Reviews > Clothing > Hats > Psolar Balaclava > Rick Allnutt III > Long Term Report

Psolar.BX Balaclava
Long Term Report by Rick Allnutt

PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Psolar
Year Manufactured: 2003
Manufacturer's Link: www.psolar.com
MSRP: $40
Listed Weight: NA
Measured Weight: 2.4 oz (69 g)
Review Date: 30 May 2004

PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Rick Allnutt
51 Year old male
6' 0'' (183 cm) in height
190 lbs (86 kg) in weight
Email address: ra1 (at) imrisk (dot) com
I live in Dayton, Ohio

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
Over the last 24 months, I have gone from being a heavy-weight (2 Duluth Pack) canoe camper to a three-season base pack weight of about 11 lb (5 kg) and skin out weight of 20 lb (9 kg). I have completed many section hikes on the AT in all four seasons, with a total mileage of nearly 450 miles (725 km). I am an ultralight hiker, a gearhead, a hammock camper, and make much of my own equipment.

LONG TERM FIELD REPORT 
Psolar's BX^® balaclava is a fleece head cover with a patented module over the mouth. For a detailed description of the balaclava, see my initial report.  

Field conditions have ranged from -10 F (-23 C) to 40 F (4 C).  My favorite ways of using the balaclava are to keep my face warm in windy cold weather, and as a winter sleeping aid. It has been part of my core winter gear list for approximately 40 hikes in the first six months, including about 14 overnights in a hammock.  While the majority of the hiking has been in Ohio, two hikes were section hikes on the Appalachian Trail, one in Georgia and one in North Carolina.  

In the long term testing period, I have been able to install and then modify the Psolar foam rubber shield which keeps humid air out from under my glasses.  For a full discussion of this device, see my owner review of the Vapor Shield.  The shield keeps my nose much warmer than it had been when exposed to the cold air.  Using the balaclava with the shield allows my glasses to remain fog free while hiking.

I have found it easy to wear other head gear over the balaclava while hiking.  With my short hair, this additional layered insulation is essential when the temperatures dip well below freezing.  

The balaclava keeps me warm from the inside out.  The counter-current moisture and heat saving module keeps my mouth and throat warm.  I do not find myself coughing on difficult hill climbs, like I have in the past when the air was very cold.  

During my cold weather overnights, I sleep with the balaclava covering my nose and mouth.  Wearing the balaclava in very cold weather helps my sleep.  The coughing I often have had in the past when sleeping outdoors, because of dry throat in the cold, is eliminated.  Sleeping with it over my mouth has very occasionally given me a bit of a panic, waking to thoughts I am being suffocated. It does take some getting used to while sleeping, before setting forth for a long adventure.  

Just as important, the amount of condensing moisture near my head in my camping hammock cover is decreased considerably.  As an experiment, when I pulled the balaclava opening down below my chin and breathed into the bivy-like hammock cover, the amount of condensing moisture increased immediately.  

In another experiment, I did try to use the balaclava with the module removed, breathing directly through the mesh material.  I found that the amount of condensation inside the balaclava increased considerably, wetting my face and causing some redness and irritation of the skin around my lips after a number of hours. I concluded from experience that the module helps to reduce the amount of moisture in the mask.  

I find it important to clean the balaclava on a regular basis.  After a couple days of wearing it, the cloth begins to pick up sweat and oil from my hair.  Washing with liquid soap and then rinsing is simple and effective, like any other hiking clothing.

In addition, I have washed out the module a number of times.  I find that I can go several days between these additional cleanings as long as I let the module dry completely after use.

This balaclava has earned a starting spot on my winter (as well as cold spring and fall) gear list.  I will continue to use it. Its construction is holding up nicely. There are no worn areas in the cloth, no loose threads in the seams, and no cracks in the module.  Simply put, this head gear is first rate, good equipment.

Reviews > Clothing > Hats > Psolar Balaclava > Rick Allnutt III > Long Term Report