Locations/Conditions

Throughout the field-test period I wore the Sun Block Hoodie on many multi-day backpacking and canoeing adventures. During the long-term test period, with the advent of colder weather and more opportunities for day hiking I focused on wearing the hoodie for these and other training activities such as running and dryland ski training. The terrain included very rocky and hilly trails through deciduous or pine forest with many rock outcrops. All testing conditions were at low elevation or low altitude 600 ft (183 m) to 1100 ft (335 m) with mostly cool conditions and mid-to-high range humidity (60-95 percent).
 
 
Day Hiking --
Temps: High 70 F (21 C ), Low 30 F (-1 C)
Sunny, Partly Cloudy, Windy, Mid-High Humidity (60-95 percent)

I have worn the Coolibar Hoodie on numerous occasions while day hiking. Areas included Mount Marquette, Marquette Mt  (yes, it is different), Sugarloaf Mt, Hogback Mt Trails, Buschell Lake, Harlow Lake Trail, North Country Trail, Little Presque Isle Trail and more. Although many of these trails are called "mountain trails" they are all at very low elevation. However, many of the trails climb several hundred feet in a short distance and are extremely rocky. I wore the hoodie during these treks as the areas include a lot of open rock outcrops and summits that are in the direct sun. The hoodie worked well for these types of day hikes wearing a nonrestricting hydration pack over the hoodie. 


Both a Sun and Wind Shirt

On many hikes, the weather was not conducive to wearing the Coolibar Sun Block Hoodie by itself as the sole upper body covering. It was simply too cold with temperatures at times below freezing (32 F/0 C). I then layered underneath the hoodie a light wool long sleeve undershirt, a long-waisted sport top or both. In addition, I often wore a Lycra hat underneath the hood of the hoodie to regulate temperature. This was sometimes combined with a sun hat. During these occasions the hoodie also protected me from the wind as the tightly woven fabric acts much like a typical wind shell. However, the fabric is more breathable as compared to many wind shells and it works rather well in this capacity.


Tunnel Pocket

I found the tunnel pocket on the front of the hoodie to be useful when I wasn't wearing any sort of hydration pack or backpack that had a waistbelt. It became a great place to stow small incidentals such as a map or camera on day hikes. It was easily accessed and I never felt that I would lose the items I placed in the pocket as it has only upper side openings. During breaks, the pockets also were handy for keeping my hands warm during the cooler days.


High Aerobic Activity --
Trail Running and Dryland Ski Training
Temps: High 55 F (13 C), Low 28 F (-2 C)
Sunny, Partly Cloudy, Windy, Light Mist Rain, Mid-High Humidity (60-100 percent)

During the colder weather experienced during the last two months, I decided to wear the hoodie for some of my highly aerobic training activities. It was mostly cold and windy so I could tolerate wearing a long sleeve garment for these activities for which I normally dress very lightly. The hood was a great temperature regulator for keeping me from being too cold when I began the activity. I run on very hilly and rocky single track trails in the forest. On most days I was quite comfortable but on days with higher humidity the one thing that was a bit bothersome was that there wasn't much of an adjustment factor in the sleeve length. The sleeve edges are encased in elastic and they can only be pushed up to the middle of my forearms. At that point the elastic is too tight.  A hook and loop type closure on an extended tab might make it more versatile. I realize that the main purpose of the hoodie was to protect me from the sun so this may point to the reason that the sleeve edges aren't designed for exposing more skin on the arms. I also wore the hoodie for ski bounding and ski walking (dryland training) on a local downhill ski mountain. Although many of the sessions were in very cold weather near freezing (32 F/ 0 C), the activity is highly aerobic and the protection from the sun and wind by the hoodie were quite valuable.

Overall, the Coolibar Hoodie has some great attributes. The tightly woven fabric that lessens sun exposure, the hood, the mesh inserts, the easy wash and wearability and the large front pocket are all fine features. The hoodie can be layered with other garments making it quite versatile. I feel that the hoodie is best worn for day hikes, beach walking or any time one is not carrying a regular backpack. The excess fabric and overall largeness of the hoodie, the batwing sleeves and the fabric's potential to attract dirt are factors that would hinder me from using it for backpacking after the test period. However, Coolibar does make closer fitting sun shirts that might be more attractive for backpacking usage. I will continue to use the hoodie for other activities.
 
In my initial report, I posed the following questions. I have answered many of them in depth in my field report but I have summarized the answers in red for this report.


Function/Comfort:

-Will the hoodie be versatile enough to wear over another garment such as a long sport top or is it sized to just be worn with only undergarments? The hoodie is very oversized so I can wear several layers underneath if necessary. I have sometimes worn both a long-waisted sport top and long sleeve wool shirt underneath it but I could easily add another layer too.

-Will the hoodie that comes in Unisex sizing adapt to a woman's body or will there be excess fabric in some areas? It is very oversized so excess fabric is everywhere especially through the chest and hip area.

-Will the chest placket with snaps be easy to work with to ventilate the hoodie or to take the garment off and on my body? The snap closure is a definite plus. The snaps are easy to open and close without fumbling.

-Will the hoodie protect me from a long day in the sun or will I also have to wear sunscreen as a back-up measure? The fabric of the hoodie completely protected me from the sun. I only wore sunscreen on my face and hands that were not covered by the hoodie.

-Does the "hood" of the hoodie cover my entire head? How far can I pull it down over my forehead? Is the drawstring easy to work with? I have found that the hood is not very roomy nor does it cover much of my forehead. If I wanted sun protection on my forehead, I had to add a sun hat to shade that area. I haven't really needed to use the drawstring specifically for the hood as it doesn't have any extra room in it to draw up excess fabric. Perhaps someone with a smaller head would be able to use that feature more often.

-Will I be able to use the hoodie feature as sort of a neck gaiter to protect my neck when I am wearing it in combination with the Coolibar Sun Hat? I have used the drawstring to provide extra coverage to my neck when I wasn't wearing the hood. By tightening the drawstring I could close up an additional few inches of fabric to lay closer to my neck and fill the gap between the sun hat and the hoodie.

-Will I find the deep pouch pocket to be useful or will it cause irritation under the belt of my backpack? I found the pouch pocket to be more useful when I wasn't wearing a backpack. On those occasions, I have used it to store frequently needed items including lip balm, trail maps, keys and even my camera. I didn't find the pocket to be irritating when it lay under the backpack waistbelt but it did deter me from using the pocket.

-Are the elastic cuffs adjustable? If not, is the elastic flexible enough to push the sleeves slightly upwards on the arms if necessary? The encased elastic nonadjustable cuffs are a bit limiting, but the sleeves can be pushed up to about mid-forearm distance.

-Will the hoodie be comfortable to wear in hot weather or humid weather? Will the hoodie "stick" to my skin if the weather is humid or if I am sweating a lot? If the Hoodie does become damp how long will it take to dry?  How well does the mesh inserts of CoolMax fabric work to ventilate the sleeves and upper back area? During the field test period, I have worn the hoodie in both high humidity and temperatures up to 90 F (32 C). It was still comfortable and it didn't stick to my skin but I was beach walking on a windy shoreline when this occurred. Dampness in the hoodie was mostly experienced during backpacking trips when I was carrying a fully loaded pack. When I would take the pack off the dampness would dry very quickly. The mesh inserts work well when not restricted or covered up by wearing a backpack.

-Will the hoodie be stylish enough so that I will consider it for everyday wear in addition to backpacking? I feel that the hoodie is best worn for everyday wear rather than backpacking. The style is very presentable for everyday life but I would prefer it to have a trimmer fit.


Materials/Durability/Care: 
 
-Will the hoodie fabric hold up to extreme use? Will the fabric pill, snag or fade easily? The hoodie had a number of encounters with blackberry bushes and other thorny vegetation but the SUNTECH fabric has not experienced any snags.

-Will the CoolMax mesh areas hold up to repeated use? The mesh insert areas have a number of pills and snags but it isn't that noticeable as their locations are somewhat less obvious to the casual viewer. The hoodie that I have tested is in the color of white so it has not faded but it is a bit dingy looking.

-Will the fabric weaken with constant sun exposure and perhaps lessen the sun protection - This would be hard to measure but will I see any thin spots? I haven't noticed any excess wearing of the fabric when I held it up to light.

-The hoodie is stated to be machine washable but how easy is it to wash in the field? How long will it take to dry in the field? It was easily washed in the field with just water and it dried in less than an hour in sunny and semi-humid conditions.

-If the hoodie becomes stained will it be easy to clean the stains off of the garment by simple scrubbing? The hoodie does seem to pick up dirt rather easily. I believe this is due to the brushed texture of the fabric. With that said, even though it has been ridiculously dirty at times (see field report), most of the dirt has scrubbed out with minimal effort. All that remains is some light blue staining that occurred very early in the test period. The source was unknown but I can only speculate that it may have been in contact with some type of berries while bushwhacking.
 

Pros

• Great sun and wind protection
  
• Washes easily and dries quickly
• Can be worn for a variety of activities
• SUNTECH fabric feels good against the skin
  

Cons

• Fabric retains dirt easily
• Non-adjustable cuffs
  
• Body of hoodie is oversized
  

 

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