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

Initial Report - Sierra Designs Hurricane youth rainwear

Reviewer Info:[back to top]

Product information:

Reviewer Info | Product Description | Manufacturer's Website
Field Information | Test Plan | Initial Impressions

Product Description:[back to top] 

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.

Featuresof the Pants:

Features of the Jacket:

When we received the rainwear, my son was away from home for a weeklong trip to DC, so I was unable to try the suit on him. I did realize that the small that was delivered would not fit his lanky 12 year old frame. After contacting Sierra Designs, they rapidly sent the correct size (XL) and we were on our way. The rain suit fits him for now, but will probably not fit after this year. This is one of the challenges of outfitting a kid in good gear. As it is the suit is room enough to get a moderate base layer underneath as well as a sweatshirt or similarly bulky item.

The workmanship seems good, with detail work being well done, no visible flaws in manufacturing were found.

Manufacturer's Website:[back to top]

The Sierra Designs website has much information on the Hurricane, unfortunately, most of it is in the adult rainwear section. Along with this there is no good sizing information for the youth-targeted gear. Buying clothing for kids is hard enough, and buying without an idea of fit is problematic. A call to their support line told me that an XL should fit an 11-12 year old and while this is helpful, it seems a bit arbitrary to me. All in all, the Sierra Designs site itself was well put together and gave me a pretty good indication of what to expect aside from sizing.

Field Information:[back to top]

• A number of 2-3 day trips into the Dahlonega Uplands in North Georgia. Temperatures will range from 40 F (4 C) to 95 F (35 C) and will most likely include some rain. 
• A 3 day trip to Jekyll Island to Kayak. This trip will be a blast. We will take out a group of sea kayaks for the weekend and give them a run for their money. This gear may, depending upon the temperatures encountered, be worn during the kayaking, or may be used in base camp. 
• 3 or 4 weekend shake-down trips along the southern terminus of the AT in preparation for a 70 mile (113 km) section hike. We are working with a small group of boys who have expressed an interest in hiking and backpacking to get them used to the style of camping that is involved when long distance hiking. I feel that a rain suit would be good addition to his gear list, as it will keep him from grumbling. Weather will get steadily colder throughout the test period, starting around 90 F (32 C) and dipping to around 35 F (2 C) by end of testing.

Test Plan:[back to top]

1. Adaptability: Will the rain suit allow for some amount of layering? We are getting on into colder weather and this will be necessary. 
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? 
3. Comfort: Will he sweat inside of the suit or will he notice condensation? Will he be able to vent the jacket to allow for moisture to escape? 
4. Warmth: Will the Hurricane suit allow for proper temperature regulation?

Initial Impressions:[back to top]

The Sierra Designs Hurricane looks to be a 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 testing these.

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

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