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Reviews > Clothing > Jackets and Vests > Red Ledge Mens Covert Fleece Vest > Ken Bigelow > Test Report by Ken BigelowRED LEDGE MEN'S COVERT ACTION
FLEECE VEST TESTER INFORMATION:
My adventures vary in length from a
weekend to over two weeks. I am slowly shifting my backpacking style to
a lightweight approach. I recently upgraded to a hammock to reduce
weight. From spring through fall I typically backpack in the mountains
or desert, while in winter I often go snowshoeing. I typically see a
wide variety of climates ranging from -5 F (-20 C) with snow to 90 F
(32 C) and sunny with just about everything in between. INITIAL REPORT
Red Ledge's Men's Action Covert Fleece Vest  Red Ledge Men's Covert Action Fleece Vest's Front & Back PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS: Manufacturer:
Red Ledge PRODUCT DESCRIPTION & INITIAL IMPRESSION: The Red Ledge Covert Action Fleece
Vest's exterior is fleece all around except for a softshell material
that encompasses the top of the shoulders and the majority of the
collar. There is also a 1¼ inch (3 cm) strip of the softshell
material running behind the main zipper all the way from the collar to
the bottom hem, presumably to keep the bad weather from entering
through the zipper. Red Ledge's logo is on the left breast.  The Collar Drawcord & Raised Grid Fleece Backing The vest has three pockets, a left,
right and Napoleon chest pocket on the left side near the main zipper.
All the pockets have zippers with gray plastic pull-tabs. There is an
adjustable drawcord on both the left and right flank of the vest just
above the bottom hem. There is an additional drawcord on the back of
the collar. The neck drawcord is covered with a 1¼ in x 2 in (3
cm x 5 cm) strip of the softshell fabric. Each drawcord has a black
plastic pull-tab for ease of use. TESTING LOCATION: I usually go hiking/snowshoeing or
backpacking at least twice a month and will bring the vest on all of my
trips. I expect to head down to the Southern Utah desert in November. I
also have a Grand Canyon National Park trip planned in November and
hope to see Zion National Park before the end of the year. I do tend to
take spur of the moment trips (usually in the Wasatch or Uinta
Mountains) and will almost certainly take one or more of them during
the test period. The terrain will consist of snow covered trails, icy
pathways, wet and muddy corridors, rocky terrain, dirt paths and even
slickrock. Temperatures should range from 15 F (-9 C) to 60 F (16 C),
but could easily be warmer or colder as fall temperatures frequently
fluctuate all over the place. I will likely see all types of weather
ranging from snow to sunny. The elevations experienced should be
between 4,000 feet (1,200 m) and 10,000 feet (3,050 m). TESTING STRATEGY: Over the course of the test period I
intend to test these features and answer the following questions about
the vest:
 FIELD LOCATIONS
& CONDITIONS:
For the first two months of testing I have used the Covert Action Fleece Vest in the Wasatch Mountains, Uinta Mountains, Canyonlands National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, around Salt Lake City, Utah and Grand Junction, Colorado. Elevations have ranged from 2,600 ft (790 m) to 9,000 ft (2,700 m). Temperatures have varied from 13 F (-11 C) to 67 F (19 C). I have seen strong wind, light snow, light and heavy rain, a touch of hail, and skies with just about every degree of cloud cover. The terrain has included slickrock, sandy washes, rocky trails, muddy paths, snow covered corridors and icy trails. PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD: Through two months of testing I have
worn the Covert Action Fleece Vest over a tee shirt, over a long sleeve
shirt, under a down jacket and under a waterproof shell (or some
combination of the mentioned items). The vest's fit works well for me.
It's snug enough I can comfortably don jackets over the vest, yet it is
not too tight to easily slide over my baselayers. I consider this an
excellent item for my layering system.  Covert Action Fleece Vest From Behind The Covert Action Fleece Vest did an excellent job of
protecting my upper body from strong winds in the Wasatch Mountains. I
wore the vest on a day where the wind was strong enough to send the
snot from my nose sideways as oppose to down toward the ground. The
wind chill forced me to zip the vest all the way up and cinch it tight
to my body in order to keep warm, but I did not need to pull out
another layer as the vest kept me from becoming too uncomfortable (I
should also note that wind did not infiltrate the vest through the
zipper so kudos to the manufacturer). I did feel a substantial
temperature difference between where the fleece covered my body and
where it did not. I've noticed this same level of wind protection on
multiple occasions and I am grateful the Covert Action Fleece Vest
performs well in this area (as I would have had some extremely
uncomfortable days hiking if it had performed poorly).
LONG TERM TEST LOCATIONS & CONDITIONS: For the final two months of testing I have used the Red Ledge Men’s Covert Action Fleece Vest in Canyonlands National Park, the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains and the Southern Utah Desert (a.k.a. the middle of nowhere). Temperatures have ranged from 5 F (-15 C) to 65 F (18 C). The elevations have been between 4,000 ft (1,220 m) and 10,000 ft (3,050 m). The terrain has included snow covered trails, icy pathways, wet and muddy corridors, rocky terrain, dirt paths and slickrock. LONG TERM RESULTS: After four months of testing I can say that the fleece vest exceeded my expectations at protecting against the elements. While scrambling up to a rock shelf on my way to see some archaic rock art the wind (and occasionally gravity) pelted loose dirt, small rocks and sand into my face the entire way up. I finally had to shield my face with my Buff [Cloth (pictured above covering the face) that can be worn in a variety of different capacities such as a hat, scarf, helmet liner, balaclava, wind/sun/dust screen, headband, etc.], but my body under the vest could not feel the wind or the blown debris at all. Snow fell all day while I was snowshoeing in the Wasatch Mountains. It started falling lightly in the morning, but was coming down hard by the time I reached the summit. I was bushwhacking on a steep slope a good portion of the way up and had to focus on my footing and the slope. Two people had been seriously hurt in an avalanche the previous day not too far from where I was hiking so I was glad that the Covert Action Fleece Vest kept me relatively warm and dry so I did not lose my concentration in the more dangerous sections. When I made it back to the trailhead the exterior of the fleece was completely wet. My shirt (or more accurately the portion that had been covered by the vest), however, was dry and no moisture could be detected. Throughout the entire day I was never very cold except at the summit where the wind was blowing extremely hard (and I about froze my arms off). This experience has convinced me that the vest does an excellent job of insulating even when wet. On a few occasions I have needed to cover the fleece vest with either a rain or a down jacket to stay comfortably warm. In all cases my body was fine with the vest on, but my arms were freezing (as they are not protected by the vest). This is in no way the fault of the vest as it is designed to be a vest (not a jacket) just a minor shortcoming of all vests in my opinion. Due to some health issues I have inadvertently lost 30 lb (13.6 kg) of weight (if found please call me as I can't find it anywhere) since the beginning of the test (and no, I do not recommend the diet). To maintain the Covert Action Fleece Vest’s trim fit I have had to cinch up the hem drawcord as much as possible, but I am impressed that the vest has been able to adapt to the change in weight (as most of my other clothes cannot). The stitching has held up throughout testing and I can find no damage (ripping, tearing, etc.) on the vest whatsoever after four months of use. The zippers still operate as well as the day I received the vest and I have never experienced any snagging problems at all. So far I have washed the Covert Action Fleece Vest four times and I am yet to notice any pilling. I have followed the manufacturer’s instructions for laundering (machine wash cold, gentle cycle, mild detergent, tumble dry low) and have not used any special care in cleaning the garment. I have been unable to remove a few minor blood stains, but it has been my experience that blood does not want to come out of any garment at all. Odor buildup has not been a problem with this particular article of clothing and I have not yet needed DWR treatment on the material. SUMMARY: The Red Ledge Covert Action Fleece Vest has been a versatile piece in my layering system. Its comfortable fit has allowed me to use it as both a mid and outer layer and I have had no problems adjusting it to fit me in a number of different environments. It has served me not only as an article of clothing, but as a pillow and glass cleaner. It met my expectations in resisting wind, rain and snow, but is still limited (as I believe all fleece vests are) in just how much it can insulate and resist moisture (as my arms are not protected in any way). Things I like:
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