Backpacking Background:

Field Testing Information

I have trips planned at least once a month throughout the testing period with the Boy Scouts. I also have some personal treks planned. Testing will include the areas of Western New York, Northern Pennsylvania, the Adirondack Mountains and Southwestern Colorado.  Elevations for testing will be between 200 and 400 ft (60 - 120 m) in Western New York, 2000 ft in Pennsylvania, 4,000-5,000 ft (1,200 - 1,500 m) in the Adirondack region, and 8,000 - 14,000 ft (2,400 - 4,200 m) in Southwest Colorado. Outside Colorado, all the terrain is considered heavily forested, except when above the tree-line.  The terrain of Southwest Colorado will be much more desert-like.  Expected conditions should include lots of rain (especially for Boy Scout functions for some reason), especially the first half of the test series.  The latter half will include drier weather with warmer temperatures.

Arrival and Description

The Nimbus Sombrero arrived near perfect condition.  The only possible issue I found was along the outside of the brim at the back seam.  I could feel the point where the two ends of the plastic edge meet.  Note: this is not visible to the eye, since it is located inside the brim itself.  This may be normal.  I will monitor this point for any premature deterioration or failure.  Attached to the sombrero was a removable hangtag containing product and manufacturer information. 

The Nimbus Sombrero is made from a 3-layer ripstop called Ventia that is both waterproof and breathable.  The ripstop pattern in the material can be seen clearly from the outside of the hat. 

What puts the "sombrero" in the Nimbus sombrero is the wide brim of the hat.  This brim is foam stiffened with a reinforced plastic edge.  Although it is still quite flexible, I tend to handle the hat gingerly so I don't crease the edge.  The brim measures 3.25 in (8 cm) along the front and sides, but extends out to about 4 inches (10 cm) along the back, as measured from the crown seam.  The brim is easily manipulated and tends to exhibit a memory for shaping purposes.  Located on top of the brim right above my ears are snaps on each side, allowing me to snap up the sides, taking a shape much like a western-type cowboy hat.  Located on the front left side of the hat is the OR logo sewn into the material.  At the very back of the sombrero is located a barrel lock.  This lock is the point for any size or fit adjustments.  Connected to the barrel lock is a loop of elastic shock cord running around the circumference of the hat, buried within a layer of Coolmax material running around the interior.

The Coolmax sweatband represents the transition point, on the underside of the sombrero, where the inner mesh lining covering the interior crown, meets with the brim.  Sewn into each side above the ear is a loop.   Attached to the loop on each side by a simple knot is the chin chord.  A sliding cordlock allows the user to adjust the chin chord as tight as he/she prefers. At the back are two small product tags sewn into the seam; one identifies where the sombrero was made, and the other contains washing instructions with symbols.  The OR logo and a size tag are also sewn in at this same point.

According to the documentation, all seams are supposed to be taped.  The two seams running the length of the crown, as well as the seam occuring at the point between the brim and the crown are indeed taped.  I was able to see them by viewing them through the mesh lining, but I could not verify the seam on the brim at the rear of the hat.

The Nimbus Sombrero can compress to a small ball, even though the plastic edging in the brim does not readily cooperate.  I left the Nimbus Somrero in a ball for approximately two hours, and it immediately regained its shape!

Beginning Tests - How It Fits

So far, initial testing has included my nightly walks with my dog in the woods around my home.  But, this week has proved to be great testing weather!  It's been raining daily, sometimes quite hard.  So far, I've found the Nimbus Sombrero quite comfortable to wear, and it did a great job of repelling water.  When I first tried the hat on, I wasn't too happy with the chincord, but already it's proved its worth.  The wide brim can catch quite a bit of wind and has a sail-like effect on the hat.  The chincord worked perfectly keeping the hat securely on my head. The temperatures for these tests were 40-60 F (4-16 C).  Also, the sombrero runs bigger than the baseball hats I usually wear.  I regularly take an XL, but I found that I had to snug up the sombrero via the fit adjuster. 

Test Plan

Comments on the Website:

I found the Outdoor Research website easy to negotiate.  From the home page, it is a simple one-click to reach the Nimbus Sombrero.  The visuals were good, as was the description, features and sizing information.

Initial reaction is I like the Nimbus Sombrero. But, after wearing a baseball hat for so long, the wide brim is going to take some getting used to. 

Tim