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This chlorine-free merino wool balaclava protects your face from harsh weather, wicks moisture, and insulates when wet through the coldest conditions. Our Merino 3 Midweight Balaclava has a wonderfully soft hand, with a warm fabric blend of chlorine-free merino wool (78%) and recycled polyester (19%) that feels smooth on your skin, manages moisture, and stays warm when wet. Merino breathes, stretches as you move, and has a great warmth-to-weight ratio. Our merino wool from nonmulesed sheep naturally stretches and breathes and has a versatile warmth-to-weight ratio. Slow-washed for softness and shrink-resistance. The face opening fits above the mouth or below the chin. bluesign-approved fabric. Wool is soft and moves moisture in the ultimate next-to-face silhouette Lightweight and very compact Face opening can be worn above mouth or under chin Fit is smooth and clean without being restrictive 7.8-oz 78% chlorine-free merino wool/19% recycled polyester/3% spandex 77 g (2.7 oz)
Technology
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The bluesign® standard
The bluesign® standard brings together the entire textile manufacturing supply chain to jointly reduce the ecological footprint of the apparel production process. Instead of focusing on finished product testing, the bluesign® standard analyzes all input streams – from raw materials and chemical components to resources – with a sophisticated “Input Stream Management” process. Prior to production, components are assessed based on their eco-toxicological impact and risk. Potentially harmful substances can hence be eliminated before production even begins.
The bluesign® standard addresses consumers’ growing desire for quality products that also meet the highest criteria regarding sustainability. Due to its holistic and systematic approach, the bluesign® standard ensures that components and procedures used along the supply chain are as harmless to human beings and the environment as possible. Products made according the bluesign® standard thus meet the highest standards of consumer protection, resource efficiency, and worker health and safety.
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Merino Wool:
Exceptionally soft, naturally breathable and warm even when wet, merino regulates body temperature, has a great warmth-to-weight ratio, naturally controls odor and stretches as you move. Patagonia merino wool comes from nonmulesed, Australian merino sheep. We slow wash it for softness and shrink-resistance without the use of environmentally harmful chlorine, then blend it with all-recycled polyester for durability, wicking and faster dry times, unmatched by 100% merino clothing.
Over the years, we’ve experimented with a variety of merino fabrications, most recently using 100% merino wool in our Baselayer line. Despite a high level of comfort in the finished garments, their durability did not meet our quality standards. This forced us to ask if we were living up to our mission to build the highest quality products and do no unnecessary harm (building products that can’t take a beating requires continued production of new products, instead of fewer products better made). By blending recycled polyester into our finished merino garments, we were able to dramatically increase durability.
There are other benefits. Our wool/poly blend boosts the natural wicking ability of merino wool (meaning less clammy feeling, since your garments stay dry next to skin) and reduces overall dry times. The resulting garment provides higher performance in the field, is less fussy to care for and remains exceptionally soft against the skin, naturally odor resistant and machine washable. bluesign® certification ensures the use of the best available technology in reducing water and energy use and minimizing pollution from dyes and finishes.
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Recycled Polyester:
To Patagonia, quality means more than how a garment looks or functions: It also includes the way it affects the environment and quality of life. This means working to source materials and develop processes that minimize damage to the environment.
In 1993, we adopted fleece into our product line made from post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles. We were the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to do so. PCR® clothing was a positive step towards a more sustainable system – one that uses fewer resources, discards less and better protects people’s health. Over the course of 13 years, we saved some 86 million soda bottles from the trash heap. That’s enough oil to fill the 40-gallon gas tank of the diminutive Chevy Suburban 20,000 times.
Today, we're able to utilize more sources for recycled polyester and offer it on more garments such as Capilene baselayers, shell jackets and board shorts, as well as fleece. We now recycle used soda bottles, unusable second quality fabrics and worn out garments into polyester fibers to produce many of our clothes. We've also started the world's first garment recycling program – bring us your old, worn-out Capilene baselayer, Patagonia fleece or Polartec® fleece (from any maker) and we'll make a new polyester garment from it using an innovative process developed by our friends at TEJIN.
Benefits of recycled polyester:
Lessens dependence on oil
Curbs discards, thereby prolonging landfill life and reducing toxic emissions from incinerators
Helps to promote a new recycling stream for polyester clothing that is no longer wearable
Creates less air, water and soil contamination
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