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Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > GoLite Wizard > Edward Ripley-Duggan > Field ReportGoLite Men's Wizard Jacket
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Reviewer Background |
Field Report (the second of three reports)
My Initial Report may be viewed here.
Report Date: December 18, 2004
Reviewer Information
I enjoy walking in all its manifold forms, from a simple stroll in the woods to multi-day backpack excursions. Though by no means an extreme ultra-light enthusiast, from spring to fall my preference is to carry a pack weight of 12 lb (5.5 kg), more or less. In recent years, I've rapidly moved to a philosophy of "lighter is better," within the constraints of budget and common sense.
For this field report, the GoLite Men's Wizard Jacket was used for a mix of day hikes and overnight backpacking trips in the Catskill Mountains, at elevations to 3900 ft (1190 m). Most of the hiking involved off-trail excursions, "bushwhacks," and included a number of the more difficult Catskill peaks. Minimal pack load was 12 lbs (5.4 kg) or so for day hikes and up to 28 lbs (11.3 kg) for backpacks. The lowest temperatures experienced during the testing period were at elevation at approximately –15 F (-26 C), with wind-chill in excess of –40 F (-40C). Most of the hiking involved at some traversing of light snow or ice on the summits, although due to a generally mild November and December there was overall less snow cover than usual. Still, most of these hikes were done during what were unquestionably winter conditions, and one backpack was undertaken in very severe weather. The highest temperature at which the jacket was worn was around 50 F (10 C).
I received the jacket from GoLite in October, and immediately began wearing it. First, I wore it simply for trips to the stores etc., in order to get a sense of the functionality of the jacket. From mid-November on (I was briefly out of commission with a hiking-related injury), I used it on a mixture of trail hikes and bushwhacks to local peaks. On average, I go out perhaps twice a week in the Catskills.
A typical trip was a bushwhack I took to Doubletop in November, which is a lovely 3860 ft (1180 m) peak. I was wearing a long-sleeve merino wool base layer and a Patagonia Puffball vest under the Wizard. This was somewhat more insulation than the 25 F (-4 C) temperatures called for, but I wanted to test the ability of the Alchemy3 fabric to transport moisture. I find this one of the more difficult parameters to judge, as I run hot when hiking and can work up a sweat in a T-shirt on a cold day!
I was pleased to note that when I removed my pack the back of the jacket was quite wet, indicating that moisture was indeed being transported to the exterior of the Wizard shell. In addition, though my wool base layer was a bit damp, the Puffball was mostly fairly dry. As a result of this and other experiences with the jacket, I would say that breathability in fairly low humidity conditions is good or better. I will test it in wet conditions before the final report in four months' time. Do note that I don't advocate over-dressing (a common error among hikers, I've noted)—this was strictly for testing purposes. Usually, I dress to keep just warm enough while moving, and layer up when stationary.
Also on this hike, I deployed the balaclava briefly while on the move. This proved easy enough in lightweight gloves, although I have since found that in mountaineering mitts it is a near impossibility—they must be briefly removed. I also used the ConvertiCuffs, but as already noted in my Initial Report, they do not provide very good coverage. They work very well as a palm-warmer and a wrist gaiter, but (perhaps because my hands are fairly long) only in the direst of emergencies would I consider deploying them fully. They simply do not provide a sufficiently airtight fit to retain warmth, and the fingers, the most vulnerable part of the hand, are most at hazard as the tips are close to the opening.
I first noticed two significant issues on this hike, which other trips only reinforced. First, the WatchWindow proved problematic. Even with the cuffs deployed and out of the way and my wrist altimeter worn over my base layer (if worn directly on the wrist it is always impossible to glimpse through the window) a basic law of physics comes into play.
Naturally, the air trapped under the jacket is generally going to be moist. The WatchWindow suffers from radiative cooling—heat escapes as radiation through the clear port to a greater extent than the surrounding fabric, so the view-port is always slightly colder than the surrounding area. The result is heavy condensation and, at colder temperatures, sometimes slight frosting. This renders the WatchWindow essentially useless, and creates a small cold-spot on the wrist.
What ultimately proved a far more significant issue was the front zip. This is urethane-sheathed on the exterior, in order to provide good weather protection. About four inches below the neck, the zipper changes curvature slightly to form a neck-tube. Theoretically, with the zipper all the way up, the chin tucks slightly against the top of the zip (which has a fleece pad to avoid abrasion) and a cozy seal is maintained. In practice, the combination of the curvature and the urethane coating conspire to make it exceptionally difficult to pull the zip all the way up. In addition, the draft flap tends to become caught in the zipper, an added complication (pulling down on the front hem of the garment and leaning the head back helps create enough tension to minimize the risk of catching the fabric). If the zipper is not fully closed, it becomes difficult to properly deploy the hood and an opening is left for cold, snow or rain. I used graphite on the zip, which helped slightly at higher temperatures.
In terms of size, layering did not prove an issue with the Wizard. I experimented with various layers, and I was at various times able to fit (over a base layer) a Marmot long-sleeve synthetic fill jacket (model not known, but roughly akin to the Moonstone Cirrus), a Mont-Bell ultra-light down inner jacket over a Puffball vest, as well as other jacket combinations. The limit seems to be two layers, or one heavy layer such as a down parka (the latter being, generally speaking, way more insulation than I use). This, given the fact that I am not exactly svelte, is altogether acceptable. I was at no point forced to run cold, nor did the jacket become over-filled with layers and restrict my movement.
The Wizard did prove strong enough for off-trail hiking. I pushed through fairly dense spruce on occasion and was poked by the occasional spruce-peg and battered with needles and branches, but the shell seemed strong and was not punctured. At the same time, it is a trifle unnerving using a $300 shell in these conditions and I would propose wearing an old nylon jacket or something of the kind on very hard bushwhacks.
Far and away the most extreme circumstances under which the jacket was used was on a winter backpacking trip to the summit of Lone Mountain (3721 ft, 1134 m), a bushwhack approach after a trail hike over another (somewhat higher) peak, Peekamoose. Before leaving, I had noticed that there was a wind-chill advisory from the National Weather Service in effect indicating exceptionally low temperatures, but I have to admit that I enjoy tricky winter conditions! In addition, this seemed to be an excellent opportunity to give the Wizard a really serious workout.
On the way up, the jacket performed well, shedding snow and wind. Temperatures were around 15 F (-9 C). I made camp on the summit of Lone, in the lee of the wind. The temperatures were, as anticipated, dropping rapidly, and the wind was starting to come up. In addition, it was snowing fairly heavily. After eating rather quickly, I piled into my tent and spent a cozy night, periodically awake but lulled by the sounds of wind and snow against the sides of the tent. The temperatures within my little shelter dipped during the night to 5 F (-15 C) or possibly lower (measured by the thermometer on my altimeter). When I got up, it was hovering around -15 F outside (-26 C).
I breakfasted in my bag, and attempted to put on the Wizard over my layers in order to go outside. The jacket was as stiff as a board. Evidently, there had been enough moisture trapped in the shell fabric to cause it to freeze solid. I had to huddle with it in my sleeping bag to make the fabric sufficiently flexible to put on. Even then, I had real problems with the ConvertiCuffs, which had become extraordinarily stiff, and only by dint of hammering them out with my fist could I get my arms through the sleeves. It should be noted that my pants, a pair of fleece-lined soft-shells, remained perfectly supple, whereas the fabric of the cuffs did not. This is a significant issue, in my estimation. In future, under such conditions, I will be forced to keep the jacket in my sleeping bag along with my water etc., in order to ensure that it is sufficiently pliant.
Further problems emerged with the zipper. It was now absolutely impossible to close at the neck, even with some force applied. This meant that I could not properly deploy the hood, although it would stay up after a fashion. In addition, even with the Wizard's SkullGlove balaclava in place, my neck was rather exposed, so I hastily added a down layer (I was wearing a vapor barrier shirt and so was not concerned with the down becoming damp). I was, given the difficult temperatures, not pleased with this turn of events. Weather of this order is potentially dangerous and equipment failures are not to be taken lightly. As it was, in an unguarded moment I removed my mitts to fold a tent pole and almost immediately got early-stage frostbite (fortunately, I caught it within seconds and no apparent damage was done).
The return trip was interesting, even enjoyable, although the winds were ferocious along the ridgelines. The balaclava kept my head warm (it was sometimes augmented with a hat), and the hood could be deployed reasonably well to keep driven snow off my face, even though the jacket was not zipped fully. We made it back to the car in good shape. It was at this point that I found my beard (a short one) had become welded to the balaclava, which was so stiff with condensate that I could barely flex it. As the balaclava is sewn in, I could not take the jacket off until I had sat with my chin over one of the car's heating vents for four minutes. This sounds slightly hilarious (and indeed, I was laughing about it), but had it happened in the backcountry with a second night's camping ahead I would have to have either attempted warming my chin near the stove (rather risky) or taken scissors to my beard! I've never had a balaclava freeze up in this manner before.
Once I got home, I called GoLite, whose representative was sympathetic and helpful. We primarily discussed the zipper, as that was the single most important issue. I am returning the Wizard and will be receiving a new one shortly. My hope is that the problem I was experiencing was the result of a slightly defective zip. I will report on whether the replacement was an improvement in my next posting in four months time.
Two further points worthy of note:
1. The waist drawstring functioned well. I was able to tighten it sufficiently well that I was able to carry a couple of quarts of water (approximately two liters) against my chest, so that it would not freeze too badly. The relatively short jacket length did prove a minor issue, in that the down layer I was wearing had to be tucked up inside, but I can't say that this struck me as a significant inconvenience and my comfort was not affected.
2. The fabric of the jacket has (so far) withstood pack-strap abrasion well, and has not caused the straps to slip unduly.
If the problem with the zipper is resolved by replacement, one major objection to this jacket for cold weather use will be addressed. The difficulties with the freezing of the jacket can be easily resolved on winter backpacks by putting the jacket in my bag. The problem with the balaclava is a little harder to address, and I may simply not use it on very cold days. However, the adhesion may be prevented by use of a heating pad and I will experiment with this. Despite these disappointments and some other reservations expressed in the paragraphs above, I think the jacket does have promise as an alternate to a heavy Goretex shell, which is poundage I prefer not to carry, provided my safety is not compromised.
Likes
Light weight
Good breathability in cold weather
ConvertiCuffs form a good wrist gaiter and keep snow out
Strong fabric for the body of the garment, can withstand fairly heavy use
Dislikes
The fabric used for the cuffs and balaclava, which becomes inflexible when frozen
The stiffness of the zipper (though this may not generally be an issue)
WatchWindow does not have real functionality
A number of questions posed in the Initial Review have already been answered by the field test. However, many remain, and will be examined over the months to come.
1. I will conduct further experimentation with the pit zips and mesh pockets to examine venting ability. How waterproof are the zippers ? Does the replacement jacket have a smoothly operating front zipper? How detrimental is cold to the operation of that zipper, and the jacket zippers generally?
2. The Alchemy3 textile has, so far, withstood some heavy wear. Will it continue to do so? Does it lose its waterproof/breathable ability with wear or soiling? How well does the laminate on the shoulders continue to hold up to the rubbing of pack straps?
3. How breathable is Alchemy 3 in wet conditions?
4. Over what temperature range is the shell alone adequate?
5. Does washing interfere with the waterproofing or the breathability of the fabric? Will it indeed be necessary to renew the DWR coating periodically (customer service indicated this might be a good idea)?
I thank BackpackGearTest and GoLite for permitting me to participate in this very interesting test.