Outdoor Research Gorilla Gore-TEX Infinium Balaclava – Harsh Weather Protection

This is a fantastic idea for a product which I was hoping would help prevent my goggles from fogging up since I can adjust the nose open. I just received the product today and tried it on. Are you kidding me??!!! This is the most awkward fitting mask ever made. I spent 30 mins in front of a mirror trying to get the mask on without it obstructing my nostrils, looking somewhat straight, and keeping the nose piece from getting too close to my eyes. To top it off, the two velcro patches a lot of bulk to the left side of your face which, in my opinion, looks ridiculous. Even when you get it to fit to a somewhat acceptable level, it just takes way too long. I suspect the mask might need adjustments while I'm on the slopes, which would annoy me as I just want to focus on riding.I obviously didn't buy it for looks, but for $50, I don't want to look like 3 year old made my mask. I'm giving it two stars instead of one because the material of the mask feels awesome and looks like it'd work very well against wind.

This balaclava was packed up and ready to be shipped back to Amazon. Some white stuff outside made me change my mind, thankfully. I inadvertently took up a new sport this winter: Extreme Snow Removal. Yes, I live outside Boston, where we’ve had a several 2-foot snow dumps within the last month. I usually don’t need to help out with snow removal, as my plow-, snowblower-, and shovel-equipped husband usually handles it all in a couple of hours. This winter, the process has taken him up to 6 hours, so I’ve started lending a hand, along with my arms, legs, and face.Which brings me to my review of this particular product. I’ve never thought about my face while shoveling, until the snow drifts relentlessly smacked me in it. During the last big storm, I could no longer feel my nose, lips, and chin after only ten minutes of shoveling. I dreamt of a balaclava, researched my options, and decided on this one for the wind-stopper fabric. I also wanted actual openings for breathing. Truly, the thought of a balaclava scared me, as I can’t even breathe underneath a sheet; I feel like I’m suffocating. Breathing through fleece or lightly perforated fabric was not an option for me. The face mask attachment of this balaclava has a hole below the nose and mesh fabric over the mouth.This is not a fashion item; it is purely functional. After it arrived, I tried it on with all the packaging still attached, and it was not comfortable. All the velcro, all the fabric… I didn’t get how it was supposed to fit. It choked my neck and threatened to slide over my eyes. No, I decided that a balaclava was not for me, so back into the shipping bag it went. It sat there for a week until today. We just got two fresh feet of snow, the temps are in the teens, and the wind is ripping. Snow drifts are swirling, creating temporary white-outs. I decided that extreme times called for extreme measures, and took the tags off this crazy, puzzling face-protecting hat.Let me tell you: I’m a convert. I just spent an hour outside and can still feel my face! It was not comfortable when I first put it on, but once I was outside in the elements, believe me, I didn’t feel any discomfort. My face was warm and dry. The snow blew on me but did not make me cold. Breathing through the nasal cutout and the mesh mouth fabric was just fine. My nose runs like crazy in the cold, so I did have to slide it down to blow my nose every once in a while, but I didn’t undo the velcro. As the other reviews say, you’d need a mirror to get everything back into place properly. I could’ve stayed out there another hour or longer if there was more for me to do. This balaclava is a great choice for clearing snow, especially if it’s windy. This was actually the easiest time I've ever had shoveling, and I pretty much owe it to this balaclava.

Fantastically warm. I have worn this balaclava on several mountain hikes and it has never let me down. During one one trek the temperature plunged to -20 F and the wind chill was almost -50 F - yet my face, head, and neck all stayed warm. It took me about three hours to get back to camp and my face mask had ice all around the nose opening. When I am in the mountains I sometime pair the mask with my snow goggles and they work perfectly together. Not sure why the picture shows a rounded opening as mine is rather square across the top, which is good as it meshes with the snow goggles with no gaps.It took me a little while to get used to the Velcro closures but it didn't take too long to get the hang of it. I also love the removable face piece as it allows for you to get in extra oxygen when you are pushing hard and to get the face mask right up to the bottom of the snow goggles.Overall a great thing to have if you are anywhere with brutally cold temperatures.

I must say that this balaclava has exceeded all of my expectations of it. It keeps my head EXTREMELY warm in some very serious cold. I wear it under my helmet when I'm cycling (fits great under there) and I'm able to contain lots of heat from my head that would have otherwise been lost.BUT! Be aware of the following two things:1) It significantly dampens external sound!!! This is something I was not expecting. With this thing on, it can be a bit hard to hear someone in speaking during a conversation. That said, it's extremely important to be extra aware when cycling with this on - try to pay special attention to sights and sounds, especially ambulance/police sirens.2) Putting this balaclava on is a wee bit tricky and has a learning curve. Since it has bi-directional velcro on the left cheek, it can take a few attempts to strap things on just right. If it feels crooked, it probably is - just take it off and try again. It's best to practice putting this on in front of a mirror several times to get the hang of it.Other than that, I am really happy with this product. It's been an invaluable addition to my winter cycling gear and I really look forward to using it in other capacities, like camping or hiking.

They could have put more velcro, and made the neck, less bunched up. I would have design it better.