Winter is coming.
That’s not my favorite quote from A Game of Thrones. It’s just a fact, and it makes me happy after another Arizona summer and quasi-autumn that lasted about 4.7 days.
Truth: I haven’t been cold since I was in Norway. And even then, I wasn’t all that cold. Sure, Norway is chilly for an Arizona dude even in the summertime. But I also had a few items from tasc Performance to keep me warm. The folks at tasc Performance sent some of their new long-sleeve merino wool/bamboo fiber shirts for testing.
I started the Midnight Sun 10K (which really start at about 8 p.m.) in one of them. I used another as a base layer for hiking the Bessegen Trail in Jotunheimen National Park. I’d reach for one of them anytime the rain started to fall or the wind started to blow.
This is the first time I’ve used a technical shirt with any wool in it. Here’s what I thought of the new tasc Performance gear.
- They take up no room in a pack, yet are still warm.
- They look damn good.
- I’d prefer to wear them as a second layer. I didn’t wash them beforehand, and they were a bit itchy to my skin. Soon, it will be cool enough for me to try them now that I’ve washed them.
- I love the wrist gaiters. Slipping my thumb into one pulls just enough of the sleeve down to cover my hands a bit. Great for wearing gloves.
- Be careful with those cool gaiters. I shoved my hand in with a little too much authority and yanked a bunch of stitching out.
- The Merino wool doesn’t get soaked very easily. It seems to repel light drizzles. Is it just me”
Over the last year, tasc Performance has become my go-to brand for exercise apparel. If you want to something more comfortable than tasc, you’ll have to do as the ancient Greeks did and hit the gym in nothing but olive oil. The Merino wool adds a new element to the bamboo lineup. It’s not as soft yet. But warm” You betcha. It’ll get loads of action this winter, no matter where I go. And we’ll see if the itchiness abates.
This post just might contain affiliate links. Fear not, they’re non-spammy and benign. Hey, I have to keep this thing running somehow!
I’m not sure what it says about me that one of the things I dream of is ideal clothing for doing exercise in… but this is certainly informative about one of the options out there.
Also… you have to tell us your favourite game of thrones quote now 😀
Ha, ha! It could be worse, Martyn. I don’t think I’ve seen you comment here before, so welcome!
As for the quotes … pretty much anything Tormund Giantsbane says, plus these two:
“Let me give you some counsel, bastard. Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be a weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”
Tyrion Lannister
“I’m honest. It’s the world that’s awful.”
Sandor “The Hound” Clegane