Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket > Thomas Vickers > Initial Report

Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Epic Jacket  Initial Report

October 30, 2005

Tester Background:
I grew up in the piney woods of southeast Texas. Camping was a quick trip into the mosquito-infested woods behind the house. My style has evolved and over the last 4 or 5 years, I have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking gear (I still use sleeping bags and tents, just lighter versions). While I have flirted with lightweight hiking, I feel that I am more of a mid-weight hiker now. My philosophy is one of comfort, while carrying the lightest load possible.

Expectations:
The Big Sky Products website was very enthusiastic about the Warm-N-Cozy Epic Jacket. After just a short visit I felt like I had a good grip on the product before it arrived at my doorstep. Some of the information really was helpful (letting me know that the hood was hideaway) and allowed me to develop what I felt  was clear expectations for this jacket.  I figured light weight, wind and rain resistant, and extremely packable. I doubted there would be much more than this to report on, but I was wrong. 

Arrival:
The Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Epic Jacket arrived in a plain brown box with no documentation at all. This wasn't too much of an issue, but after a quick inspection I discovered that the Warm-N-Cozy Epic jacket didn't contain a tag of any sort either.   That means not only do I have no clue as to what Epic fabric is, but I also don't have instructions on how to care for it either.  Not a big deal, but not having some sort of care tag in the garment leaves some big mysteries about how to clean and dry this jacket. Also due to a lack of tags, I am assuming that the jacket is a size large.

Description:
The Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Epic Jacket is made of a  gray, light weight, almost silky feeling material. The attached hood is also made of the same silky material and is not stiffened or reinforced in anyway.  I quickly attempted to roll the hood up and stow it in the collar area using the patches of Velcro that are sewn onto the jacket.  Not only did the hood stow out of the way with no effort, but it also stows in such a way that the neck/collar area does not clump or bulge in an uncomfortable way. I really liked this feature and it became apparent while I was doing my normal pre-report inspection.  Next up, I found the elastic cord and cord lock that is used to adjust the tightness of the hood when it is worn.  There is a cord lock on either side of the hood and the cord and cord locks stow out of sight when the hood is rolled up and stored.   On the front (both sides) of the  Warm-N-Cozy Epic Jacket there is a black zipper which is eight inches (20 cm) long.  These must be the hand warmer pockets and after unzipping them I found that the hand-warmer pockets are constructed completely of mesh. The jacket shuts with a full length zipper located in the center of the jacket front. There is an elastic cord which runs around the waist of the jacket which is located approximately nine inches (23 cm) from the bottom hem.  Each side of this cord sports a small cord lock (like the ones on the hood cinch cord).  Running along the bottom of each arm is a fifteen inch (38 cm) zipper. I am assuming that these are used for venting (since the website mentioned them) and they seem well placed.  Each arm has a cuff that is one half elastic and adjustable by the use of Velcro fasteners.  My description may seem a bit clinical, but I want to end this by stating that the Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Epic Jacket is very impressive so far.  Not only does it live up to its lightweight promise, but it is also full featured.  In my experience, lightweight has never meant full featured, and the Warm-N-Cozy Epic Jacket may be the first piece of gear that I have seen that at least attempts this combination.

PS: The first rain in weeks is forecast for tomorrow. I can't wait for the testing to begin.

Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Epic Jacket > Thomas Vickers > Initial Report