Italian Alpine Cold Weather Face Mask

Italian Army Alpine Mask

This is an Italian Army cold weather face mask, a full balaclava that covers the head, face and neck and leaves one opening for the eyes. A zipper across the mouth lets you open the face without pulling the whole mask off. It suits winter hikers, snow campers, hunters and collectors of Italian military kit who want issued gear rather than a commercial copy.

Features

• Wool And Polyester Fabric — The mask combines wool for warmth with polyester for strength and shape.
• Full Balaclava Coverage — A balaclava is a one-piece hood that covers the head, face and neck, so it closes the gaps a hat and scarf leave open.
• Zippered Mouth Opening — A metal-toothed zipper runs across the mouth so you can open it to breathe, drink or eat and close it again against the wind.
• Single Wide Eye Port — One broad opening clears both eyes and the bridge of the nose, and stitched edging holds its shape.
• Shaped Panel Construction — Several sewn panels, including a center seam over the crown, follow the contour of the head instead of hanging loose.
• Extended Neck Skirt — The mask runs well down the neck so it tucks under a jacket collar and keeps cold air off the throat.
• White Finish — The off-white color fits snow and winter terrain rather than woodland.
• Finished Hem — A turned and stitched hem around the bottom edge keeps the opening neat.

Issued Italian Kit

This mask comes from the Italian Army and was made for military cold weather use, not adapted from a fashion piece. The wool and polyester fabric, shaped panels and metal mouth zipper are part of its original specification. That provenance is why collectors and reenactors seek it out, and why it works just as well under a hood on a winter trail.