Icebreaker - Pure Merino

Having made the painful decision to leave the Icebreaker family in pursuit of the age old Kiwi tradition of heading on an OE (Oversees Experience) the first stop was to visit my father who is currently working in AL Ain in the United Arab Emirates.

After appropriately celebrating my 3 years with the company and my bags packed I was off. It was quite an experience cutting everything you own down to one back pack, luckily you can roll Icebreaker gear up pretty small so you can fit a lot in.

With a brief stop over in Brunei, I arrived in Dubai. The scale of construction here is almost overwhelming, everywhere you go you will find the biggest something in the world, be it the Burj Tower, or the largest aquarium which is found in the Dubai Mall.

Abu Dhabi was also thriving with construction. I was also meet with a lot of greenery which I was not expecting in a desert nation (there was a lot of irrigation going on to maintain this). I really admired the planning that has gone on in this city there have been a lot of family park areas created and these seemed to be very popular in the evening as the temperature cooled. They were also redeveloping the Corniche area (sea front) which looked to be a great place to hang out.

The 40 degree heat was a real experience and I was glad I had packed in a couple of my favourite Superfine tee’s, being so breathable these really combated the heat. Al Ain was a fantastic experience and great to catch up with Dad. He also proved to be a great tour guide, driving me around the local forts and organising trips through the National Museum and Zoo. We also enjoyed a desert safari which included driving sand buggies through the dunes, a short ride on a Camel, treated to some local cuisine and a belly dancing display.

If I had to pick one highlight it was definitely climbing to the top of the Jebel Hafeet Mountain in Al Ain. The views were staggering looking out over the desert and across to Oman, this was such a stark contrast to the New Zealand environment I have grown up in, here is where it really sunk in that my journey has only just begun.

Next stop London…

Jacob Horan, ex Icebreaker team member

I am writing to thank Icebreaker for making high quality clothing that also looks great.I graduated from the College of Charleston in South Carolina last summer and on July 4th made the decision to pack up my car and tour the USA. One month later I was standing on the side of the road in San Jose, CA staring at my totaled car wondering how I was going to continue my travels. How would I get there? What was I going to do with everything I had packed for the journey?

I decided to sell my things, buy a backpack, and keep going. I knew that if I was going to keep going with no clear plan, I should travel as light as possible. While researching travel clothing, I read a review on Icebreaker products and decided to take a chance on a Long Sleeve Bodyfit 200 shirt.

When I tried it on I was pleased to find that in addition to not being itchy or hot in the summer weather it also looked great on me. After wearing the it for only a week I had already received many compliments on how nice my shirt looked.

One month later, the shirt was keeping me warm when it was cold and comfortable when it was warm, whether I was standing at the top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii or walking down the street in Savannah, GA.  When I got drenched at Niagara Falls, I found that the warmth didn’t leach out of my body like it would have with a cotton shirt. An additional benefit was that it dried incredibly quickly.

One year later, I had traveled across 25 states, 4 Canadian provinces from September 2008 to September 2009 and worn my Icebreaker shirt every day. Despite the long and frequent wear and washings, the shirt still fits like a glove, looks good and is in great shape.

Never in my life have I been so completely satisfied with a clothing purchase. I am now living in Los Angeles and looking for permanent work, so I have to wear working attire but as soon I can get some income together I am going to purchase more icebreaker shirts so that I can be comfortable and look great in my off time.

Thank you so much for making such a great shirt. I don’t normally write to companies about their products, but this purchase experience was so good that I felt compelled to do so in this circumstance. I have never made a clothing purchase that has impacted my life is such a positive manner and I appreciate it.

I am including pictures of myself in the shirt in a variety of the locations that I traveled to. Some of the locations are more urban than your typical client might travel to but I think this speaks to the versatility of the shirt.

- Drew Buzzell, Icebreaker Fan, Los Angeles, CA

Dear Icebreaker,We are the band Longital and this is our story which we would like to share with you:

When we decided to focus on music full-time in 2001, we felt like we were going to explore an unknown territory, and therefore our first steps led us to outdoor shops where we bought the “non-music” gear.

Since then we have released 8 albums, started our own music label and toured 12 countries in Europe. We play about 90 live shows annually in different climatic conditions, traveling by trains or plane so we need to pack electronic equipment, CDs and clothes in small suitcases.

A live gig for the musician is something like an extreme sport, with sudden changes of temperature and humidity. One year ago we came across Icebreaker and since then we have got a new piece from the catalogue almost every month!

We played a tour of Czech republic in October completely in Icebreaker underwear and our singer/bass player has based her image completely on Icebreaker.

I secretly tested the durability of an Icebreaker Bodyfit shirt without washing it for the whole month and the shirt was still OK after 20 shows!

Icebreaker has become an indispensable friend at our travels and also during shows. Thank you for that.

Here is our song for you: http://www.longital.com/gloria/zrkadlo.mp3

- Dano Salontay, Longital, Icebreaker Fan

www.longital.com
www.myspace.com/longital
www.facebook.com/longital