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Sierra Designs Hurricane LT Jacket and Pants
- Long Term Report -
March 2006
1)Tester and Co-Tester Background and Contact Information
Name: Curt Peterson
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Height: 6'3" (1.91 m)
Weight: 270 (122 kg)
Email address: curt<at>boopants<dot>com
Location: North Bend, Washington, USA
I live in the Cascade
foothills, just 20 mi (32 km) from the Pacific Crest Trail via trails leading
right from my backyard. My outdoor time in Washington is spent dayhiking,
backpacking, climbing, and skiing everywhere from the Olympic coast to
rainforests to Cascade volcanoes to dry Central Washington steppe. I played football in
college and often evaluate products from a big guy perspective. My typical pack
load ranges from 12 - 19 lbs (5.4 - 8.6 kg) and usually includes wet weather
gear.
Name: Ethan Peterson
Age: 3
Gender: Male
Height: 3'3" (0.91 m) UPDATE
Weight: 33 lbs. (15 kg) UPDATE
Email address (Using Papa's): curt<at>boopants<dot>com
Location: North Bend, Washington, USA
I'm a ridiculously cute and very active 3 year-old. I hike on a trail every
single day with my mommy and papa and dog. We go on the trail to the lake and
throw rocks in the water. I live in the mountains where it rains all winter long
and I need waterproofs for my hikes. My Papa got me skis and is going to teach
me how to ski this winter. I can't wait. I even skied on the grass in July just
to try it out! I should be able to use the jacket a whole bunch because I don't
sleep. Ever.
2) Sierra Designs Hurricane LT Jacket and Pants
Specifications
- Jacket and Pants Size: XS
- Jacket Weight: 7.3oz (208gm)
- Pant Weight: 3.8oz (108gm)
- Stuff Sacks: 0.4oz (11gm) each
- Jacket and Pants Material: 100%
nylon with DWR and polyurethane coating
- Jacket Color: Tiger Lily (red)
- Pants Color: Charcoal
- Manufacturer Website:
www.sierradesigns.com
- MSRP: $39.99US for
the jacket, No listed price for the pants
3) Sierra Designs Hurricane LT Jacket and Pants Long Term
Report
Long Term Report
At the time of my Field Report,
we were in the midst of 24 consecutive days of rain. That
eventually stretched into 48 of 50 days up here in my corner of the
Cascades - perfect weather for testing the Sierra Designs Hurricane LT
Jacket and Pants. Overall, the Hurricane LT rain wear has
performed admirably. We found ourselves using it as a last
resort, but that had more to do with layering systems than the product
itself - more on that below. As far as doing its job - keeping
little ones dry in the rain - it worked perfectly.
As Ethan has continued
to grow, the jacket fits better all the time. It is well suited
for kids with long arms. Despite Ethan's growth, the pants are
still way too long. In our experience, the Hurricane gear is
sized to fit the tallest of kids in each sizing range. If Ethan
were older and we were looking into purchasing this raingear, we'd
scale down one size. We'd likely go down in both pieces if a
smaller size was available, but definitely would with the pants.
No smaller size is available, however, so a perfect fit will have
to wait until Ethan has grown a bit more.
The biggest challenge
with the Hurricane LT wear was when to use it. Utilizing a
layering system can be a bit of a pain for adults - particularly in
mild conditions and periodic rain. Adding and subtracting layers
constantly can range from merely inconvenient to a major hassle.
Going through this process with a toddler who does not
necessarily say when he's uncomfortable or too hot or too wet or too
cold is many more times frustrating in my opinion. As a top layer
shell, the Hurricane LT wear was our most changed/swapped item in a
layering system during the test period, so it was constantly being put
on and taken off. Trying to convince a 3 year-old to put on a wet
jacket because it will keep him dry is interesting! The jacket
performed best when it was put on and stayed on, but on-trail hikes
that saw rapidly changing conditions and required many changes in
layers, a single garment that includes both insulation and a reasonably
water resistant shell (typical kids' winter coat) became our preferred
choice for its simplicity.
All features continue
to work perfectly. Zippers, drawcords, toggles, and VELCRO have
proved to be durable and functional. The jacket is a little
over-featured in my opinion, but that's a personal preference.
Except for the sizing issue, the pants are great in their
simplicity. The fabric itself appears just as waterproof as when
it arrived. Despite being worked over pretty hard in dirt, duff,
rocks, and plenty of snow, the garments appear no worse for wear, and
show no signs whatsoever of compromised waterproofness.
Breathability is difficult to measure in someone else's jacket,
but the Hurricane LT wear didn't show visible condensation on the
interior, which is typically a good sign that it's breathing
sufficiently well.
All use ranged between
1500 feet (460 meters) on valley trails to over 4,000 feet (1220 meters) on ski
slopes. Temperatures ranged from the mid teens F (-11 to -8 C) - very briefly - to the
mid 50s F (11 to 14 C).
The rain gear went on every trip Ethan went on - dayhikes
and ski days. Here are our final notes to the Test Plan questions posed in earlier reports.
Fit:
** The jacket is roomy, but fits
better as Ethan grows. The pants, however, are still massive.
We'd size down at least one size range if we could.
Safety:
** I'd rather see elastic than cords and small plastic pieces, but the Hurricane LT rain gear doesn't come in sizes for
1 or 2 year-olds, where this would be more of concern.
Comfort:
** Ethan still loves the jacket, but
is not such a big fan of the pants due to the sizing. The
bagginess limits mobility, which is frustrating to a very mobile 3 year-old.
Ease of Use:
**The hardest part about using the
jacket is getting a toddler to cooperate. Actually using the
jacket and pants presented no problems - everything worked just fine.
Features:
** All features are top-notch materials and
easy to use - no complaints here at all. There are too many on the jacket, but that's just my opinion.
Durability:
** No problems, despite some hard spills and relatively rough use at times - they look good as new.
Water Resistance:
** They will get wet - very similar
to equivalent adult products. Constant exposure will make for a
clammy jacket, but they appear to remain completely waterproof and dry
relatively quickly.
Water Proofing:
** We've still not seen any evidence of a leak. Both
the jacket and pants are living up to their fully waterproof claims.
Water Accumulation / Drying Time:
** Once brought inside, they dry
quickly. Even when the rain stops, the 100% humidity is not very
conducive to on-the-trail drying, but it notably improves and seems
about the same as other PU rain gear I've used.
Breathability:
** They both seem breathable enough.
There was no notable condensation on the interior, so it was at
least comfortable from a wetness perspective.
Active Use:
** Both the jacket and pants pack
easily. Like any wet gear, though, they're not particularly
pleasant to put back on once they're wet. The active use is still
primarily limited only by fit - the jacket provides little hindrance
but the pants definitely do because of the sizing issue.
Venting:
** Like the fabric breathability, I'm
guessing they work to some extent because there wasn't noticeable
moisture buildup on the interior. Little guys don't sweat a lot,
though, so it's hard to tell on this count.
Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and
Sierra Designs for the opportunity to test the Hurricane LT Jacket and Pants!
Read more reviews of Sierra Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Curt Peterson
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