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Long Term Report: Macabi Skirt
| Personal Biographical Info: |
| Name: |
Stephanie Martin |
| Age: |
30 |
| Gender: |
Female |
| Height: |
5'5" (1.65 meters) |
| Weight: |
145 lbs (65 kg) |
| Skirt Size: |
US 8-10 |
| Email Address: |
syoong "at" alum "dot" mit
"dot" edu |
| Location: |
Phoenix, Arizona USA |
| Date: |
October 21, 2004 |
| Background: |
Having always enjoyed spending time outdoors,
I got serious about it in 1996. Since then, I've been actively day
hiking most weekends. In addition to day hikes, my husband and I generally
take a couple of week long trips to the Grand Canyon annually, in addition
to short weekend backpacking trips. Our backpacking philosophy has been
rapidly moving towards ultra-light gear. My target base pack weight is 10
lbs (4.5 kg), and my typical shelter is a single wall tarp/tent. In general,
we average 12 to 15 miles (20 to 24 km) per day. See
http://www.ToddsHikingGuide.com
for trip reports and a better sense of our hiking style. |
| Other travel skirts used: |
None - well, none for hiking anyway. I
typically wear shorts while hiking or backpacking. Generally for
business travel, I wear pants or business skirts. For casual wear, I
sometimes have packed a "broomstick" style skirt. |
| Product Information: |
 Billed as the "Original Adventure
Travel Skirt," the Macabi Skirt is a quick drying, wrinkle resistant,
A-line-style ankle length Supplex skirt "for hiking, biking, river running,
fishing, trekking and traveling." |
| Manufacturer: |
Macabi Skirt [http://www.macabiskirt.com] |
| Year of Manufacture: |
2004 |
|
MSRP: |
$76.95 |
| Listed Weight: |
No weight listed |
| Weight as Delivered: |
9.0 ounces (255 grams) |
| Size: |
Small (US 6-8) |
| Listed Dimensions: |
Elastic Waist - 24-34" (61-86 cm)
Hip - 52" (132 cm)
Length - 35" (89 cm)
Width at Hem - unlisted
Dimensions when Stowed - unlisted |
| Measured Dimensions: |
Elastic Waist - 24-36" (if you
*really* stretch it! 61-91 cm)
Hip - 46" (116.8 cm)
Length - 35.5" (90.2 cm)
Width at Hem - 42" (107 cm)
Dimensions when Stowed - 5" x 6" x 3" (12.7 x 15.3 x 7.6 cm) |
| Color: |
Stone (now discontinued) |
Contents
-
Product Use, Performance and Durability
- Fit and Comfort
- Choices, Choices - How Do I Wear It?
- Wear and Tear and Washing - How's It Holding Up?
-
Summary
| Field and Test Information: |
| Location(s) of test: |
Locations for the duration of the Long Term testing period
have been more mundane and have been limited to a more urban setting. During this time, the
skirt has mostly been has been worn to work, while running errands, while being a
tourist, and for one or two more hikes. |
| Terrain: |
The Macabi Skirt has been exposed to sand, dirt, water and
normal everyday conditions. Elevations have varied from 1100 - 9200
feet (335 - 2800 meters) and terrain has ranged from grassy meadows to
wooded forests and standard urban setttings. |
| Weather Conditions: |
Outside daytime temperatures have been as high as the low
100's Fahrenheit (high 30's - low 40's Celsius), with night time lows down
to the 40's Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). |
Product Use, Performance and
Durability
The Macabi Adventure Travel Skirt has indeed proven to be an excellent and
versatile addition to my wardrobe. I've been very pleased with its
performance over the test period, and I am thrilled to have it as an addition to
my wardrobe. Since filing my
field report, the skirt has not seen much more trail use, but it has been
worn in and around town, and has not shown much more in the way of wear.
Over the six month test period, the Macabi has been worn while sleeping, while
packed into the tight confines of airline coach class, while touring the towns
and cities of Europe and also while hiking and scrambling in the mountain
regions of the Spanish Pyrenees. While I don't find the skirt as warm as a pair
of pants, it certainly is more versatile with its various configuration options.
For a much more thorough discussion on how the skirt performs under long travel
conditions, please consult my
field report where I had an opportunity to report on its performance during
a six week travel adventure.
Fit and Comfort:
Winding down with the test series,
I am happy to report that the Macabi Adventure Skirt has proven to be a
flattering, functional and versatile piece of clothing. I have found it easy to adapt
quickly to different activities and climates. After six months
of testing, the skirt still fits well, drapes
nicely, and I've not had any issues with the elastic waistband binding or
pinching me in any way. The Macabi Adventure Skirt dries quickly when it
gets damp and remains soft and supple to the touch. Because of its
versatility and stylish design, I've had no qualms about going from rugged trail to
cultured civilization without changing (other than perhaps wanting a shower to
rinse off the trail sweat!). My only niggling wish at this point is that
the design be changed perhaps to have the elastic only in the back. I personally
couldn't stand to wear the skirt with a shirt that needed to be tucked in,
simply because of the aesthetics of having the elastic waist band show. I
realize I could have solved this by wearing a belt, but alas, I didn't pack one
for my Europe trip.
The Macabi Skirt worked well for me in a full range of climates from chilling
cold above snowline to the heat of the Arizona desert. The skirt was easy
to adjust as I was walking to obtain the level of ventilation I wanted, and as
long as I wore the skirt in a long configuration (either pants mode or
unmodified), I didn't notice any problems with bug chewed legs - a definite plus
(insects, much to my dismay, seem to think I'm tasty). While the Macabi
skirt is not as warm as a pair of light pants, it was easy enough to slip on a
pair of long underwear bottoms underneath to remedy the situation.
[back to Table of Contents]
Choices, Choices - How Do I Wear It?
As illustrated in my
field report and on the Manufacturer's
website, the Macabi Adventure Travel Skirt can be transformed into multiple
configurations - it can be worn in its original and unmodified shape as an ankle
length A-line skirt, it can be clipped into a pair of "pants," it can be snapped
up into a knee length skirt, and it can be snapped and clipped into a pair of
"shorts."
During the remainder of my test period, I continued to prefer wearing the skirt in its long configuration mostly while in the cities,
sometimes snapping it up into a short skirt when the temperatures tended to the
warmer side. For hiking, I still prefer wearing the skirt snapped up into the short
skirt configuration because I find it easier to manage in this configuration.
Left in its long configuration, I had to constantly pick up the front hem to
prevent myself from stepping on it as I hiked up steep inclines.
Occasionally I used the pant clip to convert the skirt into shorts mode.
Typically this was the case while I was scrambling or climbing around. I
still regard the Macabi as a bit bulky between the legs in this configuration,
but it prevented the skirt from snagging on things and allowed me to move freely
without being too concerned about it catching on protruding rocks or plants.
I rarely wore the skirt in pants mode, though I did find that particular mode
handy for very windy situations. Regardless of how I opted to wear
the skirt, converting between different styles proved to be easy to do, and I
was able to make modifications to my outfit while on the move.
[back to Table of Contents]
Wear and Tear and Washing - How's It Holding Up?
After a full six month test period, the skirt is about as good as new.
The elastic still has plenty of stretch and doesn't seem to have relaxed at all
during the test period. All hems and seams are still nicely sewn and
aren't showing signs of wear. The Supplex fabric hasn't faded, shrunk,
stained or developed any runs, even after being exposed to abrasive rocks and snaggy brush, and it remains soft and supple to the touch. The region on
my right hip that was showing signs of pilling after my field test period
has remained pill-free after its initial depilling; although I have to admit, I
haven't done a lot of walking in the Macabi with a shoulder bag since my grand
European adventure. I'm especially pleased to announce that the side snaps
are still functioning; however I still find them a bit reluctant to unsnap
sometimes.
[back to Table of Contents]
Summary
The Macabi Adventure Travel Skirt has won me over, and has proven to be a
versatile and well designed garment for multiple activities. During the
course of my test period, my concerns regarding the skirt's versatility and its
potential for tangling and
snagging on things have been allayed. Even while
scrambling and doing some low grade climbing, I was able to wear the skirt
without fear of getting snagged or tangled at an inopportune time - my mobility
wasn't hampered in any way at all, other than my worrying about if anyone below
could see up my skirt (generally not a problem, since I just made sure no one
was below). With that said, here are my likes and
dislikes:
Woo Hoos (likes):
- Nice appearance and presentation - the Macabi Adventure Skirt is both
stylish and functional. The fabric is soft and has numerous
travel-friendly properties
- Stain-Resistant - even after seeing days on the trail and in the city, the
skirt has not picked up any stains
- Quick Drying - the fast drying fabric of the skirt makes it a pleasure to
travel with
- Wrinkle Resistant - even after being bundled into a sleeping bag, the skirt
was wrinkle free and ready to go in the morning!
General Comments:
- When snapped into the shorter length skirt, my appearance coming is much
better than when I'm going - The skirt, in this configuration, drapes nicely in
front, but hangs rather unappealingly in back
- If blessed with more shapely legs, I recommend wearing bike shorts or
something similar underneath to prevent chafing between the thighs after long
days on the trail
Boo Hoos (areas for improvement):
- For personal aesthetics, I preferred to not wear the Macabi Skirt with a
shirt tucked (if a belt is not handy) because I don't like the appearance of an
elastic waistband.
[back to Table of Contents]
My thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Macabi Skirt for this testing opportunity.
Read more reviews of Macabi Skirt gear
Read more gear reviews by Stephanie Martin
|
