Initial Report

Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket

Date: October 27th, 2005

Reviewer Information:

Name:              Jim Sabiston
Age:                51
Height:            6' 3" (1.90 m)
Weight:           210 lb (94 kg)
Email:             JimSabis(at)aol(dot)com
State:              New York
Country:         USA

Backpacking Background:

I've been camping since my teens. My outdoor activities include backpacking, canoeing, sea kayaking, snowshoeing, mountaineering and cross country skiing. I have expanded my backpacking to include winter mountaineering, back country skiing and ski backpacking. I have received winter mountaineering training with Chauvin International Climbing Guides. I actively study ways to backpack lighter and more efficiently. During the summer months, my style tends toward very light, but not quite ultralight. I use a hammock or tarp for warm weather, and a small four-season tent for winter trips. Most of my other gear is very changeable, as I am constantly experimenting with gear and techniques.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Big Sky Products
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL: www.bigskyproducts.com

Specifications:

Weight (Manufacturer’s):       9.4 oz (266 g)
Weight (as measured):            9.0 oz (255 g)
Size:                Large
Color:              Light Grey (only color currently available)
MSRP:                        $99.99 US

Initial Impressions:

The Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket arrived wrapped in a simple, clear plastic wrapper. No literature of any kind was attached or included. Nor does the jacket have any identifying logos or labels. The first thing I noticed is how incredibly light this jacket is. I immediately weighed it on my digital scale and found it to be .4 oz (11 g) lighter than advertised!

Trying the jacket on, I found it to have a very pleasant, light feel. It is comparable to a very light windbreaker. At first glance, the Epic Jacket appears to be just that, a windbreaker. Closer examination brings out a wealth of detail, however. For such a light jacket, it is loaded with features. These include:

1 – Pit zips utilizing waterproof zippers.
2 – Chest vents which also use waterproof zippers.
3 – The chest vents open to large mesh lined chest pockets.
4 – Waist pull cord.
5 – A shaped, adjustable hood which folds up under the jacket’s collar.
6 – Elastic lined, hook & loop adjustable sleeve cuffs.

Pretty impressive for 9 oz. (255 g)! Much of the weight savings is accomplished with clever, minimalist detailing, but without skimping on features. The bulk of the weight savings comes from the use of the Epic fabric. The Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket is made from a very light version of Epic fabric. The material resembles a very light nylon taffeta, but with a very tight weave. The feel resembles that of silk. Unlike most waterproof jackets, that are made of laminated layers of nylon and waterproof and/or breathable fabrics, The Epic fabric is a single, light layer. The material appears to be used exclusively throughout the jacket excepting the mesh pockets, zippers and hook and loop closures.

A little information about the Epic fabric: Epic is a departure from the current mainstream waterproof/breathable materials. Instead of using laminated layers of different materials, one of which is waterproof and/or breathable, the waterproofing agent is incorporated directly into the threads of the material. This, combined with a fine, tight weave, makes for a material that is highly breathable, and highly water resistant. My only experience with Epic fabric to date is in a tent. It excelled in this application, all but eliminating condensation in the tent. The tent can also be considered ‘waterproof’ for all practical purposes, as I learned in several heavy rains. The main difference between the tent and the jacket is that the tent used rip-stop style nylon and the jacket uses a lighter, non rip-stop material. Testing will determine if the jacket is as waterproof as the tent proved to be.

Fit and Features:

I am a pretty big guy. My suit jackets are sized at 44 Long (that is: 44 in (112 cm) chest with longer than standard torso and arms). I have a long back and long arms. My shirts need a 35/36” (89/91 cm) sleeve. Common sense might dictate that I need a size Extra Large jacket. Surprisingly, I find the Extra Large size bulky and uncomfortable. Size Large fits me best, provided the sleeves and body are cut long enough. Fortunately, this is usually the case with outdoor gear, especially mountaineering cut jackets, which use a longer cut in the arms and gusseting under the sleeves to permit high reaching without binding in the sleeve, which would restrict movement and tend to pull the sleeve up my arm when reaching upwards. The Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket appears to use a similar cut, as I can reach without the sleeves pulling up.

The waterproof zippers eliminate the need for storm flaps over the zippers, reducing both weight and bulk. The sliding action is a bit stiff, common with this type of zipper. But the resulting clean design and construction is worth putting up with the minimal stiffness. The Epic Jacket is clearly built with breathability in mind. Large pit zips, chest pockets that double as vents and the Epic fabric should make for excellent comfort.

The real surprise for me was the stowable hood. This is a rare feature in a minimalist jacket and the idea is executed with style in the Epic Jacket. The hood has a terrific fit on me. The high collar, when closed with the two hook and loop patches, tucks right under my chin and fits just right and is easy to secure. The hood also fits extremely well. There are two available adjustments: a hook and loop pull at the rear and a shockcord that loops over the front of the hood opening. I find that the hood fits me best when all the adjustments are fully relaxed. There is a nice overhanging brim built into the hood. There is no re-inforcement to the hood, so it remains to be seen how it will hold up in high winds. The light fabric allows the hood to rotate easily when turning my head, with only minimal binding. I often wear a baseball style cap under my hood, as it helps the hood move in line with my head. A quick test showed that wearing a cap eliminated the small amount of binding in the hood.

The hood folds up under the jacket collar. The collar is held closed with three hook and loop patches, one in the center rear, and one on either side. When the hook and loop patches are released, the hood easily slides out from the collar and slips over my head. Storing the hood is the reverse process and is accomplished with a minimum of fuss, a result of the soft, pliable Epic fabric.

The chest vents are lined with an open weave mesh that also form large pockets. The zippers are located so that the pockets can be easily used as handwarmers. The left side pocket has a small loop sewn inside and the jacket can be stuffed inside the pocket for storage quite easily. The result is a mesh stuff sack that should allow the jacket to dry nicely when wet and is very handy for storage. I noted that the pocket zipper is not reversible when used as a stuff sack, but this did not create a problem of any magnitude. The zipper is still easily closed, securing the jacket in the mesh pocket.

Summary:

Likes:

1 – Really (I mean REALLY) light weight for a fully featured jacket.
2 – Size Large is a good fit, even for my long frame.
3 – Small pack size.
4 – Very affordable price.

Dislikes:

1- Fit and finish are generally quite good. Sewing light fabrics is difficult as there is a tendency for the fabric to bunch up under the stitch tension and there is some evidence of this throughout the jacket. I’ve seen the same in jackets that are far more expensive, so it may be unavoidable to some extent. The only detail I found disappointing is the interior finish around the zippers. The Epic fabric is cut and folded, then sewn through the fabric backing of the zippers. This is normal enough. However, the Epic fabric is left with a raw, unfinished edge which is already starting to fray. The edges should be double-turned when sewn to the zipper, which would leave only a smooth folded edge hidden under the zipper backing. As it is, the fraying will become noticeable pretty quickly, especially when the jacket is stuffed into its pocket, as the exposed edge is left sitting on top of the resulting pouch.

Test Plan:

The Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket will be my primary shell jacket for the next four months. It will be exposed to a wide variety of weather, including fall rains, wind and winter’s heavy snow. There are three primary factors I will be observing:

1 – How waterproof is the Epic fabric? There is no seam taping and no mention in made of seam sealing. It is possible that the stitching is also treated, but I won’t know for certain until I get out in that first heavy rain and determine if the seams are a potential leak source. In cold Northeast fall conditions, a waterproof shell is a must in the rain, otherwise hypothermia may not be far away.

2 – How durable is the jacket? The fabric is really light, with little in the way of reinforcing details. How well will it hold up to backpack straps and the general abrasion of backpacking, hiking and mountaineering? There is no doubt in my mind that a fabric this light will not fend off the points of crampons or an ice axe, so care will need to be used.

3 – How comfortable is the jacket? Aside from the waterproof issue is that of breathability. When cross country skiing or climbing, sweat is a large concern, even in deep winter. It is not at all unusual to find a coating of sweat inside my Gore-Tex shell after hard exercise in the snow. Will the highly breathable Epic fabric eliminate this tendency? Wind resistance is also important. I occasionally make open crossings on frozen lakes, which means wide open exposure to high winds and snow in the winter. A windproof shell is very important in preventing wind chill in these conditions.

Naturally, any other items of note that come up during the test period will be reported.