Travel Gadget: Icebreaker

Icebreaker's new Bodyfit top. Photo / Supplied

The Icebreaker people base their promotions around the merino wool they use in their products. In summer, they reckon, the merino's coat keeps him cool, in winter it keeps him warm, and "you can do the same with your Icebreaker".

To test whether the product matches the publicity, I tried one of the new Icebreaker Bodyfit 200+ tops in a range of conditions - climbing steep hills on a warm day, walking a track on a cool day and fishing from a kayak on a chilly, windy evening - and was very impressed.

I certainly built up a sweat during the hillclimbing but the fabric is very good at keeping the moisture off your skin and it dries remarkably quickly.

At the other extreme, the Bodyfit may be light and compact to pack but it generated a remarkable amount of warmth when I was fishing (it probably wasn't Icebreaker's fault that my feet got cold).

It's also good to wear. After a day of heavy use I got my wife to give it the sniff test and she concurred that the merino does seem able to dispel the old sweaty pong.

And, best of all, the Bodyfit top looks quite smart. In fact, when I first tried it on my wife exclaimed in wonder at the slimming effect. After that I couldn't stop wearing it.

The Icebreaker Bodyfit 200+ retails for around $120. See www.icebreaker.com for further information and a list of retailers.