Icebreaker Stratus Jacket Review

Alright, focus on the jacket, not the fish.

Recently,  I was given the opportunity to review the Icebreaker Merino Stratus Jacket and was immediately impressed.  Hell, it was June when it arrived and I wore it around the house for an hour or so because it was darn comfortably.  My wife thought I was crazy for wearing it in the summer, but that's besides the point

Icebreaker began in 1994 in New Zealand with the goal of creating a company around the wool of Merino sheep.  It's roots are in the outdoor adventure sports like sailing, climbing, skiing and the like, but now they're working on gaining tracking in the hunting and fishing segments.  Hence, the jacket I reviewed is in Real Tree camo.

In the effort to find expedite this review (it's going to be glowing) and get to the point, here are the top 5 reasons why I dug this jacket, and one  I would change if I could.

1.  Merino wool is delicious.  Yes, I said it.  Dee-liiii-cious as it wraps around your body.  Those merino sheep are lucky animals, they must always be comfortable.

2.  Recycled Materials.  The Icebreaker company is committed to reducing the amount of synthetics in their clothing for reduced impact, read more about that HERE

3.  Secondary wrist cuffs.  The devil's in the details right?  Well this cuff that is under the top layer at the end of the arm does a couple of things.  First, keeps the heat in.   Second if you're a clumsy feller like myself, when you fall in the water......that tends to keep the water from invading un-wanted real estate

4.  Wool is rad.  Some of my first outdoor gear when I was a kid was made of wool.  All the old guys I hunted with constantly praised the water repellant properties.  When it gets wet, it doesnt feel like it because of it's breathable.  Oh yeah, its also anti-bacterial, so it doesnt need to be washed all that often

5.  Heat Regulation.  It sure feels like the jacket adjust to the temperature, and allows you to wear it in a wider range of temps.   Like it has a brain and reads my needs, but maybe that's just me....

So it cant be all perfect, and as I do in every review I try to find something that I would change if I was the product designer

The sizing is slightly on the small side.

As a card carrying member of the double bubba club (I wear the XXL) I noticed that the sizing is just a bit on the small side.  This jacket fits me but I'd love just a bit more room that I am accustomed to in my size.  The chest is snugger than normal and the arms feel like it should be an inch or so longer.

Conclusion....this jacket has my enthusiastic stamp of approval.  I've worn it fishing, I've worn it hunting.   Hell, I've worn it to the office in spite of my coworkers eye rolls.

Check out the full lineup of Icebreaker gear by clicking HERE and follow them on FB