Manufacturer: Macabi
                       P.O. Box 520944
                       Salt Lake City, UT 84152-0944
                       (801) 588-0424
                       (888) 550-7540 Toll Free
                       sales&macabi.com

Year of Manufacture: 2004 (?)
URL: http://www.macabiskirt.com/
MSRP: $76.95 USD
Listed weight: not available
Weight as delivered: 9 1/8 ounces (262 g)

Field Test Locations & Conditions:

During the past few months since my last report, I have had the opportunity to wear the Macabi Skirt® hiking in the San Gabriel and Santa Monica Mountains, in addition to two Field trips for my Oceanography class at California State University, Los Angeles. Field trips included 1) a 4 hour oceanographic cruise in the waters of the San Pedro shelf (outside the Los Angeles Breakwater); and 2) a four hour trip to Cabrillo Beach and Marine Aquarium in San Pedro. Trails in the Southern California mountains are fairly well maintained, and range in difficulty from moderate to very difficult. The trail surface along the coast varies between concrete, sand, or dirt.

Weather in Southern California is typically hot and dry - 90+ °F (32+°C) is average, and a couple of a few 100+ °F (38+ °C) days is not uncommon. Rain is extremely uncommon in the summer. October is a strange month for us. The beginning of October we had temperatures over 100°F (38°C) with dry, Santa Ana winds. Over the last couple of days temperatures have dropped to 60 - 70°F (15 - 21°C) and we've received about 5 inches (13 cm) of rain to date. To put that in perspective, Los Angeles typically gets around 15 inches (32 cm) of rain per season (October through September). We've had half of our normal seasonal rainfall in less than one month. Let's hear it for El Niño!

After six months of testing I have come to the following conclusions regarding the Macabi Skirt®:

1. Comfort
   While I wouldn't go so far as to say that this is the most comfortable skirt I've ever worn, it is indeed quite comfy to wear. The skirt is very lightweight, breathes very well, and converts easily into pants. In the pants mode the skirt is decidedly less comfortable. Despite the lightweight fabric, the skirt bunches up between the legs when worn as pants. It's just uncomfortable enough to be slightly annoying. Conversion of the skirt into shorts using the Macabi Wading Snaps™ located on the outside of the skirt near the hips is simple and, I found, made the skirt a bit more comfortable to wear.
   
   
2. Durability
   I've been fairly impressed by the durability of this skirt. The skirt's lightweight fabric led me to believe that it was more delicate that it actually was. The worst damage inflicted upon the skirt was a very slight abrasion near my left knee. The damage was caused by my kneeling on some weathered granite for several minutes while lecturing my students about xenoliths (inclusions of foreign rock in a magma which has since cooled, in case you were wondering). The abrasion is small, about 1/2 inches (1.3 cm) in diameter, and is only noticeable if one is really looking for it. The skirt has held up well to numerous washings and dryings with no adverse effects.
   
   
3. Versatility/Use
   I like the fact that I can wear this skirt to the office (a decidedly casual one) and then out into the field, or visa versa. One of the key selling points of the Macabi Skirt® is it's ability to take the wearer from the trail and into town without having to change. I was able to do this successfully on a few occasions. However, I found that I spent more time being careful not to get dirty during these "double duty" days than I normal would have. On one occasion some mud splattered across the hem of the skirt. It did wash off fairly easily, but the somewhat cool (around 75°F / 23°C) weather prevented the fabric from drying quickly and thus I went to class with a wet spot on my hem.

   I have found that I dislike wearing the skirt as pants. The fabric bunches up between my legs and is a bit annoying. I did, however, like wearing the skirt as shorts better than as pants. I also found that I tended not to wear the skirt simply for the sake of hiking alone. Perhaps it is because I am more used to wearing pants or shorts while hiking or backpacking. Rocks, apparently, are shy and dislike being around trails. Thus, while doing field work I am frequently trekking through moderately heavy brush or grassy regions thick with foxtails (and ticks) where leg protection is essential. Hiking pants were much more practical than the skirt, and I was more comfortable. The durability of the skirt was not an issue in these brushy areas, but rather about the durability of the skin on my legs! The few times I took the skirt out in the overgrown chaparral of the San Joaquin Hills I was quite pleased with how well the skirt held up, but not with the condition of my legs, which received numerous cuts and abrasions. If I knew I was going to do both hiking/field work and run about town or teach a class, however, then the skirt was an excellent choice. Otherwise, if I knew I was going to be hiking in heavy brush or on overgrown trails, then the pants went on and the skirt stayed at home.

   The thin fabric limits the use of the Macabi Skirt® to warm weather. Mind you, the skirt is designed to keep the wearer cool, not warm, so this make sense. Also realize that "warm" is a subjective term; what is warm to me (75 - 85°F / 23 - 29°C) may be cool to someone else, and downright hot to another. The few times that I wore the skirt in cooler than 75°F (23°C) temperatures I found that I was quite COLD and sincerely wished for a pair of warm fuzzy sweats or, at the very least, mid-weight polypropylene thermal bottoms. This fact puts the Macabi Skirt® in my "warm weather" pile of gear along with my shorts, sandals, and t-shirts.
   

Overall, I like this skirt. It is somewhat limited to the climatic conditions in which it may be used. With a price tag of nearly $77 USD this skirt is not cheap. However, if one is in need of clothing that can do double duty on the trail and in town, this product will do quite nicely.

Pros:

1. Lightweight, comfortable, breathable fabric is durable and easy to care for.
2. Large pockets for small cameras, keys, small notebooks, sunglasses, etc. My digital camera or Magellan GPS unit fit quite nicely inside the pockets.
3. Easy conversion to pants and shorts.
4. Looks good enough to wear around town or, in my case, in the classroom.

Cons:

1. Definitely warm weather clothing.
2. It wrinkles more easily that I would have expected and the wrinkles took a while to go away (even in humid Florida). Not an asset if you want to stow it in your pack and then pull it out at the end of the hike to wear about town. Making the skirt more wrinkle resistant may increase the price more than is desired.
3. The skirt worn in pants mode is not very comfortable. Plus, you look a little silly.
4. I found that wearing the skirt was not as desirable for hiking alone as it was for a day mixed with hiking and running about town. It most likely will not be a part of my regular hiking/backpacking clothing.

Thank you to BackpackGearTest and Macabi Skirt for the opportunity to test the Macabi Skirt®!