Gear Hugger: Turtle Fur WindTech Maskot

Jan 15, 2007  ·  03:50 PM  ·  permalink

“Gear Hugger” is a periodic column we write to highlight great ski and snowboard gear we come across or grow to love. Tell us about the ski and snowboard gear you love.

In general, Turtle Fur products don’t work for me: the super-soft fleece gets caught in facial stubble and I end up looking like I went in for the “Hobo” costume for Halloween. Then all those little balls of fuzz get caught in my nose, eyelashes, belly button—it’s a mess. And besides, pronouncing the words “Turtle Fur” makes my throat close up in response to the saccharine cutsiness.

Last season, though, I purchase a Turtle Fur Shellaclava and the good points outweighed the bad. Unlike most balaclavas, the neck gaitor is long long enough to stay put—most balaclavas ride up in front or in back letting in cold air or cold snow. It also has a Dryline hood that fits great under a helmet, keeps my head nice and warm, and does a reasonable job of wicking.

But I lost my Shellaclava in a recent move, so I went on the hunt for a replacement. Everything I found was too bulky under my helmet, made from material that was too stiff, or, most importantly, had short or contoured neck pieces that I know from experience would be prone to riding up. I happened across the Turtle Fur WindTech Maskot and, despite my skepticism, decided to give it a try. Results: excellent.

The WindTech Maskot is composed of three different segments: a nice, long Turtle Fur fleece neck gaitor, a WindTech wind-blocking face mask, and a Dryline hood. Although wind-blocking fabrics are not particularly stretchy, the Dryline hood has enough elasticity to allow the WindTech mask to be worn under the chin when not needed. When it is needed—like this weekend in Steamboat where it reached -20 degrees farenheit on Saturday night—it is just enough protection from the wind, soft and comfy, unlike neoprene, and the nose vent is shaped to direct breath away from goggles. Interestingly, the WindTech fabric is just stretchy and tight enough to conform to my face (without the rubbery feeling of neoprene) so it stays in place and keeps out drafts. On the whole, I found it far superior to any of the other face masks I’ve tried.

Meanwhile, the Turtle Fur neck gaitor did its job commendably, keeping out the drafts and the powder during multiple falls without adding too much bulk. Also, unlike some fleeces, Turtle Fur also does not seem to collect snow, so you don’t end up with frozen death cookies all over your neck at the end of a ski day. The Dryline hood is perhaps the weakest part of the formula. Although it keeps my head warm and draft-free, it only wicks marginally well—I always end up with a sweat-soaked head after a day of hard turns.

I love the simplicity of the Maskot—its three-part design initially struck me as too fussy, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Each part of your head needs a different kind of covering, so just make a patchwork and be done. The are no Velcro closures to come undone or scratch your face; no fussy flaps to provide access to your face; and no fancy vents to prevent foggy or icing.

There was, however, one failure this weekend: the seam between the hood and the mask opened up, but a handy girlfriend fixed that in a flash and it appears to be a manufacturing defect, not a design flaw. I’ll just exchange it.