10/24/2004

Personal Data

Name:Paul Schilke
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Weight: 165 pounds (75 kilograms)
Location: Laramie, Wyoming USA
Email: schilkepaul at yahoo dot com

Product Information

Manufacturer: Outdoor Research (OR)
Model: Motion Fleece Watch Cap
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: www.orgear.com

MSRP: $17
Size: Large
Color: black/cranberry

Listed Weight: NA ounces (NA grams)
Verified Weight: 1 ounce (28.4 grams)

PowerStretch 50: Soft, stretchy, warm, durable, wind resistant, extremely low-profile, wicks moisture, and dries fast.

Beanie-style lid fits easily under a helmet, or stands alone for use as your main cap. With no seam bulk, it lies flush against your head

Long Term Report

The Motion Fleece Watch Cap is a good hat for moderate conditions such as those provided by a cold summer night on Michigan's Manistee River Trail.  It is also useful for active daytime adventures in temperatures below 32° F (0° C).

I enjoyed wearing the Watch Cap on chilly summer nights in Wyoming's Medicine Bow National Forest.  On one particularly cold night I wore it as I tucked tucked my head into my sleeping bag hood.  Unfortunately, this night was the coldest night in August I'd ever experienced (at 8500 feet (2600 m), August temperatures way below freezing are not uncommon.)  My head stayed warm through all of this, but my sleeping bag was unable to withstand the wind that my sylnylon tarp was failing to keep out.  I got up, peed, started a fire and curled up next to it with just my clothes, Watch Cap and sleeping pad.  I also ate a ton of food to get my body's internal fires burning.   After an hour had passed, I was no longer shivering.  I crawled back into my sleeping bag and enjoyed a long night of warm and peaceful bliss.  Although it was not in danger of overheating, my head never felt chilled during this experience.  In the morning, when I poked my head from within the bag's confines, my ears stayed warm.

Later that day, I found three inches of snow in some places as I hiked to Medicine Bow Peak at 12,000 feet (3600 m).  I wore the Watch Cap throughout this hike.  The wind continued to blow, but my ears, covered by the Watch Cap, were not effected by the wind chill factor.

I wore the Watch Cap while hiking through a Colorado corn maze in October.  Rain spat from the sky intermittently.  Once again my head stayed warm.  The Cap stayed dry on the interior and so did my head.  I wore the Cap into the pub later that night and one member of my group mentioned that the hat made me look tough, like I was there to give somebody a beating.  Generally speaking, I'm not that kind person, but I do enjoy looking that way.

The Watch Cap performed well as a liner when worn under a spelunking helmet.  I worked up such a sweat when wearing it that my head was unable to breath in the cave's climate.  Also, the Cap was getting in the way of my vision because the loosely fastened helmet shifted around my head and moved the Cap over my eyes.  Finally I took it off because my head was overheating.

The Motion Fleece Watch Cap is incredibly stretchy.  I can fit ear bud style headphones between it and my head with no discomfort.

The Watch Cap is durable. It stuffs down to a size just smaller than a baseball.  It fits in the front pocket of my pants and stays there barely perceptible, when no longer needed as the day's hike continues on through warmer weather.

The Watch Cap is comfortable as it rides under my baseball cap during the days when I need protection from both the chill morning air and a hat brim to keep the bright sun out of my eyes. The Watch Cap is very wind resistant. The hat remains dry to the touch and my hair does too.  It wicks and breathes in outdoor conditions.

After being stuffed into my pocket, worn on my head for many hikes, and just generally tossed around, the Watch Cap has not developed any runs, tears or obvious deterioration.  It is durable.  I did cut the internal tag off because it was bothering me.

Field Information

I've worn the Motion Fleece Watch Cap in temperatures ranging from 60° F (16° C) to below 32° F (0° C).  The Watch Cap was worn in environments ranging from Michigan night-times in mid-July, to wet and windy evenings in Colorado, to conditions well below freezing in Wyoming.

Summary

I enjoy using this hat. The snug, stretchy fit is great.

The Motion Fleece Watch Cap is a stand-alone product in cool weather.  It works especially well if the individual is participating in a heat generating activity such as cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.  In my initial report I talk about using the hat on chilly spring days. 

I like the look of the Motion Fleece Watch Cap. My girlfriend thinks it looks better than my bulky old fleece hat.  Generally, the hat feels slightly inadequate when first put on, but warms up with a little activity.