the dog stretching out at our feet.
Love me some Icebreaker… Hip enough for coffee at the Ferry Building in SF, even more at home hiking around Yosemite!
Already a Twitter follower. 🙂 @theredbirdlady:twitter