Outdoor Research Motion Fleece Watch Cap Initial Report

Name:  Andrew Henrichs
Age:  23
Gender:  Male
Height:  6’2”  (1.88 M)
Weight:  200 lb  (90.7 kg)
Email address:  a_henrichs@yahoo.com           
City, State, Country:  Westminster, CO, USA
Date:  April 12, 2004

Backpacking Background: 

     I first started backpacking about 3 years ago when a friend and I took a road trip out west (I was living in Wisconsin at time).  I was hooked immediately, and have taken many, many trips since then.  Most of my trips are 2-3 days, but I have taken some trips of 5 days.  Now that I live in Colorado, I hope to get out even more, including some trips of 1-2 weeks or more. 

    Recently, I have been leaning more and more towards the lightweight side of the spectrum.  I shave ounces when I can, but I still prefer a solid frame in my backpacks, and usually take a couple of luxuries on trips.  Most of my backpacking has been in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming, as well as the desert in the southwestern U.S.  I’ve gone winter camping several times, but I still prefer backpacking in the warmer months.

Product Information:

Manufacturer:   Outdoor Research (www.orgear.com)

Year of manufacture:  2004
Manufacturer’s listed weight:  not listed
Weight as delivered (size: L):  1.0 oz / 28 g
Product description:  lightweight fleece hat

Initial Impressions:

    I first checked out the OR Motion Fleece Watch Cap on the OR website.  The website is pretty basic, both in navigation and content.  It’s pretty easy to find the Watch Cap page (it’s under fleece hats), and there’s a short paragraph with a description of the hat.  It’s a pretty basic hat, though, and I wouldn’t expect much more.  What I saw was pretty much what I got.  The only surprise was that the material was thinner and lighter than I had expected.  There’s a link to sizing information in the upper right hand corner, which can be easy to miss if you’re not looking hard.  According to the manufacturer, the sizes for the Motion Fleece Watch Cap are as follows (I have a size L):

S – less than 22 in / less than 56 cm

M – 22-23 in / 56-58.5 cm

L – greater than 23 in / greater than 58.5 cm

   The OR Motion Fleece Watch Cap was delivered on April 6 in a small shipping bag.  It was in good condition, and had two tags attached describing the material, technical features, and warranty.  The stitching looks good, with only one or two loose ends.  The Watch Cap is a 3-panel, beanie-style, lightweight hat.  It is constructed with PowerStretch 50 fleece.  The hat comes in several color variations: black/lapis, black/cranberry, sand/shale, or plain black.  In my hat, the middle panel is black and stretches from the front, over the top of the head, to the back in an hourglass shape.  The side panels are cranberry.  There is a 1 in / 2.5 cm brim.  This brim is stitched at the two front seams, but is not stitched in the back, presumably so it can be rolled down for more coverage.  In the middle of the front section of the brim, there is a small “OR” logo embroidered in black. 

The fleece is 50 weight, so it’s pretty thin, actually thinner than I had expected.  The fleece is soft, and very stretchy.  I haven’t had much of a chance to wear it, but I’ve worn it around the house for a couple hours or so and also for a short walk in light snow.  The hat fits very well and easily covers my ears.  It’s large enough that if I wanted to block out light while sleeping, I could pull it over my eyes and still cover the rest of my head.         

So far, the flat seams haven’t rubbed or created any pressure points on my head.  I tried it on under my climbing helmet, and it still felt very comfortable.  While walking in the snow, the hat kept my head warm while temperatures hovered around 30 F / -1 C.  When I got back home, I took off the hat to see how much snow it collected.  I found that all of the snow on it had melted and been absorbed into the hat.  This hat is not water-resistant at all, but then again, it is not claimed to be by the manufacturer. 

Test Plan:

    Most, if not all, of the testing of the Watch Cap will take place in the mountains and foothills of Colorado.  It’ll accompany me on snowshoe, climbing, hiking, and backpacking trips throughout the spring, summer, and fall.  I’ll be paying attention to several aspects of this hat.  First is fit.  Does this hat remain comfortable after many hours of continuous use?  Second is warmth.  What is the comfortable temperature range for this hat while I’m active?  What about while sitting in camp?  Third is wind-resistance.  How much wind does this hat block?  I’m a little skeptical of the wind-resistance claim, as I can easily see through the hat when it is stretched out.  Fourth is durability.  The seams look good now, but will they hold up?  Will the fleece start pilling on me?  Fifth is wicking ability.  As I learned from the snow, it absorbs water quickly.  Will it move sweat off my head well if I’m sweating a lot?  The final aspect is drying time.  If the hat gets wet from snow, rain, or sweat, how quickly will it dry?  This is a crucial point when I’m in the mountains.  I hope it doesn’t let me down.