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Big
Sky Products
Warm N Cozy
Full Zip Pants
Field Report
June 28, 2006
Personal
Information:
Leesa Joiner
leesaj@gmail.com
Southwestern
Maine
45 years old
Female
5'7" (1.7 m)
160 lb (73 kg)
Background:
My
camping, hiking and backpacking experience has
included trips varying in length from one day hikes to two-week trips.
My experience hiking began with my father when I was about six years
old. We hiked along the river pathways in northeastern Ohio and western
Pennsylvania. While enjoying the outdoors with my
friends and family, I spend time hiking, geocaching, snowshoeing,
cross-country skiing and camping. Although I am not a lightweight
backpacker, I am trying to 'lighten up' and primarily use a hammock for
sleeping.
Product
Information:
Manufacturer: Big Sky Products
Manufacturer URL: http://www.bigskyproducts.com
Year of Manufacture: 2005
Color: Dark
Blue
Size: Large
Listed Measurements:
Waist: 34 - 36 in (86 - 91 cm)
Hips: 43 - 45 in (109 - 114 cm)
Inseam: 32.5 in (83 cm)
Listed weight: 6.9 oz (196 g)
Measured weight: 6.8 oz (189 g)
MSRP: $89.95 US |
For a more detailed description see my Initial Report
Test
Locations, Conditions and Time
Frame:
Living in
Northern New England, I have the good
fortune of being able to experience at least 4 seasons (sometimes
within days of each other!) and some of the best outdoor areas
around. During the last 2 months our temperature range has run
from the current
average of 72 degrees F (22 C) down to about 42 degrees F (6
C). We have had over 18 in (46 cm) of rain in the
last four weeks. Up until the first of July, we hadn't gone two
days in a row without rain. It has been one of the wettest
seasons on record for this area.
While
hiking in northern New England, many of the
trails are unimproved, meaning that I spend lots of time climbing over
rocks and brush. I also took the opportunity to wear the
Epic Warm-n-Cozy Pants to my son's LaCrosse practices and games.
It turned out that the whole season was played in the
rain. I was also able to wear the pants while hiking with
my three kids in our local game preserve a couple of times.
Because of the rainy weather, I have not been able to go on many
overnight trips this spring. The one long-weekend trip I was able
to take was surprising - it didn't rain during the day! It did
rain both nights so I wore the pants in the morning while hiking, until
things dried up. Testing these pants this spring has been great
- I've had many opportunities to wear them! It has been cool and
very wet since the end of April.
Test Plan and Findings:
Some of the things I was looking at while testing follow along with relevant comments.
- *Durability - these pants are
so light and the fabric is so thin, can they hold up to outdoor use? I wonder if branches will snag the
material, causing tears. I also am concerned that the fabric may
catch on the zipper, and if it does, will it harm the fabric?
So far, the pants' fabric has
held up extremely well. I've worn them through mud, on trails
covered with brush and for hours on end. The fabric shows no
wear, other than a mark from pine sap. The sap itself has washed
off, but it did leave a dark spot on the fabric. The zipper does not
slide easily. I have to hold on to the zipper pull with one hand,
and the fabric below the zipper with the other hand to zip them up.
If I do it this way, the fabric does not get caught in the
zipper. If I am not that careful, it is difficult to pull up the
zipper and the fabric sometimes catches.
- *Water/Weatherproofness - How
do the pants hold up to rain, wind and
cold? Does water seep through after a while? Do they block
the wind, even if wet? Do the pants hold in body
heat? Later in the test period when the weather warms, I
will be looking at how much heat builds up inside the pants. How
breathable are they?
- I have found the pants keep my legs dry in all but the
heaviest downpours. I did notice that if it was windy, the rain
seemed to penetrate the pants more quickly. The pants dry quickly
once out of the rain. The wind does not penetrate the fabric, and the pants
keeps me warm. On a couple of occasions the rest of my body got wet and I
was chilled. Once I put the pants on and moved around I warmed up
and maintained my body temperature. I also found that on the nights I
wore the pants to sleep in I stayed warmer. I have not had the
problem of overheating so far. I will continue to test this area,
as the temperatures warm up.
- *Comfort - Do the pants
restrict my movement at all? Do they
provide enough warmth, or too much? Do the ankle cuffs ride
up? Do the closures work properly?
I find that I have complete
freedom of motion wearing the Warm-n-Cozy pant. They fit loosely
enough that I can climb and step over logs, without them being too baggy.
I haven't had a problem with overheating, since our weather has
been so cool. The ankles fit without sliding up - there is enough
give, that I can pull them over the top of my hiking boots to help keep
the rain out.
- *What types of baselayers
work best for me with these pants? Do
they work over heavy base layers as well as shorts?
- I've worn these pants over every type of baselayer I have (and
none at all)! They fit loosely enough that I can wear them over
jeans, spandex/lycra leggings, sweat pants and shorts. My
husband and I have a habit of getting a coffee and sitting by the lake
to drink it. One morning I was getting out of the shower and he
was itching to get his coffee. I threw the Warm-n-Cozys on with
a t-shirt and jumped in the car. I was a little surprised when I
got two compliments at the coffee shop on my neat 'wind pants'.
I will continue to look at these areas,
along with any others that develop during
the rest of the test period. Thanks to Big Sky and
backpackgeartest.org for the opportunity to test the Warm -n- Cozy
pants.
Read more reviews of Big Sky International gear
Read more gear reviews by Leesa Joiner
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