Backcountry.com Merino Bliss Lightweight Long Underwear Top - Men's - 2008 BCS

I've been wearing this as my second layer on cold days. its also a great baselayer, very warm, and I like having the pocket too, gotta have a chest pocket of some sort. and probably the best part is: no stink!

These superb backcountry base layers come up a little slimmer than you'd think and with slightly longer arms. Would go well as either base or a second layer - the fabric is quite thin. Quality of finish is in line with the other backcountry products I have, excellent that is. The pocket seems unnecessary but does not get in the way. Thumb loops are always appreciated. It seems as if they are phasing out the backcountry label in favour of Stoic, so it's best to act fast if you want the goat on your shirt. For $40 these are a steal, do it now.

This has become one of my go-to shirts for cold winter outings. I wear it as a base layer with a Patagonia R4 vest and/or hardshell over it. It fits comfortably slim (i'm 6'2", 210lbs and wear the XL) and the long sleeves with thumb holes provides nice warmth when you need to take your gloves off.

To be honest, I have never used the chest pocket, but it's not bulky so I never even notice it.

On sale it's a great deal, and a very versatile item.

It's ugly as sin, warm as hell, and doesn't stink at all to high heaven. I wore it as a base layer and with an uninsulated hard shell was all I needed while playing hard in under freezing temperatures. I thought it was pretty comfortable and the sleeve thumb hole is for me a non issue because if I need this baselayer, I need gloves too. It does suppress even my odor, though not as well as silver impregnated material does. If money wasn't an object I'd probably go for something higher end, but by buying this I save enough to pay for gas to go skiing again. Nice job, Backcountry.

6'0", 130 lbs, the medium actually fit me.

Unfortunately, I returned it because the wool is not nice. It smells worse and itches more than other wools (I eventually went with Stoic, BC's new brand).

First off right out of the package this shirt is super soft. It makes a great base layer and is incredibly warm. I've washed it a few times and it's retained it's size, shape and feel. The only odd thing I have noticed is that the arms are a bit long. I bought one in every color and I am so glad I did. A terrific buy for the money.

I have last year's model. I wrote a review for it saying it was "almost perfect" -- that the only thing it was missing was flat-locked seams. Now it has that, so I'm betting it's about the best shirt out there. The wool is very soft, and the right weight for an active baselayer; I wear it alone skinning up and under a softshell coming down (in 5-35 degree weather or so). The thumbloops are well made, unlike icebreaker they very intelligently don't have a bunch of fabric under the palm, so you can bike or ski with them comfortably. I like the high collar, the long cut to keep it tucker in, and the long zipper to vent heat. It's all very well thought out. Oh, and unlike the other reviewer, I use the pocket all the time. It's great for snacks in the backcountry and and ipod at the resort.

This shirt is great. The neck looks a little shorter online than the one I have; I think my collar is a full 3 inches, basically going up my whole neck. This feature is great for breezy days. The little pocket is kinda cool, but I've only used it about...5 times over the year or so I've had this shirt. Durability is pretty good.* I wear it more than any other shirt so it has a few rough spots, especially around the thumb loops, but that is to be expected. I love the thumb loops for keeping my wrists warm when it's cold enough to wear gloves. I am sad however about the hole developing in the elbow. I have sharp elbows and prop them up a lot when on the computer and eating breakfast, etc...it's happened with every long sleeve merino wool shirt I owned. Anyhow, if it had some reinforced elbows and I could make the high-wear thumb loop areas last forever, I would probably wear this shirt every day it was below 65 degrees out. Note: I've washed this shirt like 5 times in the year I've worn it and it never stinks!

I ended up sending this shirt back recently. The thumb loops and cuffs were just too worn out and I felt like I could only wear it in the backcountry anymore. No more wearing this shirt multiple times per week all winter long. :-(

This is hands down my favorite shirt. It's slim, next-to-skin style but not constricting. Super comfortable, super stretchy, super warm. I wear it for everything from a base layer when going out in the cold, to a top in the fall/spring/cool summer nights.

I like it so much, I bought one in both colors!

very light shirt. I would call it a base layer. The left arm is twisted so the thumb hole is at my pinky. The thumb holes are also different sizes.

Love this top. I really appreciate the fit of the shirt. I am 6'4" 200lbs and most of my upper body mass in in my shoulders. The XL shirt fits great, accommodating in the chest and trim around the waist. I hate the normal generic cut many manufactures provide I do not know who they designed to fit? Did I mention the sleeves are also long enough. If you are an athletic build you cant go wrong with this buy. I have wool base layers from some much higher priced "name brands" which have fallen apart with minimal wear. This one has already lasted longer than those pieces of junk. I love the thumb holes too. The best attribute to any wool piece is no stinking, I can wear this under other layers for 3 days and it is still very standable.

The merino feels great on this shirt, however the upper arm on the xs was too bulky for me and the thumb holes were all the way in the back of the arm, closer to my pinky rather than my thumb. Maybe I'm just spoiled by the perfect fitting, neatly stitched icebreakers, but the quality and fit on this just wasn't worth it for me. But if it works for others, it's an awesome deal!

Very comfortable, soft and smooth inside. Liked it better than the comparable smartwool or ibex-especially at half price on the outlet. Plus it has a goat on it.
I'm 6 feet 190 lbs. Large is perfect so far, but not yet washed. Made for gorilla arms though. Zipper goes to my belly button which a curious look when opened...could be a quarter zip instead of half zip.
Definately a lightweight, not midweight feeling product but haven't yet used it in MN cold weather.
Should be perfect with a down sweater/coat for skiing in spring.....

Surprisingly after reading all the positive reviews, I didn't like it at all. I returned it after after just trying it on. So I can only speak of the design. The sleeves are nice and long, so that's nice when you use the monkey thumbs, but that's were it ends. The neck was just too huge of an opening that defies it' purpose. I have 14.5 neck and ordered the small. That opening could have probably fit my waist! Maybe I got a bad one. What was the deal breaker for me was the chest pocket. Trying it on skin, the stitching was very annoying. It's not itchy, but it just feels like something is pushing against my skin. So next I tried it over another base layer, and I can still feel the annoying chest pocket. The sleeves have many panels, again, more stitching, I don't know why. I really wanted it to work because the price is great, but I ended up paying the crazy $$ for smart wool mid layer, and that thing just feels luxurios. The sleeve is one piece and it fits great.

I had gotten the BC merino crew and liked it so I decided to order this as well. I like it a lot, the 1/2 zip is great, chest pocket is nice as well. My only complaint is that I was expecting it to be thicker than it was. Since the BC Crew version said was light weight and the Bliss says midweight I was expecting it to be much thicker than the Crew and more along the lines of the Icebreaker bodyfit260 weight. It is thinner than that. But that is just a matter of expectations. I would like to see the next version be a little more of a midlayer fit. Good deal all in all

I'll chime in. Aside from the great qualities others have mentioned, for me this is an outstanding shirt. I"m 6'4" 185lbs and got the XL. It's somehow is skin tight but not constricting at all. The arms are long. I can use the thumb holes without feeling like I"m cutting off my circulation. The shirt is long and stays tucked in. Pure luxury.

My boyfriend looks fast in it. Since this shirt is quite fitted, I purchased the XL for him and it fits his barrel-shaped torso well (5'10" 185 lbs). It performs well for back country skiing, despite the chintzy-feeling material (I was expecting the material to be a bit heftier than a thin t-shirt weight), and questionable workmanship. This questionable workmanship is exemplified in the right sleeve where the thumbhole in the cuff actually falls at the pinkeye. I bought myself one of the women's shirts in this style at the same time, and my right thumbhole is actually a pinkeyehole. Thanks "Made in China". So I give it an "adequate for the job" rating. We'll see how they hold up.

Great shirt, love the merino wool, chest pocket is wonderful, looks great, really helps regulate well with a good layer system (seems to provide its own regulated atmosphere)...

Use: front country hanging and some backcountry skiing--intended use for more multi-day backcountry winter travel (Montana/Idaho region)

Cons: The seams on the shirt can really drive up into your armpits--its really comfortable other than this annoyance (given that, I still love to wear it).

Also, I am a medium and it fits well in proportion, but hugs the body a bit more than is comfortable and than I would prefer (though I understand it is a base layer, I prefer to wear light t-shirts underneath for one other last ditch layer [I am a slim to stocky build for 5'9''])

I was surprised at the quality of this merino base layer and all the features it had when compared side by side against the likes of Arcteryx, Patagonia, Smartwool offerings. The fully featured quality of the shirt with thumbholes, napoleon chest pocket and high collar are a nice bonus. The shirt felt a tad itchy next to skin for me at first but softened after a couple outings and a wash. I think the sleeves are a little too long, I understand they were lengthened to accommodate the thumbloops, but I found them to be just a tad too long in comparison to the rest of the shirt. The cut for a small is definitely tight in the torso, but more than sufficient in length and coverage. This is a great midweight baselayer at a great price.

I love this shirt. I use it mostly as a baselayer on cold days with a breathable jacket or vest. The long zipper is awesome for temperature control. It is long so it doesn't let the cold air in on my mid-section. The sleeves are a bit long for me and bunch up a little bit around my wrists, but no problem. It fits slimmer than any of the other baselayers I have which is awesome!!! It is great to find stuff that is not designed for the "average american". My only complaint is they are out of Mediums!

Overall, comparable to Arc'teryx and Icebreaker in terms of fit and function. Merino wool feels comfy and so far, does a good job of wicking. Thumbloops are a definite plus. Flat lock seams are unstitching a bit (owned for about 2 mths now). The merlot color (IMO) looks more pink. This is one of my fave baselayers.

But I really shouldn't be considering the quality of my BC branded Shift Welder hoody. I really had no interest in this since I've owned several Icebreaker and Smartwool merino tops over the years and grown quite loyal to the brands..but this is a nice surprise. It came up at a good price on S&C so I got my mormal size (M) in Abyss color. I'm not crazy about brightly colored shirts (I prefer black, dk brown, grey etc..) but this top fits so closely that it really can't be used for anything other than a baselayer unless you have a worked chest/guns to show off. (mine are so-so most of the year) As others have mentioned, the thumbholes are a little small but no biggie for me since I don't have large hands..at least they are reinforced well and the sleeves are plenty long. Unlike a lot of similar tops, the napolean pocket on the Merino Bliss is actually deep and large enough to be useful for more than a credit card...but it could be moot if you only use this as a baselayer underneath something else. The chest zip is very deep for excellent venting and also makes for easy on/off. The biggest thing about this top is the softness of the Merino...I had to take it off and check the tag to make sure it wasn't spun cotton or poly. Yes, it really is that soft...and softer than some of my more expensive Icebreaker tops. Basically I would have given the Merino Bliss 5 stars except for 3 things...the small thumbholes already mentioned, too close fitting to wear alone, and the lack of colors other than red/grey and navy/grey. If you're looking for a nice Merino baselayer for active pursuits (not cruising the mall) then grab the Merino Bliss...even at the normal price it wouldn't be a ripoff considering the price of Merino wool pieces in general.

...the red is much lighter than it looks here. More of a raspberry. Looked good on my girlfriend, not so much on me. I got blue instead, and I'm happy with it.

I bought this for my boyfriend and it is just perfect. He is 170lb and 5ft11. I got a small. It is very long in the body and arms which is great and the fit is nice and snug for an base layer. It looks cool enough just to wear on its own.

Wore it jogging a couple of times in about 50F weather. Perfect weight. Ultra-comfortable. However, I've been snipping loose threads off, and have my doubts now about how well it will hold up. So it's basically the sewing that gets three stars. Otherwise, it'd be a five.