1)Tester Background and Contact Information

Name: Curt Peterson
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 270 lb (122 kg)
Email address: curt<at>boopants<dot>com
Location: North Bend, Washington, USA

I live in the Cascade foothills, just 20 mi (32 km) from the Pacific Crest Trail via trails leading right from my backyard. My outdoor time in Washington is spent dayhiking, backpacking, climbing, and skiing everywhere from the Olympic coast to rainforests to Cascade volcanoes to dry steppe. I played football in college and often evaluate products from a big guy perspective. My typical pack load ranges from 11 - 20 lbs (5 - 9 kg) and usually includes plenty of wet weather gear.

2) Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Specifications

Convertible Sweater Size: XXL
Sweater Total Weight- Manufacturer Spec: 13.4 oz (380 gm) for size Large
Sweater Total Weight - Measured Spec: 14.1 oz (398 gm) for size XXL
Sweater Vest Weight - Measured Spec: 9.4 oz (268 gm) for size XXL
Sweater Color: Apple Red (also available in Spruce Green)
Manufacturer Website: www.bigskyproducts.com/
MSRP: $139.95 US

Jacket Size: XXL
Jacket Weight- Manufacturer Spec: 12.3 oz (349 gm) for size Large
Jacket Weight - Measured Spec: 13.4 oz (380 gm)
Jacket Color: Spruce Green (also available in Apple Red)
Manufacturer Website: www.bigskyproducts.com/
MSRP: $129.95 US

3) Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Initial Report

Background Information

The Pacific Northwest is the ideal environment for modern synthetic insulation clothing and its warm-when-wet and water resistant properties. It's wet and damp consistently for nearly 9 months a year here, and a week straight of soggy weather can occur any time of the year. It's really not the total quantity of rain that falls here that makes it so damp, but how it falls. Instead of storms that last a few hours or even a couple days as in most parts of the country, Pacific Ocean moisture can move in and drop steady precipitation for weeks at a time. To make things even more interesting, it's relatively mild, with winter temperatures rarely dipping below 30F (0C) in the lowlands even in mid-winter. This is warm enough to steam up a jacket pretty quickly, making staying dry from the inside and the outside a constant challenge. With temperatures just slightly above freezing, but moisture a constant companion, the tried and true insulation of goose or duck down becomes a challenge at best, and dangerous at worst. Washington State has the dubious distinction of hosting the most hypothermia deaths in the nation - in large part because of these conditions.

The market for lightweight and technical outdoor synthetic insulation is not particularly broad, and new and innovative designs are just beginning to emerge. One of the more exciting to come along is the Big Sky International Better-than-Fleece line of products, which includes, as far as I know, the first convertible synthetic technical jacket for backcountry use. I have owned two synthetic jackets in the past - both utilizing Primaloft insulation. Both jackets have worked very well in many aspects, but neither has proved to be the perfect Northwest jacket. One is too thin with little or no ventilation and the other is too warm and bulky for anything but mountaineering. The Better-than-Fleece products appear to find an ideal balance between weight, warmth, and versatility for the conditions of the Northwest. With the option to serve as light insulation in vest mode and zipped up and cinched up and even layered in colder conditions, the range of use is very attractive. The highest quality materials go into the Better-than-Fleece, and discovering whether the design and construction match the materials will be a focus of my testing. It is with these thoughts in mind that I will test Better-than-Fleece products.

For this and all future reports, the term "Sweater" will refer to the Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Convertible Sweater. The term "Jacket" will refer to the Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Jacket.

Shared Features

The Big Sky International Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Convertible Sweater and Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Jacket are very similar in most regards. Both utilize top-notch products like Pertex Microlight ripstop nylon for shells, Primaloft Sport insulation, and reliable YKK zippers. Both share the following features:

1.8 ounce per square yard (60 gram per square meter) Primaloft Sport insulation
Pertex Microlight shell fabric with a DWR coating
Full Front #5 coil YKK Zippers
Two angled 7in (18cm) handwarmer pockets, also with #5 coil YKK Zippers
Thin, slightly stiffened, lightly insulated main zipper backing/draft tubes
High insulated stand-up collar with an insulated zipper-top cover flaps
Waist shock-cord with one-handed pull cordlocks on either side
Half-elastic wrist cuffs
Embroidered "Big Sky" logo on left chest

In addition to claims that the Better-than-Fleece jackets are "so lightweight you may forget you have it on" and "feels like down, yet better because synthetic insulation will provide warmth even when wet", Big Sky pitches the Better-than-Fleece products as:

Warmer than a fleece jacket
More wind resistant than a fleece jacket
More rain resistant than a fleece jacket
About 1/2 the weight of a fleece jacket
......yep, Better-than-Fleece

My previous experience with synthetic pullovers would suggest that - for similar thickness and loft - these types of garments are indeed warmer, more wind resistant, more rain resistant, and significantly lighter than a similarly featured fleece jacket. Verifying that this holds true for the Big Sky products will be a major focus of my testing.

Convertible Sweater Notes

There are a couple features that separate the Convertible Sweater from the Jacket. The most obvious difference is the namesake "convertible" feature. Each sleeve features a full circumference zipper where it joins the main body, allowing for the garment to be worn as a vest or a full-zip sweater. My initial trial of this feature proved to be smooth and simple. I'm eager to find out if it works well in actual field conditions. This adds a lot of versatility - essentially giving me 2 garments in one for an almost insignificant weight penalty over the Jacket. My arms are often the warmest part of me and I find myself sticking them out of my sleeping bag at times even on cold nights. Being able to just put on the vest to take the edge off a chill is attractive, as is just taking the vest if conditions are expected to be very warm and a full jacket wouldn't be necessarily warranted.

The other major difference between the Convertible Sweater and the Jacket is the sizing. The Sweater is "sized to fit as a mid layer over base layers, but UNDER a Jacket, so if you plan to wear it as a jacket over mid layers, such as a heavy sweater, please consider ordering one size larger." Even though the tag says it is an XXL - just like the Jacket - it is actually patterned off of an XL model. For me, the sizes seem very true. I'm normally an XXL, so the XXL (really XL) Convertible Sweater fits snug. It is not ridiculous or overly constricting, but it's certainly noticeably tighter than the Jacket. If I were ordering the Convertible Sweater as my only garment to be used as an outer layer, I would definitely heed Big Sky's recommendation and order another size up (XXXL - which will really be off of the XXL pattern - and will apparently be available in the coming months).

Big Sky International notes the following uses for the Sweater:

Zip it up around the neck for the coldest conditions
Full front zipper allows great temperature regulation
Too warm? Use sleeve zippers like "pit zippers"
Still too warm? Zip off sleeves to create a vest

During the late spring and summer months, my concern is more often with venting and staying cool than keeping warm, so I will use the Convertible Sweater almost exactly as described here, testing the versatility of the temperature range it is suitable to handle.

Jacket Notes

The Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Jacket is essentially the Convertible Sweater without the removable sleeves. With that exception, the two are nearly identical. Of course, the other major difference - and one that should be a primary consideration, is the fit. Big Sky notes that its "jackets are sized to fit a heavy sweater underneath them, so if you just plan to wear base layers under it you may consider ordering one size smaller". The jacket I received, labeled XXL, is a nearly perfect fit for me. I could definitely layer underneath it, but it's not baggy and overly loose. One of the most striking fit characteristics is the shoulder and back mobility. Even in jackets that fit well I can get tightness and tension across my back and shoulder when I bring my arms together in front of me. Not only does this limit comfortable movement, but it generally also exposes my arms well past my wrists and compresses the insulation across my back and shoulders - the places I tend to get the coldest. Big Sky's pattern has apparently built in extra space back there, because I have quite simply never had an insulation garment allow such comfortable range of motion. This jacket appears made for actual on-the-move use and not just used as an in-camp insulation garment. One of the first things that came to mind with the mobility is that this would be a nearly perfect dawn high lake fishing jacket that would actually allow comfortable casting and movement. The one curious fit issue is the neck opening. It's huge. I have a pretty large neck, and I'm pretty sure I could wear about 5 neck gaiters and still zip the Jacket up all the way without having a problem. In normal conditions, I don't see this as being a problem, and I much prefer a larger opening than a super tight one, but as temperatures drop and I'm looking for a tight seal, I can see wishing for a snugger top. Perhaps a shock-cord with a mini cord-lock behind the neck would solve this and provide the best of both worlds. Field testing should prove whether this is actually an issue or not.

Final Notes

Both pieces - the Convertible Sweater and the Jacket - are very well crafted. The materials used and construction quality appear to be top notch. The Sweater offer a versatility that very few insulation pieces offer, and the Jacket has one of the best fits I've ever experienced in an insulation garment. It seems critical to have an understanding of the sizing and choose accordingly, but initially it sure seems that it would be hard to wrong with either product. I can't wait to get the Field Testing in to find out how they work in the mountains!

4) Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Test Plan

Background Information

Typical trips range from 1500 feet (460 meters) on valley trails to over 12,000 feet (3650 meters) on some volcano climbs. The bulk of early testing will likely be on the lower end of that range unless I get some spring climbing in. Temperatures will likely range from the mid 20sF ( -5C) to the mid 80sF (30C) over the entire test period. I will definitely use it in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of the Cascades and possibly another trip to the steppe of Central Washington (I just returned from a trip there before the Better-than-Fleece products arrived). Other areas will be determined by rains and the speed of the melting snowpack. In addition to overnights, the test period will be interspersed days of dayhikes, day climbs, and hopefully much more skiing. I will test the Better-than-Fleece Convertible products in various conditions and report on performance for:

1) Features Set – Do the zippers (main AND sleeves) work easily and smoothly? How difficult and quick is it to remove sleeves for vest use? Any pockets or cinches or other features of note?
2) Hand – How does the jacket feel? Soft? Slippery? How does it slip over other layers? Below other layers? How does it handle washings?
3) Water Resistance – How does the jacket handle drizzle and light precipitation? Does water bead up on the surface or does it wet out? Is it truly warm when wet?
4) Water Accumulation / Drying Time – Does the jacket wet out significantly? Does it get heavy with accumulated water, and how long does it take to dry if it does get saturated? Can body heat dry it out?
5) Breathability - How does it respond to mild activity, moderate activity, and vigorous activity? Is it any more or less breathable than other synthetic insulations?
6) Active Use – How does the Better-than-Fleece perform in real-world use? Does it bind when lifting arms overhead? Can it easily be packed and unpacked? Is it comfortable? Clunky? Sleek?
7) Venting – Are there ways to aid ventilation? Can it be completely opened up for significant airflow? Do the removable sleeves offer a bit of ventilation as well when partially opened?
8) Compressibility/Loft Retention - How small does the jacket compress? Does it lose loft over time due to wear/compression/laundering? Pre and post loft measurements will be a part of testing.
9) Layering - Big Sky International designed these products to be layered in colder conditions. Do they work well as a system? Does the versatility of two garments (one with removable sleeves) outweigh the weight penalty of carrying two pieces instead of one thicker on in cold conditions?

Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Big Sky International for the opportunity to test the Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece products!

Read more reviews of Big Sky International gear
Read more gear reviews by Curt Peterson

Initial Report

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