Field Report

Field Report- Outdoor Research Prism Cap

Personal Information
Name: Chad Fike
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 10” (1.77 m)
Weight: 150 lb (68 kg)
Email address: abnersdonkey@hotmail.com
City, State, Country: Oakland, Maryland, USA
Date: May 3, 2006

Backpacking Background
   I have gone camping, usually very close to home, for several years, but only started seriously backpacking about four years ago. I do mostly weekend trips and often take day hikes. My backpacking experience has been mostly in West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia, including parts of the Appalachian Trail. Each trip has been a learning experience about techniques and equipment. I try to balance weight, durability, and cost with my gear choices.

Product information
Manufacturer - Outdoor Research
Year of manufacture - 2006
Website - www.orgear.com
MSRP - $35.00 US
Average listed weight (size L/XL) - 2.6 oz (74 g)
Weight as delivered (size L/XL, using a kitchen scale) - 2.5 oz (71 g)
Lifetime guarantee

Product description
   The Outdoor Research Prism Cap is a baseball cap style hat with fold down ear flaps. The Outdoor Research website advertises the following: “Tour through spinning flakes and dense winter storm systems: Gore-Tex® fabric provides waterproof and breathable protection in backcountry white outs. The tricot lining manages moisture when you’re making a steep ascent, and offers warmth as you make your turns. A shaped, plastic-stiffened bill deflects winter glare and channels precipitation away from your face, while the tuck-away, tricot-lined earflaps provide warmth when needed. The external hook and loop cinch adjustment keeps the Prism firmly seated in all conditions”. The cap tested is size L/XL in Mojo Blue.

Field information
   Testing has taken place mostly in forested terrain of the Appalachian Mountains of western Maryland and West Virginia. The elevation ranges from around 2500 to 4800 ft (762 to 1463 m). Temperatures have ranged from around 25 F (-4 C) to warmer days near 70 F (21 C) during the test period. I have used the cap on day hikes, backpacking, and jogging. In addition to these outdoor activities I have worn the cap for everyday tasks such as walking to work and working around the house.
   This cap is advertised for winter use and I had hoped to test it while cross-country skiing in addition to winter hiking. By the time I received the cap winter had faded and I was unable to test while skiing. I did get in a few day hikes on some cold windy days before winter totally released its grip. On other hikes it was simply too warm for a hat designed for winter use.
   The cap has earflaps that tuck up inside when not needed, they then fold down to cover the ears. My first impressions of the flaps were that when folded down they fit very snug against my face and extended rather far forward. Casually strolling to work it seemed the flaps formed a very tight fit that really sealed out the cold air. On one particular hike I was subject to very strong, constant headwinds. I was surprised to find that the wind consistently caught the front edge of the ear flaps and caused them to turn up. At the widest point, this triangular-shaped folded up edge measured about 1-5/8 in (4 cm) deep. The earflaps extend down and forward far enough that only the bottom parts of my earlobes were left exposed, so my ears did not really become cold. This flapping did grow rather annoying as I often found myself reaching up to fold down this section. I felt like I probably resembled the Flying Nun more than a fearless adventurer. This only seemed to happen when directly facing the wind, not when equally forceful winds were striking my side or rear. I wonder if the flap could not be redesigned so this edge did not turn up.
   On this day hike and a few others I faced sometimes extreme wind. The temperatures were near freezing and the cap deflected the wind very well. I hiked at a rather brisk pace and the cap seemed to be just the right temperature. These were the coldest sustained temperatures I faced. There is not much insulation inside so I am unsure how the cap would fare in colder temperatures.
   The cap is waterproof and breathable. Most waterproof items sacrifice breath-ability to some extent but I have found the cap to be as breathable as other Gore-Tex items I own. I took a run on a clear windy 36 F (2 C) day. At first the cap felt fine, blocking the wind well. By the end of the run however I was sweaty and the tricot lining was very damp. I sat the cap on the counter at home and found it took about one hour and forty-five minutes to dry completely. To be fair, I would not normally choose to wear a waterproof cap for running in these conditions. A headband alone would have been sufficient, but I was trying to see how the hat would perform. Conditions did not allow me to see how the hat would perform in high energy activities in temperatures much below freezing.
   One of the longest sustained rains I encountered was during a hike that lasted about forty five minutes. The rain was not particularly heavy, but it was constant. At the end of the hike water was still beaded up on the outside of the cap. I did not detect any wetness inside the cap. I was strolling along at a rather casual pace without a pack, so even though the temperature was a rather warm 57 F (14 C), I did not really sweat. The bill kept water off of my face, but one of the disadvantages of a baseball style cap is that it does not keep rain from rolling down the back of the neck. I left the hood of my rain jacket down but bunched up somewhat tightly around my neck to deflect the rain and it seemed to work. I usually prefer a boonie style rain hat with a brim all the way around to provide better rain coverage, but this is more a preference about styles of hats in general rather than an indictment against this cap in particular.
   On the first night of a three day backpack trip the cap came in very handy. Camp was set up and the fire was blazing when it began to rain. The cap was a nice complement to the rest of my rain gear, helping keep me completely dry. During periods of harder rain I still wore my hood up to keep water from running down by neck. The bill of the cap worked perfectly under the hood to deflect the rain off of my face. When the rain was lighter I could lower the hood and still stay dry. The only down side was that it was a little awkward wearing a headlamp since the bill of the cap was in the way.   The next day the temperatures were around 45 F (7 C) and windy and I wore the cap with the earflaps down for most of the day. It seemed to provide just the right amount of warmth and it was reassuring to know the cap was waterproof in case the threatening skies broke. With the threat of rain ending that evening, I chose to wear a knit cap around the fire since it was more comfortable with a headlamp. The next morning was around 38 F (3 C) when we broke camp and began to hike. With the earflaps down the cap kept me at a very comfortable temperature. By the time the temperature grew to 50 F (10 C) the cap was too warm even with the ear flaps up. This cap was very useful on this spring trip with cool temperatures and the chance of rain.
   The cap is lightweight enough at only 2.6 oz (74 g) that even though the recent weather has been too dry and warm for much wear, I have taken it along on many hikes hoping for a chance to use it. The hat can fold up into a rather small package, not much bigger than the stiffened brim. Several times when I walked to work I put the cap in my pocket just in case I needed it.
   The cap fits me well without having to adjust the hook and loop cinch adjustment located at the rear of the hat. This adjustment is simply a strip of material that passes through a buckle and folds over against itself. The hook and loop material does not seem to fit together very tightly, but rather must be pressed together to assure a tight fit. Most often this type adjustment consists of one side which is clearly the hook and the other side which is clearly the loop. Apparently the hooks and loops are all intertwined since this material is all one consistency. If I had needed to adjust this strap much the lack of a tight fit could have been a problem, but as it was the cap stayed seated securely in the windy conditions I faced. Only on an exposed rock with swirling winds did I feel the wind had any chance of blowing the hat off.
   I have had no problems with durability. I do not see any stains, loose stitches or signs of wear. I have not worn the cap as much as I would have liked, but when it was too warm to wear the hat was often stuffed in my pack. I have washed it once. I am impressed with the construction and do not foresee any problems with durability under normal conditions.
   Overall I have been pleased with the cap. It is durable and has functioned well in cold, wet weather being completely waterproof. It fits me well and is comfortable. My biggest complaint has been the way the ear flaps sometimes catch the wind. The hook and loop adjustment could also stand to be a little more secure. I like the style of the cap and even though it is a little bulkier than a normal hat it looks nice enough to wear around town on a cold day. I will continue to try to find conditions to test the cap in the coming months.

   Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Outdoor Research for the opportunity to test this cap.

Read more reviews of Outdoor Research gear
Read more gear reviews by Chad E. Fike

Reviews > Clothing > Hats > Outdoor Research Prism Cap > Chad Fike > Field Report

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