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Initial Report: Macabi Adventure Travel
Skirt
Name: Karin Claus
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Height: 5’ 6” (167 cm)
Weight: 120 lb (54 kg)
Email Address: KarinClaus@yahoo.com
Region: Evergreen, CO USA
Date: April 19, 2004
Backpacking Background:
I
live and play in the Colorado Rockies. I
have section hiked the entire Colorado Trail. I through-hiked the
Appalachian Trail in ’02. I plan
on through-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail this year. I hiked the Appalachian
Trail solo, but plan on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with my husband. I have
been slowly and carefully updating my gear to lighter weight equipment.
I have been backpacking for the past twenty years. I have climbed 38 of
Colorado’s highest peaks. I enjoy getting out in the woods almost every weekend.
Product Information:
Manufactured by: Macabi Skirt
Manufactured date: 2004
Manufacturer URL: www.macabiskirt.com
Listed Weight: none
Weight as Delivered: 9 ounces (255
grams)
Color: Charcoal
Size: Small
Waist: 26 in (66 cm) (relaxed)
which expands to 38 in (97 cm) (to fit over the hips when putting on)
Length: 35 in (89 cm)
Width at hem: 76 in (193 cm)
Suggested Retail: $76.95 US
Product Description:
The Macabi Skirt was delivered in a USPS priority envelope.
Inside the envelope, the skirt was packed in a thin plastic bag.
The skirt arrived in new condition.
Inside the envelope were also three identical marketing sheets that are
about 3” x 4” (7 cm x 10 cm).
The skirt that I received was size small, regular length.
The skirt comes in XS, S, M, L and XL in regular length.
It also can be ordered in size S-XL in long length (38 in long [97 cm]). They also have it in a short length (31 in
to 32 in [79 cm to 81 cm]) in size S, M, L.
My skirt is a charcoal color. The
skirt is available in Charcoal, Bark, Caribbean and Claret. There are two other colors Spruce Blue and Stone, which are
being discontinued.
The Macabi Skirt is a very smart looking, lightweight, four panel, ankle length
skirt. It has a 1 in (2.5 cm)
elastic waistband. The waistband
has seven belt loops. The waistband
also has a vertical loop in the middle of the front to clip on the Pant Clip ®.
(More on the PantClip ® later.) The
inside of the skirt waistband also has a drawstring.
The inside back of the waistband has two tags.
One tag has the size “S” on it.
The other tag says “
100% Nylon
MADE IN THE USA
Macabi Skirt, SLC, Utah
www.macabiskirt.com
reverse for care”
The back of the tag has the washing instructions ”
MACHINE WASH COLD
TUMBLE DRY COOL
WASH DARKS SEPARATELY
REMOVE IMMEDIATELY
DO NOT BLEACH
OR DRY CLEAN “.
The skirt has two deep hand
pockets. The right pocket
also has a zippered inner pocket. Inside
this pocket there is a loop that keys can be clipped onto. There are four 3 in (7 cm) pleats on the front of the skirt.
There is a plastic “D” ring sewed to the bottom of the left
waistband. There is a matching
plastic “D” ring inside the skirt on the middle of the back panel, sewed 1
½ in (4 cm) up from the hem.
There is one metal snap at the corner of both pockets. There are matching snaps
on the inside of the skirt on the side seam, sewed 2 in (5 cm) up from the hem.
The fabric is Dupont Supplex ® nylon. Included
with the skirt was a hangtag describing the fabric.
According to the hangtag the fabric is “windproof and breathable.
Cottony soft, yet strong. Water
resistant, quick drying. Stain and
fade resistant. Lightweight,
packable.” The entire skirt is
made from this fabric. The bottom 3
in (7 cm) of the inside of the pockets is a mesh.
Since the skirt says it is 100% nylon – I assume the mesh is made from
the same fabric.
Now on to the fun stuff! The skirt,
when worn in the configuration it arrived in – is a long skirt – and looks
very presentable. This skirt looks
a lot better than most of the clothes that I normally wear to work.
The next configuration is changing the skirt into pants.
I did not quite understand this concept when I looked at the information
on the web site. Now that I have
the skirt in front of me (actually, I’m wearing it) I understand how the
PantClip ® works. The PantClip ®
is an adjustable strap with plastic clips on both ends.
The strap is ½ in (1 cm) wide. The
skirt, when made into pants, is more like “I Dream of Jeannie” pants.
It does not really have separate legs.
You take the PantClip ® and clip one end to the front waistband, and the
other end to the “D” ring on the inside back hem.
This “reigns” in the skirt and probably keeps you from doing a
“Marilyn Monroe” when it’s windy. It’s
not really pants, but it is a very clever idea.
The strap adjusts from about 12 in (30 cm) to 18 in (45 cm).
The next configuration is a short skirt. The
length is about 14 in (35 cm) in this configuration.
Both sides snap up. Then
using the PantClip ®, the front and back can be clipped up.
One side of the PantClip ® is clipped to the middle of the front
waistband of the skirt, and the other to the middle of the back waistband of the
skirt. The PantClip ® clips to loops that are 8 in (20 cm) from the hem of the
skirt on the inside of skirt. It
looks like there are also variations on this theme.
The PantClip ® can be clipped through the middle of the back of the
waistband, and the front clip could be run through a belt loop and clipped
directly to the loop on the skirt. This
makes a skirt that is about 18 in (45 cm) in length.
I think there are a few more permutations.
For example, you could use the PantClip ® attached to the “D” ring,
and snap the skirt up with the wading snaps.
The web site says the fabric is rated UPF 25.
I am surprised that the printed literature that comes with the skirt does
not say anything about sun protection. The
web site also says that the skirt is odor resistant.
First Impressions:
I feel like I am playing dress up with Barbie Dolls. This is the most fun I have had with a skirt in a long time!
This test is going to be a lot of fun.
The skirt looks good, it feels good, and it fits well.
Location:
I am going to start a through-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail on Thursday of
this week (April 22). If all goes
well, this skirt will travel from Mexico to Canada as my daily garb.
Test Plan/Strategy:
I plan on wearing this skirt almost every day for the next six months or so. I
will start on the PCT in the desert of southern California, and work my way
north to the snow in the Sierra, on into the rainy Oregon and Washington.
The temperatures will probably range from 20 degrees F (-6 C) to 115
degrees F (46 C).
In southern California, I would test its abrasion properties and UV protection
and odor resistance.
In Oregon and Washington, I would be testing its quick dry properties.
In cold weather, I plan on wearing this with a layer of long underwear.
In trail towns, I might even pass as a normal citizen when going out to dinner
in “normal” clothes – unless someone notices my footwear.
I will be pairing this skirt with adventure racing shoes during the
desert hikes, and with lightweight boots for the snowy terrain.
I will not be carrying a matching purse.
I will not have matching lipstick or nail polish.
Since this skirt will be my main garment – I like the idea that it morphs into
a shorter skirt and into pants. Hopefully
this will be like having three outfits.
I will experiment wearing this skirt without undergarments when appropriate.
This might make attending to personal business more streamlined.
While backpacking, I generally wear underwear inside out, so the seams do
not cause welts on my sides from abrasion with my backpack.
I would also evaluate how comfortable the elastic waistband is with a backpack.
I would evaluate how well the zipper functions.
I will see how well the snaps hold – is the configuration of the skirt easy to
change and do the snaps stay snapped?
Are the snaps easy to unsnap?
Will the cactus in southern California make mincemeat of the fabric?
I am extremely gentle on equipment, and won’t go out of my way to ruin
this skirt.
Will the skirt make me feel more feminine after months on the trail, and no
changes of clothes?
Is the fabric comfortable?
Does the fabric drape well?
Will the wading strap work when fording creeks?
Will the skirt stay on while fording creeks, or will it cause the skirt to go
downriver, and me to expose myself?
Does the skirt look stylish in all of its configurations?
Is the skirt easy to clean? If I
don’t follow the directions (wash in cold water) will it adversely affect the
skirt?
Summary:
I look forward to using this skirt daily while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
Likes: So far I like what I see,
and am pleased that this will be with me on my through-hike. I have put a lot of thought and planning into the ounces that
make up the pounds that make up the clothing that I will be carrying.
I am very pleased to be taking this skirt.
Dislikes:
No dislikes so far.
Thank you for the opportunity to test this skirt, and stay tuned for the field
report.
Read more reviews of Macabi Skirt gear
Read more gear reviews by Karin Claus
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