Where to Buy Outdoor Research Wind Stopper Gorilla Balaclava, Black, Large

Product Description

This mountaineering balaclava performs in the harshest weather. It has a soft fleece interior and a weather-resistant shell. The nose and mesh breathing port are removable, allowing you to tailor your coverage to meet conditions. The greatest strength of a balaclava is that it can be worn in many different ways. Offering more warmth and comfort than non-windproof fleece

Product Details

• Size: LG, Large
• Color: Black
• Brand: Outdoor Research
• Model: 83992
• Released on: 2011-03-01
• Fabric type: 94% Nylon/ 6% Spandex
• Dimensions: .2 pounds

Features

• Windstopper soft shell fabric with fleece backing
• High-altitude, full storm protection
• Flat seam construction with contoured, wrap around design and removable face mask with mesh breathing port that attaches with hook and loop and Elastane trim.
• Made in China

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
A Disappointment
By PatentGrinder
While I was quite excited to receive this Balaclava, based on the favorable reviews, it proved a disappointment. Unlike other Balaclavas that are stretchy and you simply pull on over your head, this one has no stretch and instead uses Velcro closures to cinch things up. You must wrap the Balaclava around you head and secure it with a first Velcro closure. The removable nose and mouth flap is then secured with additional pieces of Velcro. While I knew this before ordering, I did not anticipate the practical problems this would cause. You really need to look in a mirror and futz around with it each time you put it on to get everything secured and positioned correctly. The way the Velcro is laid out, it takes more futzing than you would think it could. Even when this is done, it still does not seem to fit quite right. The lack of stretch makes it unforgiving. It has been sent back.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Misleading picture
By JRHoffman85
I recently took up snowboarding, and was looking to get something I could wear under a snowboarding helmet.

Pros: The product seems to be well-constructed from high-quality material. While I did not actually wear it outside in the cold, I am pretty certain that it would take some pretty extreme conditions for the wearer to have a cold neck and head. By itself, the product felt comfortable to wear when I tried it on. The detachable face (nose?) mask was nice.

Cons: To secure the balaclava to your head, you have to velcro it shut. The velcro isn't shown in the product image (as of 2/17/12), and that side of the balaclava is very bulky and asymmetrical. I expect that the position of the velcro strips on this balaclava would cause an uncomfortable fit under a snowboarding helmet. Additionally, the awkward velcro makes the balaclava look very ugly to wear. Looks aren't everything, but they ARE something.

Result: I am returning the balaclava in favor of a (less expensive) Chinook face mask.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Fantastic, in Cold, Windy, Weather!
By radtastic
This balaclava is amazing. I bought it about 3 years ago, on a whim, at an outdoors store. It keeps you warm, without having to wear a hood, or winter cap, at least 7 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. it has a Velcro detachable face cover, and a separate breathable detachable nose cover.

I'd recommend this balaclava to anyone. It's built to last, and works extremely well.

See all 12 customer reviews...