As the mercury dipped below zero for the third day in a row, I found myself digging once again for the Kodiak Expedition Full Zip Hoody. Over the past few weeks, this sweatshirt made by Minus33 has proven to be a solid all-in-one for any outdoor activity.
The 100-percent merino hoody is soft and warm. The outside is a tightly-woven thick merino and keeps the wind from cutting through. The wool-fleece interior makes it soft and cozy.
The hoody costs $175, which is about on par for this category.
Minus33 is based in New Hampshire. Its roots go to 1916, when L.W. Packard was founded, a textile company that sold wool for decades. It was renamed to Minus33 and still operates on the grounds of the original mill site.
I wore the hoody a ton for about 10 weeks, including in the Minnesota winter as well as on a trip to the Vancouver area this month. Here are some of my testing notes.
Features You Need: The hood is extremely roomy and did a good job keeping the wind off my neck and face. The hand warmer pockets were enough to keep my digits toasty but they aren’t very deep and I wouldn’t trust them to hold anything securely.
Long ribbed cuffs with stitched thumbholes made it easy to keep my hands warm and covered. The long sleeves made it so I didn’t have to worry about exposing wrists when my arms were stretched out.
