Endorsements cont'd..

Pete Mcfarlane - Scotland's outdoor guru to thousands - says this of Taranaki baselayer:

The Crew is a great bit of kit. I've worn it to work, so it's been crawling around on its belly under church floors looking for cast iron pipes, inside steam boilers repairing the brickwork. I've also layered it under a t-shirt for both practical comfort and insulation and also to look like I'm not 40 in about ten minutes.

I've washed it in water that was far too hot, I've left it lying crushed and festering at the bottom of the washbasket on occasion and it's been accidentally tumble dried with Holly's stuff on more than one occasion. Simply, I’ve tried to destroy it and failed.

It's been great to wear, performs as you'd expect a nice bit of merino to do and it's kept its shape. The seams, which aren't flatlocked, haven't caused me any grief. This is something which always comes up in reviews and in popular opinion, flat lock seams don't chafe. I think we need to revisit that and say "Well finished seams don't chafe". Merino is where it's at for your first layer, it's just more comfortable and it protects you from the unfriendlines of softshell pants against the skin. You don't stink in the tent or in the motor on the way home.

I like the Chocolate Fish stuff. I'll be using it all constantly through winter. The fabric strikes the right balance between stretchy softness and having a bit of resistance. The cut is just right for me, the tops keep my kidneys warm and stay tucked in, the leggings don't have an irritating waistband or ride up the crack of my arse (these things are vital to our mission and must be shared), and the Beanie is magic.

Celia in Francesays:

Love my Taranaki tank/singlet top! I really bought it as a baselayer for skiing, but found it makes a great summer top. It get's really hot down here (south-west France) and I find this just keeps me feeling good. It looks pretty cool too!

Tony posts on the bikersoracle website in response to a posting on Icebreaker gear

...I was inspired by D's recommendation of Merino wool baselayer. Tried it and yes, Merino wool gear really works! Keeps me snug as a baselayer should when its 5C, and then when weather's scorching 30C same stuff wicks the sweat away so you feel comfy - and without that stuffy non-breathing feeling you get with polyester. Great stuff! Only thing to add is Chocolate Fish Merino's stuff is better than the Chinese-made Icebreaker: it's slightly heavier weight and the "BaseLayer" is longer in the body (and/or leg) too, so stays tucked in. It's worth a punt, if your travels take you through hot and cold days add a Chocolate Fish merino wool "BaseLayer" to your Christmas list

Ondrej emailed us from Slovakia to say

My Taranaki short sleeve Tee arrived today. Absolutely first class customer service. My impressions:

absolutely top quality merino wool (even appreciably better than my Icebreaker T shirts)

really soft, non itchy

I like the form fit and length of the T shirt

cut is great

price - more affordable than other high quality merino garments

price + quality + service = UNBEATABLE nowadays