Reviews > Clothing > Hats > Outdoor Research Nimbus Sombrero > Kathleen Waters > Initial Report

Initial Report: OUTDOOR RESEARCH NIMBUS SOMBRERO ™
May 21, 2006

Contents:
Biographical Information
Product Information
Arrival Information
First Impressions
Test Plan

Tester Biographical Information    <back to top>

Name: Kathleen Waters
Age: 55
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Weight: 128 lb (58 kg)
Head Size: 21.75 in (55 cm)
Email address: kathy at bysky dot com or TheMiddleSister at usaring dot com
City, State, Country: White Lake, MI USA

Backpacking Background: My husband and I started hiking in 1998 after an eye-opening climb up Hahn's Peak (10839 ft/3304 m) in Colorado.

Hooked, we return to Colorado often. We've also hiked glaciers, rain forests, mountains and deserts in exotic locations, including Iceland, Costa Rica, Slovenia and Death Valley. Winters, we snowshoe.

At home in Michigan, we plan for 2-3 hikes of 6-8 m (10-13 km) weekly and one weekend hike monthly. Weekday hikes take place in Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, a mixture of heavily wooded moderate hills and flat terrain. Weekend hike locations vary.

My hiking style is comfortable, aiming for lightweight with a pack averaging 25 lb (11 kg) including food and water.

Product Information and Picture (from website)    <back to top>
http://www.outdoorresearch.com

Manufacturer: Outdoor Research Year of Manufacturer: 2006 Model: Nimbus Sombrero ™ Weight: 3.4 oz for Large (96 g) Sizes: S, M, L, XL Color: Marine, Alpenglow, Lichen, Java MSRP: $38.00 USD Warranty: "Infinite Guarantee: Outdoor Research products are guaranteed forever." Description: Dripping forests, pounding drops, coastal storms: venture into the weather with the protection of waterproof/breathable, seam-taped Ventia™ fabric. A foam-stiffened brim with plastic-reinforced edging channels precipitation away from your head during long pours, while a set of snaps secures the brim in blustery weather. The mesh-lined crown and Coolmax® mesh headband wick moisture on humid trails, while an external drawcord adjustment gives the Nimbus Sombrero™ a custom fit.

Product Information (from tester)

Size: Medium
Weight: 3.25 oz (92 g)
Color: Lichen

Arrival Information     <back to top>

The Outdoor Research Nimbus Sombrero ™ arrived in a box so light, I thought it must be empty! At 3.25 oz (92 g) the tissue paper it was wrapped in and the attached cardboard hangtag probably weighed almost as much as the hat! OK, that's a slight exaggeration, but the hat IS very lightweight.

The cardboard hangtag written in English and French, lists the features of the Nimbus Sombrero ™, the Outdoor Research Guarantee, company contact information and the hat size. The Outdoor Research slogan "Designed by Adventure" listed on the tag neatly sums up my foremost wish when it comes to my backpacking gear.

First Impressions    <back to top>

This is a very stylish, very versatile hat. The color I received is listed as "Lichen" which is an olive green. A same color embroidered "OR" logo is sewn into the hat on the front left. Two snaps on either side of the hat allows me to easily fold the brim upward for a different look. The generously wide brim of the hat is moderately stiff with the outermost rim having a rigid insert sewn into it.

The hat is constructed to sit down low and firmly on my head. A unique outside cordlock utilizing a stretchy drawstring cord located inside the hat, gives me a tighter custom fit if needed. I played around with the drawstring, pulling it tighter to see what the effect would be Surprisingly, while the hat definitely sat more snugly around the crown of my head, I couldn't see any difference just looking at the hat. The adjustment takes place discreetly within the headband, so the hat doesn't look "gathered" from the outside. The detachable chin strap with an adjustable slide "bead" comfortably holds the Sombrero ™ on my head. I quickly found that the slide bead allows me to wear the chin strap pulled up tightly in high winds as well as more loosely to protect from the odd errant breeze.

The interior of the Nimbus Sombrero ™ is lined with a mesh fabric and the headband is Coolmax® - both features feel very comfortable. The Ventia™ outer fabric is smooth to the touch and all seams are straight and even. All stitching is tight with no loose threads to be found.

The brim on the Nimbus Sombrero ™ is very wide, so wide in fact that it rubs against my hooded jacket. Whether or not that is a problem will be determined during field testing. In the sun, the wide brim is a great feature, shading my eyes more than adequately from the sun with or without sunglasses. I can't wait to see how the brim sheds water. Bring on the rain!

Test Plan    <back to top>

If all goes well, this will be my last year living in Michigan, then it's "westward ho" and off to Colorado! That said, there is still lots to see here in the Great Lakes State and I am looking forward to at least one 2-3 day hiking trip a month all the way through early fall. Tentative plans include the Lake Superior Trail in the Porcupine Mountains, the Little Carp Trail, also in the "Porkies," day hikes on the Kal-Haven Trail and others.

In May, I'm planning a weeklong trip in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I am also hoping in late June, to be in Colorado for a belated birthday trip to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. My first Colorado hiking goal is to section hike the whole Rainbow Trail system in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, starting this spring!

Hiking will mostly take place in terrain that will include the sandy lakeshore dunes of Lake Michigan in western Lower Michigan, the rockier shore areas of Lake Superior in the UP and the Wet, Green, Sangre de Cristo and Rocky Mountain ranges of Colorado. Elevation will range from 177 ft to 13,000 ft (54 m to 3962 m) and I anticipate that temperatures over the remaining days of winter, spring and early summer will vary from 35 F to 81 F (2 C to 27 C) in Michigan and 38 F to 88 F (3 C to 31 C) in Colorado. I'm sure to experience cold, wind, rain and heat in Michigan. In the Sangres in Colorado, I expect to add some snow/sleet to the mix of weather conditions to be encountered.

I wear a hat at all times when outdoors so the OR Nimbus Sombrero ™ will get a strenuous workout from me. Whether I'm walking the dog in the rain or hiking a sun-drenched trail or scrambling up a windy rocky ridge, I always have a hat on. I am used to using a baseball type of cap to shade my eyes from sun and a rain jacket hood to keep dry when it rains. While these headgear solutions work, they have definite disadvantages that I see the Sombrero ™ eliminating.

First, using the Sombrero ™ will mean one hat for all weather conditions. The wide brim will be ideal for keeping the sun out of my eyes which is a necessity for me due to a genetic sensitivity to light. Sunglasses are not enough protection, but the Sombrero ™ looks to be just additional protection my eyes need. Plus the brim will also provide shade for the back of my neck when Old Sol is out in force. I'm excited about the Coolmax ® mesh headband and mesh-lined crown since I hike "hot".

Obviously, the Nimbus Sombrero ™ will be great in those famous afternoon rain storms in Colorado's mountains! The hat will get tested well to see if it is really waterproof. I'm anxious to see just how well it channels water away from my body. I hate water running down my back! Using a rain jacket hood solves that problem, but creates another - blurred vision. Since I wear glasses, I'm hoping that spots-before-my-eyes will be a thing of the past thanks to the wide brim of the Sombrero ™.

I'm curious to see how the snaps on the OR Sombrero ™ work to make the hat useable in windy conditions. This is a real problem for me in Colorado where I spend a good deal of time above the tree line where wind is a fact of life. The external drawcord adjustment should insure I'm not diving for my hat every time a breeze kicks up.

Questions to be answered include:

Fit and Feel -

In the field is the drawcord comfortable around my chin?
How does the Ventia ™ fabric feel?
Is the hat comfortable during strenuous activity?
Can I forget the hat is on my head or will I continually be conscious of its weight and/or fit?
Is the Coolmax ® mesh headband comfortable?

Durability and Functionality -

Is the Sombrero ™ waterproof is all types of weather?
Does the hat smell when wet?
Does the Sombrero ™ retain its shape after wetting? Crushed in a backpack?
Does the hat shrink and/or fade after using or washing?
Does the Sombrero ™ repel stains?
What are the care instructions?
Is the brim sufficient for shading my eyes from the sun?
Does the brim cover the back of my neck?
Does the brim channel the rain/moisture away from my body?
Does the headband wick away sweat?
Will I feel too warm wearing the Sombrero ™?

I will also report any other issues that arise during the testing period.

Kathy Waters

Reviews > Clothing > Hats > Outdoor Research Nimbus Sombrero > Kathleen Waters > Initial Report