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Duofold Multisport Mid Layer Jacket
Initial Report - January 3, 2006
Contents
Reviewer Information [return to top]
Name: Chuck Kime
Nickname: Fuzzy
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 229 lb (104 kg)
Email address: chuck_kime AT yahoo DOT com
City, State, Country: Upper Darby (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Date: January 3, 2006
Backpacking Background [return to top]
My family started car/trailer camping when I was about 5. I spent 17 years in the Army Reserve fine-tuning my packing methodology – when I got out I was down to a fairly respectable 75-80 lb (34-36 kg) load in my ALICE pack. Advancing age, arthritic knees and a car accident have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices, experiment with tarps and hammocks, make some of my own gear, and take a closer look at my ‘toys’ with an eye for multi-use and light weight. I now have a sub-30 lb (14 kg) 3-season load, and should be able to reduce it to 20 lb (9 kg) – before food, fuel and water – without much more effort.
Additional Information applicable to this test
Shoulders: 56” (142 cm)
Girth at chest: 57” (145 cm)
Chest: 46” (117 cm)
Waist: 42” (107 cm)
Hips: 46” (117 cm)
Torso: 21½” (55 cm)
Product Information [return to top]
Manufacturer: Duofold
Model: Multisport Mid Layer Jacket
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL: http://www.duofold.com
Listed weight: none
Measured weight (Size XL): 12.4 oz (352 g), scale accurate to 0.1 oz
Color: Black/Grey
MSRP: $70.00 US
Features/claims (from retailer site) [return to top]
- Soft, breathable fabric resists wind and repels water. Best of all, it wicks away moisture to keep you even drier.
- Extra spandex adds supple stretch for easy freedom of movement.
- Built-in abrasion resistance protects your skin against chafing.
- Convertible collar with half zip lets you customize your comfort.
- Zip pocket on sleeve stows your keys and change.
- Bold color-block pattern gives you a sleek, modern look.
Arrival [return to top]
The jacket arrived on December 12, 2005. Inside the box I found a short one-page note from Duofold on top of a standard “warehouse bag” containing the folded jacket. Attached to the cuff of the jacket was a small folded hang tag for the jacket including mention of Duofold’s Duo Dri Performance System. There were no other contents.
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Description [return to top]
The Duofold Duo Dri Multisport Mid Layer Jacket is a pull-over design with a half-zip and stand-up collar. The major portion of the jacket (see photo at top) is a black knit, 92% Nylon/8% Spandex, with a tight outer weave and a soft, terry-like lining. The side panels and inner sleeves are a grey stretch fabric, 67% Nylon/18% Polyester/15% Spandex. The jacket has a straight hem and cuffs, with elastic in the grey portion of the cuffs. The left chest has a grey embroidered Duofold logo. The 2½ in (6 cm) high stand-up collar is lined with the outer fabric, and has an extra wedge of fabric on the left side of the opening that covers the zipperhead when fully zipped to protect the wearer. The zipper pull has a 2 in (5 cm) long strip of the black shell fabric looped through it to assist the user is grasping the pull in colder weather and/or while wearing gloves. A single vertical-zippered pocket is included on the left upper arm, large enough to comfortably fit ID/credit cards.
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First Impressions [return to top]
The jacket fits nicely, is long enough to stay well below my waist, and gives well when I move. Neither fabric seems to bind when worn under other layers, and I find the small wedge of fabric that encloses the zipperhead at the top to be a very nice detail. I am looking forward to trying it out both as a mid-layer and as an outer layer when the weather turns warm again.
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Field Information [return to top]
Our Boy Scout troop camps monthly, generally in the wooded areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and the Pocono Mountains. Almost all of these outings include a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures expected to be from lows around 25 ºF (-4 ºC) to highs around 75 ºF (24 ºC) during the 4-month test period. Elevations will range from sea level to approximately 1,500’ (457 m). Our new Scoutmaster has added monthly hikes to our schedule as well. My fiancée and I, who between us have 3 First Class boy scouts (ages 14, 15 and 16), have scheduled additional camping/hiking without the scouts, and there are possibilities of more AT section hikes (two down, many to go!) in Pennsylvania – aka Rocksylvania – and New Jersey with my son as he works towards the Hiking Merit Badge.
Our Boy Scout troop has one cold-weather trip definitely on our schedule so far for this winter: a Winter Survival campout held the first weekend in January. My son and I will also be attending the Valley Forge Pilgrimage and Encampment in February, where conditions are historically (pun only slightly intended) as bad as when Washington was there over 200 years ago, generally with a fair amount of snow on the ground, if not actually falling during the event. Temperatures last year for these events were perfect for testing, with Winter Survival ranging from a low of 21°F to a high of about 31°F (-6 to 0 °C), and the Encampment ranging from a low of 10°F (-12 °C) to a high around freezing, with a fairly stiff breeze blowing throughout the weekend. Conditions this year should be comparable. I will also wear the jacket to and from work, where I do a fair amount of walking between my home or office and public transportation, and around town to add some more miles.
I will be hiking, backpacking, walking, camping (when I find time to sleep), teaching other Scoutmasters, and supervising numerous Scout activities throughout the test period. The jacket should see service in all of these cases, occasionally for multiple long days at a time.
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Things I am/will be looking for:
- Durability. Does it stand up to wear and washing? Does it pill, pull, or otherwise abrade significantly under normal circumstances? If not, how long does it take for this to happen?
- Comfort. Does it move with me? Does it bind? Does it ride up when worn with a pack? Does it stick to my skin if I am wet/sweaty? If so, does it bind or inhibit my movement?
- Warmth. How cold can it get and still keep me warm? How much warmth does it add to my sleep system?
- Wind. Does it stop the wind? Does the inside surface get chilled?
- Wicking. I tend to generate a lot of heat when moving, due both to large muscle mass and plenty of – ahem – ‘natural insulation’, so I will be especially interested in the capability of the jacket to keep me dry. Where does the moisture go? Can it escape?
- Looks/fit. Does the jacket retain its shape when worn for consecutive days without washing? Does it fit over my normal cold-weather layers?
- Fabric. Is it durable? Does it stretch appropriately? Does it fade? Is it waterproof? Windproof?
- Packability. How packable is the jacket? I plan to put it in my pack when I’m not actually wearing it.
- Ease of washing. Would it be easy to wash in a trail town, for example? Are there particular washing instructions that must be followed? Does it dry quickly?
- Pockets. Are the locations convenient? Are they adequately sized?
- Zippers. Do they function smoothly? Are they durable?
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My findings so far:
- Comfort. It moves well without binding, and stays put.
- Warmth. It adds about 15-20 °F (8-11 °C) to my jacket.
- Looks/fit. Fits very well under my wool jac-shirt.
- Fabric. Stretches nicely.
- Packability. Packs down fairly small.
- Pockets. Left sleeve pocket nicely sized for ID/credit cards.
- Zippers. I am impressed with the fabric ‘wedge’ at the top of the zipper when zipped, to protect the wearer from the zipperhead.
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Things I like [return to top]
- Light.
- Comfortable.
Things I don't like [return to top]
- None yet.
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Thank you for your time.
Chuck Kime
a.k.a. Fuzzy
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