Reviews > Clothing > Hats > Psolar Balaclava > David Sowards-Emmerd > Long Term Report

Long Term Report - Psolar.BX

June 7, 2004

Name: David Sowards-Emmerd
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Height: 5'8'' (1.73 m)
Weight: 155 lb (70 kg)
Email Address: dseATstanfordDOTedu
Location: Los Altos, California, USA
Date: June 7, 2004

Backpacking Background:

Product Specifications:

As measured by tester:
Weight (total): 69 g / 2.43 oz
Weight (mouthpiece): 19 g / 0.67 oz

Product description:

The stretchy fabric allows for the balaclava to be doubled or tripled up - effectively converting it into a hat. Removing the module facilitates this. When worn as a hat, (tripled up) it is a bit tight. It can also be worn as a 'neck gaiter' by pulling the top of the hood down over the back of the head - in other words putting your head through the front opening. All this combined with the removable mouthpiece makes for a very versatile piece of headgear. I was able to insert, and remove the module without taking off the balaclava (removal was also possible with gloves on). I initially assumed it would be necessary to take off the balaclava to remove the module. The module itself is reasonably comfortable as it does not really apply any pressure to the face when inserted in the balaclava.

Previous Testing Locations (from Field Report testing period):

More testing locations:

I cross country skied around Echo Pass area, and then headed down to Echo lakes. I had a quick lunch and heated up water for tea near the lakes while wearing the balaclava (yes, the module does get in the way of eating!). However, the winds were very strong blowing across the lakes. The balaclava worked for the descent down to the lakes, but climbing back up I found myself overheating and generally didn't use the module and freqently pulled the balaclava into 'dickie' configuration.

Carson Pass Area, South Lake Tahoe, CA
April, 18 2004
Elevation:8,500-10,000' / 2,600-3,000m
Conditions: Again, temperatures just below freezing with
strong, ~30-40 mph winds (read: very cold wind chill) -
enough to propel me along on my skis on the icy patches.
There were 5-6' / 2m of well packed snow (often ice) on
the ground.

I wore the balaclava in all configurations (with the module in) while skiing south of Carson Pass. Winds were very strong on the exposed slopes, and my ears got very cold at time, however when the winds died down, my ears warmed up quickly.

This was my first chance to use the vapor shield (one was supplied by the manufacturer during this phase of the testing period). The vapor shield is a strip of foam with an adhesive side that attaches above the module (see photo). The non-adhesive side has a notch that is supposed to fit over the bridge of my nose. Unfortunately, it is difficult to position this properly - if it's too high on my nose, then my sunglasses (my glacier glasses are not at all compatible with the vapor shield - they're simply too big) rest on top of the shield instead of my nose. If placed to low, it is very uncomfortable, and really hinders breathing through the nose. I found there was a very small margin of error for positioning this - and I needed to take off my thin gloves to do this properly. When in place, the vapor shield did keep my glasses from fogging up. Nevertheless, after ~5 min time, my glasses did begin to fog up, and I needed to re-adjust the shield. Finally, since I was skiing, I also needed to switch out frequently between using the module, and pulling the module/mask under my chin so I did not overheat too much.

This trip also provided my best chance to test the balaclava during strenuous activity (I hadn't bought skins for my skis yet, so going uphill on the snow/ice was fairly exhausting. Breathing through the module during this exercise (@10,000' / 3,000m) didn't present a problem for me, but I do believe there was a noticeable difference in the effort required.

Forest Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA
April 3/4, 2004
Elevation:6,500-7,500' / 2,000-2,300m
Conditions: 60 F/ 16 C and sunny during the day, cooled off
quickly to below freezing at sunset as the wind picked up,
and ~10'/3m of snow on the ground.

During the day, it was VERY warm in the sun - shorts and tank top weather - but it quickly cooled off around sunset. Around that point, I put on the balaclava for the remainder of the night: cooking, star gazing for a while, some night time photography, and sleeping. I dug a snow cave for this outing, and thus sleeping conditions were warmer than usual. Several times during the night, I either took the balaclava completely off or converted to a dickie.

Panther Meadows, Mt Shasta, CA
April 24/25, 2004
Elevation: 7,000-9,000' / 2,150-2,750m
Conditions: highs in the 60's F / 16 C, lows in the mid
30's F/ 1-2 C, little to no wind, and ~12' / 4m of snow on
the ground.

On this outing, I wore the balaclava around camp, and while sleeping. This was the first trip where I'm sure I slept part of the night with the module over my mouth - because I woke up and noticed I was breathing through it. My down blanket had become twisted and I was losing a lot of heat, which was why I woke up. But once I had my sleeping system back to a normal configuration, I warmed up quickly. During the first day of this trip, I got sunburned badly on the side of my face, and the seam around the face opening of the balaclava was particularly painful on this. This seam had been somewhat abrasive on my first few trips, but I had since gotten used to it.

After this trip, I noticed the vapor shield had peeled off and had doubled over on itself (adhesive stuck to adhesive). It seems to be a quality product though, and doesn't seem to have lost any of its stickiness.

Other Observations:

Adaptability to conditions:

Breathing Resistance:

Unfortunately, I have not been able to test how much moisture buildup the module prevents in my tarp/bivy/sleeping bag since I generally haven't had much of a moisture problem this winter (with the exception of northern Michigan) and I haven't been able to sleep much (other than my last trip) with the module on (and in that case, I don't know how much of the night the module was over my mouth).

Things I Like:

• The module definitely adds some warmth over just using the balalclava.
• The balaclava is very versatile, and can be worn in several configurations, and the module adds to this flexibility. However, for aerobic activity in the regions I frequent, it's a bit overkill except in 'dickie' configuration.
• The balaclava provides a great improvement in heat retention in a lightweight, compact package.

Things I Don't Like:

• I haven't fallen on my face yet, but the plastic module knocking out my teeth is constantly a concern, especially on new backcountry skis.
• Stitching was coming loose ever since the first time I tried it on (see photo of current condition). However, the seams have not come apart yet.
• I still find the 'pocket' that the module is inserted into a bit awkward. The module won't stay completely in the pocket, which means I end up wearing the balaclava slightly off center. Making part of the pocket (top and bottom edges) out of PowerStretch may hold the module in place better and would be more comfortable.
• I'd also like to see multiple sizes of the balaclava. It is made from a stretch fabric, but it is not as tight a fit on my head as I'd like.
• The balaclava isn't very compatible with sunglasses in my experience, even when using the vapor shield. Goggles may be the solution to this.

Overall, I've been happy with the product (aside from the misleading information about the materials it's constructed from). It is very convenient around camp in the winter, and once used to it, an excellent addition to a sleeping setup. It is extremely versatile, combining the numerous configurations of a balaclava with the heat exchanger module. The module really provides a great 'quick warmup'. However, I did not find the vapor shield to be sucess for use with sunglasses - but I do not intend to use balaclava for sunny dayhikes in the future (see below). On the other hand, the vapor shield does make the balaclava more comfortable when sleeping (don't need to worry so much about precise placement in this case since I don't wear glasses to sleep!)

Future Use:

Reviews > Clothing > Hats > Psolar Balaclava > David Sowards-Emmerd > Long Term Report