Columbia - Faster and Lighter Shell
TEST SERIES BY KEVIN HOLLINGSWORTH
August 14, 2007
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
Tester Information
Name: Kevin Hollingsworth
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Height: 6’ 1” (1.9 m)
Weight: 195 lb (88 kg)
Email address: kholling55@yahoo.com
City, State, Country: Williamsburg,
Virginia. USA
I started backpacking and camping when I was in the Scouts. I spent 20 years in
the military, which curtailed my personal outdoors adventures. While
day-hiking, I normally carry a light load, a waist pack with mostly food and
water, with a few other things. On three to four day trips, I will carry a pack
weighing about 45 to 50 lb (21 to 23 kg). I prefer to hike in the mountain. I have been hiking in Colorado, Korea, Egypt,
and most recently Eastern part of the United States.
INITIAL REPORT
April 8, 2007
PRODUCT
INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Columbia
Year of Manufacture: 2007
URL: http://www.columbia.com
Listed Specifications:
Waterproofness: 787 in (2,000 cm)
Breathability: 0.5 oz/in2/24 hr (20,000 g/m2/24hr)
Note: All measurements are mine (unless otherwise
specified)
Shell weight: 0.6 lb (0.3 kg)
Size: XL
Colors: Jet (also available in Cayenne)
Warranty: Limited Warranty
MSRP: $ 179.99 US
The Columbia Faster &
Lighter™ Shell is a hooded
lightweight shell that is engineered for high-performance outdoor
activities. It is part of Columbia Titanium® line of apparel and incorporates Columbia’s Omni-Tech®
Technology. This technology provides optimum waterproof/breathable protection.
It incorporates breathable microporous coatings or laminates that combines with
different base fabrics to keep water droplets from penetrating, but allows users
perspiration vapor to escape. The shell fabric is 100% nylon Omni-Tech® 2.5L 15D 2-way stretch ripstop.
All seams are
fully sealed, and the zipper along the front of the shell is fully covered by the
Omni-Tech® fabric. The shell is a close fitting, active fit design.
There
are two zippered chest pockets. There are vents added near the chest pockets to
allow air to circulate freely and to help keep me from overheating. The
sleeves narrows as it approaches the wrist area.
+ 
On
the left sleeve, “TITANIUM” is stenciled around the arm area, and “OMNI-TECH”
is stenciled at the wrist area. Both are
reflective type stencils. There is a strap at the wrist area which has a long hook fastener sewn on. On
the sleeve itself, there are four small pile fasteners. Along each side of
waist area, there is a cord with a plastic adjuster for tightening the hem.
The
hood has adjuster cords, with plastic adjusters around the jaw area and on the
back of the head area. Along the top of the hood there is a small
reinforced rain bill. On each side hood, where it touches the face, there are
small 2.5 x 3.25 in (6 x 8.5 cm) squares of felt.
On the inside of the shell, there are three white tags,
printed in multiple languages, listing the laundering instruction and cautions.
The following are cautions associated with the shell fabric:
“Fabrics are not fire
resistant and will melt or burn if exposed to extreme heat. Avoid exposing this
garment to high heat, flame, or sparks”
The shell comes
with Columbia Sportswear’s Limited Warranty, which according to the website is:
“This Limited Warranty covers defects in
materials and workmanship in outerwear manufactured by Columbia Sportswear
Company (Outerwear). This includes defects in zipper pulls,
zippers, snaps, stitching, dye bleeding, leaking of Columbia's waterproof Outerwear line, and any
other Outerwear defects that may occur under normal wear. Columbia
does not warranty and is not responsible for damages caused by misuse, abuse,
accidents, the natural breakdown of materials over time, or problems that may
be reasonably expected with normal wear or failure to follow Outerwear care instructions.”
Also according
to the Columbia
website, the Faster and Lighter received the National Geographic Adventure
award for best value.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
I received the Columbia Faster &
Lighter™ Shell on
3 Apr 2007. It was packaged in a plastic bag, with product tags attached on
the front zipper and at the sleeve. The product tag lists the key features in
multiple languages. There was also a tag listing the product, size, color and
the MSRP.
My first impression of the shell was that it is extremely
light and that the fabric was very thin feeling. This makes me wonder how it will stand up. The
quality of workmanship seems superb, it seems very well made. All the seams and
stitching are fully sealed. All the areas around the adjustment cords are
reinforced and the zippers are fully covered by the waterproof fabric. The
pockets have zippers and the inside of the pockets are made of a mesh fabric.
My chest is 45.3 in
(115.0 cm) and according to the Columbia
fitting chart, I fall in between Large and XL. So based on my personal experience, I picked a
XL. The XL fits me well in the chest, shoulder and sleeve area. The length of the shell falls just level with my hip area. This makes me wonder about how well the
moisture will run off without some sort of rain or will it wet everything below
my waist. Even though the shell is an active fit design,
the fabric has enough give that my movements do not seem to be restricted in any way.
SUMMARY
I would like to thank both, BackpackGearTest and Columbia, for the
opportunity to test the Faster and Lighter Shell. This concludes my
Initial Report. The Field Report will be amended to this report in
approximately two months from the date of this report. Please check back then
for further information.
FIELD REPORT
June 15, 2007
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
I took a couple of multi-day trips to Shenandoah National Park.
The terrain was mountainous with the elevation around 3000 to 4000 ft (900 to
1200 m). The weather on the first trip was cloudy with scattered snow flurries.
The normal daytime temperature was 30 to 40 F (-1 to 4 C), with the coldest
temperature after sunset of 15 F (-9 C). The weather conditions on the second trip were
initially cloudy with some scattered showers. The weather cleared at midday on
the second day and the rest of the trip was sunny. The average daytime
temperature was 60 to 75 F (15 to 24 C), with a drop to approximately 55 F (13 C)
after sunset.
I used a 3930 cu in (65 L) pack, with a total pack weight of approximately
50 lb (23 kg).
I took a few day hikes in the local parks. The temperatures
were between 45 F (8 C) and 75 F (24 C). The terrain is wooded, with a few
small hills with elevations around sea level. I carried a daypack with food and
water.
I also wore the shell around town during any type of wet
weather.
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The Faster & Lighter Shell was very comfortable to wear.
It was so light, that I hardly felt it on. It was stretchy and did not hinder
my movement in any way. The sleeves were long enough, and the pile fasteners on
the cuff kept the cuffs tight during any type of activity. The zipper worked well
and never got snagged on the material.
During any type of wet weather, snow or
rain, I did not notice any moisture coming through the fabric,
seams or zipper. When I wore the hood, it protected my head
and neck from the rain and snow, without any noticeable impairment of
my
vision. I did notice that the shell was slightly longer at the waist in
the
back than the front. But during heavy rain, because of the active fit
of the
shell, I found that the water did drip down the shell and onto the
lower
portion of my body.
Wearing the shell, I found that I needed to be careful on
what I wore under it. Starting out one day with an outside temperature that was around
30 F (-1 C) and it was a drizzle/snow mix, I was wearing the shell with a fleece and a long
sleeve base layer shirt. I found that I quickly started to overheat and
start sweating. When I opened the pocket/vent zippers, it seemed that it helped the shell
breathe better.
I finally took off
the fleece, and wore only the long sleeve base layer shirt; which was
not a
problem, as long as there wasn’t any wind. As soon as the cold
wind started blowing,
I would start to get cold. There was no mention of wind protection in
the
specification, so this was not a surprise. I did not expect the shell
to be completely
windproof. During cold, windy days, I could feel the cold wind against
my skin.
This was not a problem on semi warm days, above 50 F (10 C). During
warmer
weather, I wore only a short sleeve shirt. Overheating was not a
problem, as
long as I kept the pocket zippers open. The only drawback with keeping
the
pockets unzipped while wearing a pack is that I found that I was
unable to keep anything in the
pockets. The pockets seems deep enough, but unless the object is heavy
enough, it would just work its way out. It did not seem to be a problem
without a pack.
SUMMARY
So far, I am pleased with the performance of the Columbia Faster &
Lighter™ Shell.
This concludes my Field Report. The Long-Term Report
should be completed by August 14, 2007. Please check back then for
further information.
LONG TERM REPORT
August 14, 2007
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
I took a multi-day trip to the Smokey
Mountains National
Park. The terrain was mountainous with the
elevation around 2000 to 3000 ft (609 to 900 m). The weather was cloudy
with scattered showers, mostly in the late afternoon or evening. The normal
daytime temperature was 75 to 85 F (24 to 29 C), with a drop to approximately
65 F (18 C) after sunset.
I
took a multi-day trip to Shenandoah
National Park. The
terrain was mountainous with the elevation around 3000 to 4000 ft (900 to 1200
m). The weather on the first day was cloudy with rain. The rain switched
between a light drizzle and heavy showers. The weather cleared at midday on the
second day and the rest of the trip was sunny. The average daytime temperature
was 75 to 85 F (24 to 29 C), dropping to approximately 75 F (24 C) after
sunset.
I also wore the shell a few times around town during any
type of wet weather.
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
I was quite impressed with the Faster & Lighter shell
waterproofness, during the long term testing phase. It kept me dry in all type of rain, from
light to heavy. On the trip to the Shenandoah
National Park, it rained
almost continuously the first day. The
rain would switch from a steady drizzle to showers. At one point, there was a
continuous heavy downpour for almost an hour. Even though the shell felt like
it was getting waterlogged, no moisture came through the fabric to the inside. The
shell kept me dry. Though I was wearing the shell the entire day, I did not
overheat. I was wearing a short sleeve,
moisture wicking t-shirt, with the shell’s vents open. This allowed enough air
in to keep me somewhat cool, minimizing sweating. That night, I just shook off the
water from the shell and let it hang in the tent’s vestibule. Within a couple of hours, it was completely
dry and ready to pack up.
The shell did not show any sign of wear from washing or use.
All the seams are still tight and waterproof, all fasteners are in excellent
conditions, and none of the stencils peeled away. The zippers still operates
smoothly and all the draw cords plastic tighteners still function normally. During
the complete testing phase, I washed the shell at least six times. I machine
washed the shell in cold water with another shell. As recommended by the
manufacturer, I used powder detergent on the normal cycle. I dried the shell only by hanging it. The
shell does not exhibit any signs of shrinkage and fits just like it did from
the start. It is still comfortable and stretchy, allowing for full range of
movement.
SUMMARY
Overall, I am very satisfied with the performance of the Faster
& Lighter Shell. It was light, comfortable to wear, held up to the
environment and most importantly, kept me dry in bad weather. I plan to
continue to wear the Faster & Lighter Shell for my backpacking and outdoor
activities.
I would like to thank both,
BackpackGearTest and Columbia, for the opportunity to test the Faster &
Lighter Shell.
