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Reviews > Clothing > Pants and Shorts > Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Epic Pants > Leesa Joiner > Initial ReportBig
Sky Products
Warm and Cozy Full Zip Pants Initial Report April 14, 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 Girl Scout troop, 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
Features:
Water/wind resistant, breathable Epic fabric Flapless YKK water resistant zips Double slider zips to zip from top or bottom Velcro waist closures Button elastic ankle cuffs Initial Impressions: The Big Sky Products Warm -n-Cozy Pants arrived in good condition. The fabric has a very light, smooth feel. The zippers work smoothly, both from the top and bottom. The teeth of the zipper are covered with a rubbery layer to prevent water from seeping through. The ankle elastic is comfortable, close fitting without being binding. The waist size can be adjusted by tightening the hook and loop closures. The pants fit somewhat loosely, with enough room for jeans or sweat pants underneath. They slide easily over clothing and hiking boots. Unzipping the pants from the ankle allows enough room for even my bulkiest hikers to fit through. The Warm -n- Cozy Pants are just about what I expected from the website. I was surprised at how lightweight they are. Until I held them, it was impossible to really appreciate the company's weight claims. 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 winter, we can usually count on snow, cold and more snow. Spring is making an early appearance. During the next 4 months our temperature range will typically run from the current average of 42 degrees F (6 C) up to 65 degrees F (18 C). March and April typically bring rain, followed by black flies, mosquitoes and ticks. As winter winds down, I spend more time camping and hiking compared to the coldest part of winter, when I tend to snowshoe and cross country ski and have fewer overnight trips. On the weekends, I head off, into northern Maine, Vermont or New Hampshire, either with friends or my kids or both. While hiking in northern New England, many of the trails are unimproved, meaning that I spend lots of time climbing over rocks and brush. Test Plan: My next planned trip is for 5 days in early April. We are going to northwestern Maine to camp and hike. There is a good chance of hitting rain and some windy weather. During late April, I am going on a solo two-night hike. I will be taking my Eureka EXO 2 tent and my dog! I am looking forward to hiking alone, as I've wanted to do it for a long time, but could never arrange it. I am planning on only being gone 3 days/2 nights, but may be able to stretch it another night. I will be above 3000 ft (914 m) so will most likely miss out on any bugs, but could see rain and high winds. During May we are planning a family trip to Pennsylvania. We will be camping and site-seeing around the Gettysburg area I believe the weather in Pennsylvania will be warmer than Maine, but I can't be sure! This trip will definitely be the one that holds the most surprises – we are making some basic plans, but trying to remain 'flexible' and go with what interests us (and the kids) when we get there. After school is out in June, we take off for days at a time and will be hiking and camping in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. These trips, along with local hikes will give me plenty of opportunity to wear and test these pants. Some of the things I will be looking at while testing these pants include: *Durability - these pants are so light and the fabric is so thin, can it 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? *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? *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? *What types of baselayers work best for me with these pants? Do they work over heavy base layers as well as shorts? I will look at these issues, along with any others that develop during the test period. Thanks to Big Sky and backpackgeartest.org for the opportunity to test the Warm -n- Cozy pants. The above photo is from the Big Sky Products website. http://www.bigskyproducts.com Read more reviews of Big Sky International gear Read more gear reviews by Leesa Joiner Reviews > Clothing > Pants and Shorts > Big Sky Products Warm-n-Cozy Epic Pants > Leesa Joiner > Initial Report | |||
