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Long
Term Report: Big Sky Products
Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Convertible Sweater and Jacket
Date: August 15, 2006
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77
kg)
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
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Backpacking Background:
Three years ago I
decided to pursue a long time interest, and started
backpacking. I've progressed from
day-hiking and single overnights my first year to weekend trips last
year, and finally a week-long section hike of the Appalachian Trail
this year. I
hike and backpack mainly in the hills and valleys of West Virginia, and
usually sleep in a hammock. My typical pack weighs
25-35 lb
(11-16 kg) including consumables, depending on season and
duration. I'm usually trying to lighten up, without sacrificing
safety or comfort. I carry few luxury items, but tend to carry
extra food and water.
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Product
Information
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Manufacturer: Big Sky Products
Year of manufacture: 2006
Date of Delivery: March 31, 2006
Size: Medium Convertible Sweater, Large Jacket
Jacket:
Length of back (measured from collar base to hem bottom): 30 in (76 cm)
Circumference (just below arms): 52 in (132 cm)
Circumference (at hem): 50 in (127 cm)
Advertised Weight: 12.3 oz (349 g) for size Large
Weight as delivered: 12.1 oz (343 g) for
size Large
MSRP: $129.95
US
Convertible Sweater:
Length of back (measured from collar base
to hem bottom): 28.5 in (72 cm)
Circumference (just below arms): 47 in (119 cm)
Circumference (at hem): 46 in (117 cm)
Advertised Weight: 13.4 oz (380 g) for size Large
Weight as delivered: 12.3 oz (349 g) for
size Large
MSRP: $139.95
US
Color: Spruce green
Manufacturer Website: http://www.bigskyproducts.com
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Features -
Jacket
and Convertible Sweater:
(per manufacturer)
More wind and rain resistant than a fleece jacket at about 1/2 the
weight
Lightweight
Synthetic Insulation for warmth even when wet
Full front zipper for temperature regulation
Pertex Microlight shell fabric with DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish
Primaloft Sport insulation with down-like warmth/weight ratio
YKK zipper
Bottom elastic drawcord
Elastic wrist cuffs
YKK zippered hand warmer pockets
Convertible Sweater only:
Insulated sweater and vest for the price of a jacket
Suitable for a multitude of conditions
Zip-off sleeves
Sleeve zippers usable as 'pit zips' for temperature control
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The Big
Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Convertible Sweater
and Jacket
are insulated garments consisting of a soft and silky 100% nylon shell
and lining with 100% Polyester (PrimaLoft) insulation. The
Convertible Sweater has zippers that allow the sleeves to be removed,
converting it to a vest, and is sized to be worn over a base layer
and under the Better-than-Fleece Jacket. The Better-than-Fleece
Jacket is sized to be worn over a base
layer and a sweater or other mid-layer, and under the Big Sky Products
Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket. For a more detailed description of the
Convertible Sweater and Jacket, please see my Initial
Report.
Field Conditions:
Since my Field
Report, the areas I have hiked and camped in have experienced
mostly warm to hot weather, so although I've packed either the
Convertible Sweater or Jacket for each of my backpacking and camping
trips, the opportunities to actually wear them have been minimal.
Elevations have ranged from around 600 to 4500
ft (200 to 1200 m). Trip temperatures have ranged
from around 60 F (15 C) to nearly 100 F (38 C). The Sweater and
Jacket have been worn mainly in dry, calm conditions and light
drizzle. Weight carried has varied from
little more than a half liter of water up to 38 lb (13 kg).
Use:
In June, I packed the Jacket for a week long Girl Scout camp, but due
to unseasonably warm conditions, ended up wearing it only a short time
two mornings when temperatures dipped into the 60 F (15 C) range.
It did do an admirable job of supplementing my small camp pillow on my
cot at night, providing a little more cushion for my head, although it
did tend to slide out from under the pillow by morning most of the time.
In July, I took the Sweater on a two night/three day backpacking trip
of about 25 mi (40 km) in the George Washington National Forest of
Virginia, which included a section of the Appalachian Trail.
Temperatures were hot, reaching nearly 100 F (38 C) during the day and
only cooling off to around 80 F (27 C) at night. On this trip the
Sweater saw use only as a pillow. I also packed the Jacket for a
3 night/4 day Girl Scout camp the same week, where I wore it one
evening in light drizzle and temperatures around 60 F (15 C).
In early August, I packed the Sweater in my duffel for a 3 day/2 night
whitewater rafting trip in the New River Gorge of West Virginia.
Although usually we experience cool evenings while rafting, it turned
out to be too warm to wear the Sweater even as a vest. I did
manage to wear the Sweater as a vest on a 3 mile evening hike near my
home in western West Virginia last evening, wearing a short sleeve
shirt and carrying only a bottle of water. With temperatures
around 60 F (15 C), I found the vest comfortable as I began my hike,
but a bit too warm after about 20 minutes. Fortunately it is easy
to vent by unzipping the front, which I did for a while, and finally
ended up zipping the vest about 6 in (15 cm) from the bottom, pulling
my arms back through the armholes, and pushing the partially zipped
vest down around my hips for further cooling. I found it
interesting I could "carry" the vest this way to keep both hands free,
since I didn't have a pack along to shove it into when I got too
warm. I can see where this may be handy this fall when I may want
to wear the vest on cool mornings as I begin to hike, so I don't have
to completely stop and remove the vest completely and stow it in my
pack as I warm up.
Conclusions:
The Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Convertible Sweater
and Jacket are winners in my book. Although I haven't experienced
cold enough weather so far to test the lower limits of their comfort
range, I'm happy to find an insulation system that is so versatile that
I can comfortably wear it in temperatures ranging from 30 to 60 F (-1
to 15 C), and I look forward to seeing if it will work well in even
lower temperatures this winter. I'm really surprised that a
jacket which will keep me adequately warm in most of our local winter
temperatures isn't too warm for cool summer evenings. Talk about
multi-tasking!
Both Jacket and Sweater are comfortable to wear (or to use as a
pillow), and I love the silky feeling Pertex fabric, which feels great
against bare skin. It easily sheds light drizzle, and still looks
great even after being washed and dried several times, with no signs of
wear or deterioration. I also like the compressibility of both
garments. They easily fit into a tiny space in my pack or duffel
bag, packing down just slightly larger than a 1 L Nalgene bottle, so I
don't hesitate to take them due to limited packing space.
Although color isn't a major concern, I am very pleased with the Spruce
Green shade. It is attractive and coordinates well with either
tan or grey, which are two prominent colors in my backpacking
wardrobe. It also blends in well with the forested areas in which
I typically backpack, so if I want to be stealthy and remain unseen to
strangers I don't have to be concerned that the jacket color will make
me more visible.
I have only two slight nitpicks concerning the Sweater and
Jacket. First, the zipper can sometimes get snagged in the
fabric, but so far it has been easy to work it loose without tearing a
hole in the material. I also wish they were available in a more
woman specific fit, since the chest and shoulder area is very loose
fitting on me. A woman specific fit would be more flattering when
I want to wear them for everyday use around town, and would undoubtedly
save a few ounces and a little bulk when I carry them in my pack.
Likes
–
Light weight
Good compressibility
Soft, silky fabric
Versatile in a broad range of temperatures
Things I'd like to see improved –
Relatively easy to snag zippers on the
fabric
I'd like to see woman specific sizes available
Thanks to Big Sky Products and BackpackGearTest
for
the
opportunity to test the Warm-n-Cozy Better-than-Fleece Convertible
Sweater and Jacket.
Read more reviews of Big Sky International gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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