I have had several balaclavas over the years made from different materials and different designs. This one is probably the best of all of those. The pros of this balaclava are: 1) very warm 2)light weight 3) full coverage down to shoulders 4) brim protrudes out over eyes providing some sun, snow and wind blocking 5) face opening is easily adjustable via the elastic draw string 6) dries quickly. The only con is that its difficult to roll it up so that it can be worn as a watch cap. This is a excellent choice for just about every purpose.