| |
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
|
Outdoor Research Rando Cap
Initial Report - December 15, 2005
Contents
Reviewer Information [return to top]
Name: Chuck Kime
Nickname: Fuzzy
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 229 lb (104 kg)
Email address: chuck_kime AT yahoo DOT com
City, State, Country: Upper Darby (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Date: December 15, 2005
Backpacking Background [return to top]
My family started car/trailer camping when I was about 5. I spent 17 years in the Army Reserve fine-tuning my packing methodology – when I got out I was down to a fairly respectable 75-80 lb (34-36 kg) load in my ALICE pack. Advancing age, arthritic knees and a car accident have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices, experiment with tarps and hammocks, make some of my own gear, and take a closer look at my ‘toys’ with an eye for multi-use and light weight. I now have a sub-30 lb (14 kg) 3-season load, and should be able to reduce it to 20 lb (9 kg) – before food, fuel and water – without much more effort.
Additional Information applicable to this test
Hat size: 7 to 7¼, depending on haircut
Product Information [return to top]
Manufacturer: Outdoor Research
Model: Rando Cap
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL: http://www.orgear.com
Listed weight (size L): 2.5 oz (71 g)
Measured weight (Size M): 2.3 oz (65 g), scale accurate to 0.1 oz
Color: Black
Other colors available: Deep Green, Mojo Blue
MSRP: $45.00 US
Features/claims (from web site) [return to top]
- Waterproof/breathable 70D Gore-Tex® PacLite® fabric
- Fully seam taped
- 100-weight fleece lining
- Foam-stiffened bill with moldable wire edge
- Dark fabric under bill reduces glare
- Fleece-lined earflaps with hook/loop closure
- External drawcord adjustment
Arrival [return to top]
The cap arrived on December 8, 2005, with 2 hang tags attached – one was a standard Outdoor Research retail tag, the other for Gore-Tex. The cap arrived undamaged. Other than a packing slip, there were no other contents.
|
Description [return to top]
The Rando Cap is part of the Outdoor Research (OR) Cold Weather line. It is constructed with a Gore-Tex outer shell and a grey 100-weight fleece lining. A small wire-stiffened bill shields the eyes, while a hook-and-loop fastener connects the earflaps under the chin, and an elastic shock cord with a captive cord lock at the back can be used for further adjustments. A reflective OR logo is printed on the front of the cap, and a GORE-TEX logo is embroidered on the rear. A fabric care tag is sewn on the inside of the cap.
|
First Impressions [return to top]
The cap is well constructed, with straight seams and no loose threads. The fleece lining is very warm and soft to the touch. With a little effort, I can feel the seam tape through the fleece. This is a nice cap and should be quite handy, especially now that the temperatures are dropping to record lows in my area. My only concern is the sizing, which seems to run a little small. Based on my normal size I should be at the upper end of a Medium, but I have found that size to be uncomfortably tight, so I will be testing a Large.
|
Field Information [return to top]
Our Boy Scout troop camps monthly, generally in the wooded areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and the Pocono Mountains. Almost all of these outings include a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures expected to be from lows around 25 ºF (-4 ºC) to highs around 70 ºF (21 ºC) during the 4-month test period. Elevations will range from sea level to approximately 1,500’ (457 m). Our new Scoutmaster has added monthly hikes to our schedule as well. My fiancée and I, who between us have 3 First Class boy scouts (ages 14, 15 and 16), have scheduled additional camping/hiking without the scouts, and there are possibilities of more AT section hikes (two down, many to go!) in Pennsylvania – aka Rocksylvania – and New Jersey with my son as he works towards the Hiking Merit Badge.
Our Boy Scout troop has one cold-weather trip definitely on our schedule so far for this winter: a Winter Survival campout held the first weekend in January. My son and I will also be attending the Valley Forge Pilgrimage and Encampment in February, where conditions are historically (pun only slightly intended) as bad as when Washington was there over 200 years ago, generally with a fair amount of snow on the ground, if not actually falling during the event. Temperatures last year for these events were perfect for testing, with Winter Survival ranging from a low of 21°F to a high of about 31°F (-6 to 0 °C), and the Encampment ranging from a low of 10°F (-12 °C) to a high around freezing, with a fairly stiff breeze blowing throughout the weekend. Conditions this year should be comparable. I will also wear the cap to and from work, where I do a fair amount of walking between my home or office and public transportation, and around town to add some more miles.
I wear a hat year-round when outdoors, both for sun and rain protection, not to mention keeping warm in the colder months. I am relatively light sensitive, and can’t stand the light glaring thru my (rather thick) glasses. I also dislike rain on my glasses and, although the Rando Cap is not meant specifically as a rain hat, it should probably serve well enough in that capacity. My weekends, when not working during the day, are spent outdoors as much as possible. The cap would be with me nearly every day of the testing period, so it should get quite a durability workout. I will be hiking, backpacking, walking, camping (when I find time to sleep), teaching other Scoutmasters, and supervising numerous Scout activities throughout the test period. The cap should see service in all of these cases, occasionally for multiple long days at a time. Besides, it will get my lady off my back about the wearing the light-colored (“Don’t wear white after Labor Day” - sigh…) hat I’ve been wearing lately.
|
Things I am/will be looking for:
- Fit. Does it fit me? Is the sizing on the web site accurate? Does it stay on well in windy conditions?
- Fabric. Is the PacLite durable (I have no prior experience with the fabric)? Does it stretch? Does it fade? Is it windproof? Waterproof? Does it pill, pull, or snag readily?
- Warmth. How cold can it get and still keep me warm? How much warmth does it add to my sleep system?
- Comfort. Am I constantly aware of the cap, or does it just seem to disappear on my head? Does the headband effectively keep sweat out of my eyes? Can I wear it comfortably while sleeping?
- Washability. Are there special instructions? Are they easy to follow? Does it dry well? Does it hold much dirt in the first place?
|
My findings so far:
- Fit. My experience suggests that the caps run just a bit small.
- Warmth/Comfort. It sure feels good to the touch.
|
Things I like [return to top]
- Light.
- Secure.
- Comfortable.
Things I don't like [return to top]
- None yet.
|
Thank you for your time.
Chuck Kime
a.k.a. Fuzzy
|
Read more reviews of Outdoor Research gear
Read more gear reviews by Chuck Kime
|
