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Reviews > Clothing > Childrens Clothing > Sierra Designs Hurricane > Arron Robinson > Field Report

Field Report - Sierra Designs Hurricane youth rainwear

Packaged




Reviewer Info:[back to top]

Name: Arron Robinson
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 9.5" (1.77 m)
Weight: 230 lb (104.3 kg)
Email address: mouserar-at-gmail-dot-com
City, State, Country: Dallas, Georgia, USA		 Name: Zach Robinson
Age: 12
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 1" (1.55 m)
Weight: 110 lb (50 kg)
City, State, Country: Dallas, Georgia, USA
Date: 25 January 2006

Arron's Backpacking Background:  Camping and hiking since 11, I've been in a constant search for the perfect balance between usability, durability and weight. These days my camping is generally a mix of Boy Scout style crew camping, kayak or canoe camping or light to mid weight hiking. I generally carry 20-25 lb (9-11.3 kg) and sleep in a hammock system.

Zach's Backpacking background:  Zach has been hiking with his parents since he was about 6 months old. He moved out of his parent's tent when he was 6 years old. He started in the Boy Scouts a couple of years ago. He generally carries 20 lb (9 kg) of gear when backpacking and prefers to hang from trees while awake or when sleeping.
 

Product information:

Manufacturer:  Sierra Designs
Measured Specifications:
Jacket Size: Youth XL
Jacket Weight: 9 oz (259 g)
Jacket Color: Black
Pant Size: Youth XL
Pant Weight: 5.5 oz (154 g)
Pant Color: Charcoal
Shell Material: Hurricane LT fabric
MSRP: Jacket:39.95 USD / Pants pricing unavailable
URL:  http://www.sierradesigns.com
Reviewer Info | Product Description | Field Conditions
Field Information | Test Notes | Impressions After Field Testing

Product Description:[back to top] zach in the woods

The Sierra Designs Hurricane youth rainwear provides a high end solution to a generally overlooked crowd, that of the youth who are brought along on many of their parents' crazy trips.

The Hurricane rainwear reviewed in this report is a waterproof and breathable jacket and pants which are sold separately. They offer all of the high end features of adult rainwear. Fully taped seams, lightweight, breathable materials and a small pack size.

Field Conditions:[back to top]

As is typical, my son has managed to grow another inch in the last two months. This has put him into the "flood stage" with the pants. He wears them anyway, as they keep him dry and warm.

The first trip that the suit was worn on was 4 days in conditions of 70 F (21 C) dropping to 40 F (4 C) overnight with no rainfall. He wore the pants as a replacement for his "normal" pants.

The second trip was in mid December with highs in the 50 F (10 C) range and lows the first night dropping to 15 F(-10 C) and the second to 28 F (-2 C). Zach wore the rainsuit through drizzle and mist during this trip, mainly to help insulate against the chill.

Subsequent dayhikes were had, in fair and foul weather to test the suit's ability to repel water.

Field Information:[back to top]

Zach has found the Hurricane rain suit to be a good addition to his normal gear, allowing for a lightweight water repellent option in his wardrobe.  During wet weather, he did not find any undue condensation or sogginess in the suit, nor did he feel like he was overheating. He could pack the suit without taking a large amount of space within his pack and knew that if weather hit, he would be covered.

Test Notes:[back to top]

When starting this test series, we sat down and came up with a set of things that we would look for in raingear.  The specific issues we are hoping to determine are:

  1. Adaptability:
    • Will the rain suit allow for some amount of layering? Zach is able to layer set of microfleece thermals underneath the rainsuit. Due to the size, he cannot add much more, but in most cases, this is all that is needed. 
  2. Durability:
    • My son has inherited my inability to baby gear. He is, perhaps because of his age, very tough on everything he owns. Will the Hurricane rain gear hold up to the punishment? He has hiked in undergrowth, briars, as well as normal rough play in the suit without any damage or wear to the fabric. It looks as if the construction is holding up well.
  3. Comfort:
    • Will he sweat inside of the suit or will he notice condensation? Not so far. He has been very comfortable.
  4. Warmth:
    • Will the Hurricane suit allow for proper temperature regulation? Yes, with very little effort on his part.

Impressions After Field Testing:[back to top]

The Sierra Designs Hurricane is turning out to be a good lightweight option that was previously unavailable to kids. I think it is a great step towards getting good gear for younger hikers and we are really looking forward to further testing with the Hurricane raingear.

Excitement:

  1. They stuff down really small
  2. They are light
  3. They breathe well
  4. The materials hold up to scuffing and wear quite well.

Concerns:

  1. Lack of reliable sizing information is a problem

Thanks to Backpackgeartest.org and Sierra Designs for the opportunity to share our experiences!



Read more reviews of Sierra Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by arron robinson

Reviews > Clothing > Childrens Clothing > Sierra Designs Hurricane > Arron Robinson > Field Report



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