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MEC
Charge Toque
Owner Review by Andrea Murland
March 15, 2012
Tester Information
| Name: |
Andrea Murland |
| Email: |
amurland AT
shaw DOT ca |
| Age: |
26 |
| Location: |
Elkford
& Kimberley,
British Columbia, Canada |
| Gender: |
Female |
| Height: |
5 ft 2 in (1.57
m) |
| Weight: |
125 lb (57 kg) |
| Head
Circumference: |
21.25 in (54
cm) |
I began hiking frequently in 2006 and have
since hiked in Western Canada, Australia, and spent 2 months
backpacking in the Alps. I spend most weekends either day-hiking or on
2-3 day backpacking trips, with some longer trips when I can manage
them. I also snowshoe and ski in the winter, but don’t have a lot of
experience with winter in the backcountry yet. Elevation is typically
500-3,000 m (1,600-10,000 ft), in the Canadian Rockies and the Selkirk,
Purcell, and Monashee ranges. I try for a light pack, but I don’t
consider myself a lightweight backpacker.
Image Courtesy of MEC
 |
Product
Information
| Manufacturer: |
Mountain
Equipment Co-op (MEC) |
| Manufacturer's
URL: |
www.mec.ca
|
| Year of
Manufacture: |
2010 |
| Model: |
Charge Toque |
| MSRP: |
CAD 14.00
|
| Sizes
Available: |
Small/Medium,
Medium/Large |
| Size Reviewed: |
Small/Medium |
| Colours
Available: |
Black, Blue Ink
|
| Colour
Reviewed: |
Blue Ink |
| Listed Weight: |
43 g (1.5 oz)
size Small/Medium
|
| Measured
Weight: |
41 g (1.4 oz) |
| Measured
Height: |
17.1 cm (6.8
in)
|
| Measured
Circumference: |
approximately
50.8 cm (20 in) at the bottom
|
Description
The MEC Charge Toque is a fleece toque with a polyurethane surface
coating. It is “fleecy” on the inside and smooth on the outside. The
surface coating is intended to give the toque abrasion resistance,
water resistance, and wind resistance. The toque is stitched with
flat-lock seams. The inside of the band of the toque is made of a soft
material. The body of the toque is made of 95% polyester and 5%
spandex, and the tag tells me that the toque is made in Canada.
Field
Conditions
I purchased the MEC Charge Toque in late 2010 and it has been my
primary headwear for active pursuits in the winter since then. I have
worn it for Search & Rescue, cross-country skiing, running, ski
touring, and snowshoeing. In total I have worn it for about 40 day
trips as well as several overnight trips. I usually wear it alone but
in very cold weather I have worn another toque overtop of the Charge. I
have worn it under a snowmobile helmet on one occasion, and also under
my climbing helmet. I have worn it in sunshine and snow, in
temperatures between about 5 C (41 F) and -30 C (-22 F). After washing
it I have always laid the toque flat to dry.
Spending winter in the Charge Toque
 |
Review
Comfort & Fit
The Charge Toque fits me well. It’s fairly snug, and with my small head
it’s about as good a fit as I’ve ever found in an adult-sized toque. It
fully covers to the bottom of my ears when I pull it down. However, it
does creep upwards when I’m doing activity, so I have to pull it down
frequently. It was relatively comfortable under a snowmobile helmet,
though in that case I was just wearing it to make the helmet fit (it
was too big), and it’s very comfortable under my climbing helmet. The
combination of my climbing helmet and the Charge was so comfortable
that I didn’t want to take my helmet off when I was done needing it!
Warmth & Snow/Wind Resistance
The Charge is great for
doing active stuff outdoors! It’s warm enough down to about -15 C (5 F)
at moderate activity levels on its own, and after that I find that I
need to add another layer. It also breathes well. For high intensity
activities like cross-country skiing, I am comfortable wearing the
Charge at temperatures up to just above freezing and after that my head
starts to feel a little sweaty.
The Charge does an excellent job blocking the wind, either created from
my own motion or naturally. In really windy conditions I can feel a
chill from the wind through the toque, but no actual wind getting
through. The Charge also sheds snow very well. Even in wet snow (read:
slush), I’ve never had the toque soak through or even had the outer layer
wet out.
Durability
The toque has held up well to use and washing. There is some minor
pilling on the seams but otherwise it looks as good as new.
Summary
The MEC Charge Toque is a great toque for winter activity. It is
reasonably warm and breathes well during high-intensity activities.
Water and wind resistance add to the versatility of this toque.
Thumbs Up:
Good breathability
Good wind and snow resistance
Good durability
Comfortable under a helmet
Thumbs Down:
Not always warm enough
Creeps up when I’m doing activity
Read more gear reviews by Andrea Murland
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