Field
Report: Coolibar Women's Sun Hat
Jennifer
Koles
October 11, 2006 |
Reviewer
Information
| Name: Jennifer
Koles |
| Age: 31 |
| Gender: Female |
| Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Weight: 140 lb (64 kg) |
| Email address: jennksnowy at yahoo dot com |
| City, State, and
Country: Salt Lake
City, Utah, United States |
Backpacking
Background
I started taking
overnight
backpacking trips last year in the Uinta Mountain Range in Utah. I
found myself taking entirely too much gear. I am finding out slowly how
to minimize my needs and not require extra luxuries. My previous
outdoor experiences consisted of 4-wheel-drive camping in primitive
areas and day hiking. I use a four season convertible tent or
a three season tent for my shelter. I plan to take more trips,
increase my duration, and reduce my two to three day pack weight (food
and water included) from 26 lb (12 kg).
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Product
Information
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Manufacturer: Coolibar
Year of Manufacture:
2006
Manufacturer’s
Website: www.coolibar.com
Listed Weight: 2 oz
(57 g)
Weight as Delivered:
2.4 oz (70 g)
MSRP:
$29.95 USD
Sizes
Available:
One size fits all. Fits minimum head measurement of 21 1/8 in
(54
cm) and a maximum head measurement of 22 5/8 in (57.5 cm).
Tester's Head
Circumference: 21 in (53 cm)
Colors Available:
Cobalt, Navy, Sage, Tan, Ecru, and White
Color Tested: Stone
Fabric
Content: Shell 100% Nylon
Dimensions:
Diameter 14 in (36 cm); Circumference of brim 40 in (102 cm)
Care:
Gently hand wash, mild detergent, air dry
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Photo
obtained from manufacturer website.
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Product
Description
"The
lightweight, all-occasion choice. Our versatile Sun Hat
weighs just 2 oz (57 g) and is extremely comfortable for extended wear.
The 3 in (8 cm) brim holds its shape, even after packing or crushing.
Specially treated terry headband wicks moisture away; hidden elastic
draw cord adjusts for the perfect fit. The sun hat is made of lite
SUNTECT™ that blocks 97% UV. One size."
The
Sun Hat has a 3 in (8 cm) brim for maximum sun protection. The brim is
constructed with internal foam to help retain its shape. The brim of
the hat has several rows of stitching with a tube inside the material
of the outer row, which I believe is to assist with shape retention.
The front of the hat has the Coolibar tree embroidered in the same
color as the other fabric stitching on the hat. There is a
hidden, adjustable elastic draw cord inside the hat to adjust the fit to
the desired tightness. The draw cord is hidden by a terry headband that
has a moisture wicking agent. This is supposed to move moisture away
from
the
skin.
The
hat is claimed to be crushable and will return to its original shape
after packing or crushing. It provides permanent UV (Ultraviolet)
protection through a UV diffuser built into the fabric fibers.
My initial
impression of this product can be located in my Initial Report.
Field
Testing
Locations
Uinta and Wasatch Mountain Ranges, Utah USA: 10 plus
days
Elevation: 9,480 ft to 10,354 ft (2,890 m to 3,156 m)
Average Daytime Temperature: 75 F (24 C)
Weather on various days: Sunny, partly cloudy, mostly cloudy and light rain showers.
City of Rocks National
Reserve, Idaho USA: 2 days
Elevation: 6,183 ft (1,885 m)
Daytime High Temperature: 97 F (36 C)
Nighttime Low Temperature: 59 F (15 C)
Weather: Partly cloudy with rain sprinkles
Grand Teton National
Park, Wyoming USA: 1 day
Elevation: 4,250 ft to 11,100 ft (1,295 m to 3,383 m)
Daytime Temperature: low 70's F (21 C) to 89 F (32 C)
Weather: Sunny
Salt Lake City/American
Fork, Utah USA: 6 days
Elevation: 4,600 ft (1,402 m) to 7,416 ft (2,260 m)
Daytime High Temperatures: ranged from 66 F to 85 F (19 C to 29 C)
Weather on various days: Sunny, mostly sunny, partly cloudy, some rain sprinkles
Testing Performance
During the past
two months I wore the Coolibar Sun Hat while backpacking, car camping,
on picnics, and running errands around town. I encountered various
types of weather during this testing period. I have experienced rain
showers, sprinkles, full sun, partly cloudy, and cloudy weather
conditions. I have also experienced light breezes to wind gusts of
approximately 35 mph (56 kph). The daytime temperatures ranged from 66
F to 97 F (19 C to 36 C).
Fit: I found
the hat to fit me well without any oversized or snug areas noted.
According to the manufacturer's specifications my head size is close to
the minimum head measurement that this hat will fit. My head
circumference measures at 21
in
(53 cm) and the minimum head measurement that this hat will fit is 21
1/8 in (54cm). By cinching the elastic drawcord, inside the terry
headband, to my desired liking I can get the hat to fit me snugly. The
elastic drawcord is made tight or loose by moving a plastic cord
lock along the cord. The cord lock can be moved entirely off the cord
due to the fact that there are no knots tied on the ends to prevent
this. I did tie a knot at the end of the elastic cord to join the two
ends together to form a loop. This prevents the cord lock from
sliding off and provides me with a way to hang my hat off my backpack
with a carabiner. When I am wearing the hat I am not able to feel the
plastic cord lock
against my head. It appears as though it is close enough to the terry
headband in the back of the hat that it sits away from my head. The
drawcord does keep the hat in place and I have not encountered the hat
sliding off when securely tightened. I am able to bend over and not
have the hat fall off my head when the drawcord is tightened. I did
experience wind gusts of approximately 35 mph (56 kph) and
the hat did not fly off my head with the drawcord fully snug. The hat
does fall off my head in wind and when I bend over if the drawcord is
not tightened. The hat shades the front of my face well. I did notice
that if I have my hair pulled back into a ponytail or completely up
underneath the hat the back of my neck at the base gets burned. I have
not encountered any burning of my skin when I wear the hat with my hair
down. At times while wearing this hat I would like to have been able to
dangle the hat from my neck when I did not want to wear it. I would
think a chin strap would be perfect for this but I do see how one is
not needed since the drawcord and cord lock do an exceptional job
keeping the hat secure on my head.
Features: The
only encounter with sunburn while wearing the hat is at the base of my
neck when I wear my hair in a ponytail or pulled completely up
underneath the hat. I did not encounter any burning of my ears or the
top of my head. I must say that the terry cloth headband does an
excellent job preventing sweat from dripping on my face. In the past I
would wear a Buff under my hat to assist in wicking moisture away
from my skin at the hat band. There is no need for me to wear my Buff
headwear with this hat. I have no issues of sweat rolling down my face
or remaining on my forehead. I can wear this hat in temperatures up to
approximately 90 F (32 C). Above this temperature I am uncomfortable
with a hat resting on my head and my head does feel hot. In higher
temperatures I generally use a
Buff or a bandanna. There is minimal ventilation in this hat and in
high
temperatures my hair does get wet where the headband is touching and I
end up with bad hat hair. There are only four small ventilation holes
in the fabric on the crown of the hat. My hair does become flat when I
wear the hat
for short periods of time but I usually can give it some volume using
my hands when I take the hat off. The hat protected my head against
light rain sprinkles until I was able to seek shelter. The hat does wet
out in the rain but, the manufacturer does not claim the hat is
waterproof or water resistant.
Care: The
manufacturer's care instructions are to gently hand wash with mild
detergent and air dry. I hand washed the hat with Woolite fabric wash
in cold water. I was able to get the hat clean from any dirt
and stains with this washing method. The hat dried
overnight at room temperature. The hat is wearing well and all the
stitching is still intact. The brim is holding its shape and no
flopping is noted. I like the sturdiness of the brim, it allows the hat
to return to its original shape and look perfect. The hat has not
become torn or punctured and no abrasion is noted. The hat has been
crammed into my backpack and a pocket. Surprisingly, the hat was able
to be conformed to its original shape easily. The fabric of the hat
does become wrinkled slightly when folded or stored in my backpack.
Miscellaneous:
The hat is stylish and complements my facial features. It appears to be
made with quality materials and stitching.
Summary
I enjoy wearing the Coolibar Sun Hat for sun protection of my
head and face. The hat is lightweight and stylish. When I pulled my
hair away from my neck I only encountered a small area of sun burn at
the base of my neck. I will continue to wear the hat while backpacking
and hiking for the remaining two months in the testing period. I plan
on wearing the hat for the remaining test period in mostly high
desert locations. I have upcoming trips planned to the Grand Canyon
National Park in Arizona USA and to the deserts of Southwest Utah
USA. I will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the terry
headband, the fit, and the durability of the hat.
Things I Like
- The brim of the hat provides adequate shade on my face
- The moisture wicking terry headband
- Shape retention of the hat
Things I Do Not Like
- The breathability of the hat in high temperatures and lack of ventilation
- There is no ability to have the hat dangle around my neck when it is not being worn
Remarks
This
concludes my Field Report. The Long Term Report should be available by
December 12, 2006. Please check back then for further information.
Thank you Coolibar
and BackpackGearTest.org
for providing me with the opportunity to test the
Coolibar Women's Sun Hat.
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