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Field Report: Big Sky Products
Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket
Date: January 3, 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:
As spring 2006 looms on the horizon, I'm
beginning my third year of
backpacking, and I continue to love it! So far, I've progressed
from day-hiking and single overnights to weekend trips, but I'm
planning a longer trip for spring '06. Hopefully it will be a
section hike of the Appalachian Trail! I
hike and backpack
mainly in
the
hills and valleys of West Virginia, and use a hammock sleeping system.
For a
two-day trip my typical pack weighs 22-30 lb (10-14 kg) including
consumables, and I’m
striving to
lighten that a bit. |
Product
Information
-
Manufacturer:
Big Sky Products
Year of manufacture: 2005
Date of Delivery: October 21, 2005
Size: Large
Length of back
(measured from base of hood to bottom of hem): 29.5 in
(75 cm)
Circumference (just below arms): 54 in (137 cm)
Circumference (at waist and hem): 50 in (127 cm)
Advertised Weight: 9.4 oz (266 g)
Weight as delivered: 9.0 oz (255 g)
Color: Grey
Manufacturer Website: http://www.bigskyproducts.com
MSRP: $99.95
US |
Features -
Water/wind
resistant, breathable Epic fabric
Hideaway hood with elastic draw cord
Water resistant YKK zippers
Elastic waist draw cord
Underarm ventilation zippers
Mesh hand warmer pockets
Adjustable wrist cuffs
Stores into its own pocket
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General
description:
The Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket is made from a soft, thin, and silky
feeling fabric, which makes a light rustling
sound when worn or handled. The semi-opaque fabric reminds me a
bit of nylon tent fabric, but
softer and very lightweight. The jacket features water resistant
zippers, mesh lined front pockets, pit-zips, a waist cinch, and a hood
that stores into the jacket collar. For a more complete
description and photos, please see my Initial
Report.
Field
Information:
So far I've worn the Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket on
trails, back country roads, and streets of West Virginia. Hiking
elevations have ranged from a high over
4200 feet (1300 meters) on the Tea Creek Mountain Trail to a low near
800 feet (250 meters)at
Charles Fork Lake. Temperatures have ranged from lows in the 20 F
(-5 C) range to highs around 70 F (20 C). I've day-hiked with the
jacket on
several occasions, carrying loads ranging from only a half liter of
water to a day pack weighing approximately 7 lb (3 kg). So far,
I've
taken it on one weekend backpacking trip carrying a pack weighing
approximately 30 lb (14 kg) including food and water. I've also
used it
several times when work required some outdoor field time in light
rain.
Use:
 So far,
I've not been outdoors during heavy rain, but the jacket has handled
light rain and snow showers very well, never leaking through either the
material or the zippers. Curious as to how it would handle
heavier precipitation, I wore the jacket for a 5 minute shower, and
unfortunately found the shirt I was wearing under the jacket became
very wet in the area of the front zipper. The photo at right
shows the darker wet area of my shirt under the jacket. Since the
shower water pretty well hit directly on the zipper, this may not
totally replicate field conditions, when rain would likely hit the
shoulder area first and then run down the front, but it does give me
some concern about being out in a heavy downpour in the jacket.
Overall, I've found the jacket quite comfortable to wear, and roomy
enough to fit over a variety of jackets of different bulk, including my
down jacket, and still allow adequate arm movement. The hood
stays up well even when worn loosely, and can be tightened up for
windier conditions and still feels comfortable. The jacket is so
light it almost seems like having nothing extra on, and it packs away
very easily into its own pocket when I want to store it away neatly in
my pack, briefcase, or car, taking up a minimal amount of space (about 12 x 9 x 3 in or 35 x 23 x 8
cm). It can be compressed even smaller by rolling it or
stuffing it down into a corner of my pack. I have to admit
however, that I usually just stuff it inside my pack or bag instead,
and it stores quite well that way too.
The pockets are large enough that I can store a half liter water bottle
inside one when I take a short hike and don't need to carry anything
else. However I did discover that having the hood up and carrying
something as heavy as a full bottle of water causes the jacket to pull
down in an irritating manner, making a rustling noise against my ear
with every step I take, and I try to avoid carrying anything heavy in
the pockets now.
The fabric has proven durable so far, with only slight fraying of the
unfinished area of fabric along the zippers, as noted upon my receipt
of the jacket. It doesn't appear to have frayed any more.
The water resistant zippers are a bit stiffer than a regular zipper,
but operate smoothly for the most part, and don't catch on the
surrounding fabric. I have had some trouble with the left pocket
zipper, which felt much stiffer than the other zippers to begin
with. About a month after I received the jacket, and after
several uses, the pull separated from the zipper on this pocket.
I e-mailed Big Sky Products late one night about the problem, and was
very pleased to receive a nice e-mail by 9:45 the next morning that
they would take care of the repair. They even gave me two options
- the first was to have the zipper repaired locally and they would
reimburse the cost (an estimate was to be obtained and approved
first); the second option was to send the jacket back to them for
repair. I checked with a local repair shop and obtained an
estimate of only $4 US to repair the zipper, so I went with that
option, with the approval of Big Sky Products. Unfortunately, two
things happened next. First, in the clutter and rush of the
Christmas holidays, I lost the receipt, and second, the zipper pulled
loose again the second time I tried it. Arrghh...
I didn't really mind about the receipt, since the repair cost was so
minor, and due to the rapid response from Big Sky Products, I have no
doubt they would reimburse my repair cost, but I decided not to bother
since it was so minor. I debated a bit about contacting them and
explaining what happened and sending the jacket in, but decided to
check with the local repair shop and give the repair one more try
locally. I'm happy to report that they fixed it again free of
charge, and so far it has stayed fixed!
Testing
Plan:
I'll
be continuing to test the Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket
mainly in West Virginia, on
varied trails and back roads at elevations anticipated at 550 to over
4000 feet (150 to over 1200 meters). Temperatures
could range anywhere from lows
in the 0 F (-20 C) range to highs up to the 80 F (25 C) range if we
experience at abnormally warm winter days, which seems to usually occur
at least once in either January or February. We usually
have lots of rainfall, some snow, and occasional sleet or ice over the
winter. Most of my
use for this time of year will be day hiking, although I hope to fit in
at least one backpacking trip if weather conditions permit me to feel I
can safely do so. Many
of my trips are carried out near rivers or
streams, and moisture laden air is often a side effect
in these areas creating dampness in colder weather that adds a definite
chill. I also plan to continue to use the jacket on rainy field
days in my work.
I will continue to monitor how the jacket handles
various
weather conditions. Key characteristics that I
will be
testing for include continued waterproofness/resistance,
windproofness,
warmth, and
durability. If I am fortunate enough to have weather conditions
permitting a backpacking trip, my pack weight will
likely vary between 30-35 lb (14-16 kg). During
day
hikes I will be carrying a wide variety of weight from just a water
bottle to
a fanny
pack, to a larger daypack. My
plan is to continue to use the jacket as my primary upper body rain
gear
for work and
play. Will the Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket be
up to the task of keeping me dry in real world field conditions, or
will I experience wetting out in the zipper area during heavy rains and
need to carry a waterproof jacket as backup?
Likes
so far –
Very light weight
Comfortable fit
Nice feel to the fabric
Dislikes so far –
Broken zipper (good customer service
though)
Leaking in the front zipper area when submitted to the "shower test"
Thanks to Big Sky Products and BackpackGearTest
for
the
opportunity to test the Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket.
NOTE: Shortly after this report
was written, Big Sky Products recalled the Warm-n-Cozy Jacket for
examination and ultimately replacement of the zippers which were
determined to be defective. My Long
Term Report reflects use of the jacket with the replaced zippers.
Read more reviews of Big Sky International gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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