Initial Report: Macabi Skirt for Men

 

Biographical Information:

Name: Chuck Carnes

Age: 34

Gender: Male

Height: 6’0” (1.83 m)

Weight: 175 lbs (79 kg)

 

Email address: ctcarnes1@yahoo.com

 

City, State, Country: Taylors, S.C. United States

 

Date: April 26, 2004

 

Backpacking Background:

I have been influenced to go camping and backpacking all my life. Every summer for the first 5 years of my life, my parents took me camping. I was in the Boy Scouts at the age of 12 and have been backpacking, on and off, ever since. Needless to say, I love the outdoors. I enjoy taking a lot of STUFF in my pack and can’t seem to get my total pack weight down - I wonder why. I usually hike around Pisgah National Forest and The Great Smoky Mountains. I go at any time of the year and try to hit the trails when there is no rain. If it does rain, it’s okay. Trail terrain, such as rocky trails or muddy trails, is not that big of an issue with me. I just like getting out and enjoying nature.

 

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Macabi Skirt

Style of Garment: Skirt

Fabric: Supplex Nylon

Size: Regular

Color: Charcoal

Length: 35 in (89 cm)

Year of Manufacture: 2004

URL: www.macabiskirt.com

MSRP: $76.95 (US)

Listed weight: No weight listed

Weight as delivered: 9 oz (255 g)

 

Delivery:

            The Macabi Skirt was delivered to my mail box in a Priority Mail envelope. Inside the envelope was the Macabi Skirt in a clear plastic protective bag. Along with the Macabi Skirt was six, 3 in (7.62 cm) x 5 in (12.70 cm), business card type information cards about the skirt. On the front was the name of the manufacturer, Macabi, along the top. Then “The Original Adventure Travel Skirt” was under that. In the middle of the card is a picture of the Macabi Skirt with written features and arrows pointing to those features of the skirt. At the bottom, are their web site address, mailing address and phone number for ordering on line or by mail. The back of the card has a paragraph of where the Macabi Skirt was inspired from and a few occasions that would be appropriate to wear the skirt. The last half of the card has very good critiques from different people that have tried the skirt.

 

Initial Inspection (hang tag info):

            I removed the skirt from the plastic bag and noticed the hang tag. The first tag is a 4 in (10.16 cm) x 8 in (20.32 cm) card stock tag folded in half. The front of the tag has hand drawn leaves and the words Macabi Skirt written down the right side. The inside of the tag has the same description and picture of the skirt as the six business cards that were described earlier. This was on the right side, and on the left is a written advertisement of all the great things this skirt does for a persons well being and why a person should wear this skirt. The back of the tag has this information:

 

Guarantee: Each skirt is carefully hand inspected and fully guaranteed. If you are not completely satisfied, return the skirt for replacement, repair, or refund.

 

Fabric: The Macabi Adventure Travel Skirt is made from Supplex nylon, a durable, lightweight, quick drying fabric. Machine wash and tumble dry.

 

Features:

• Adjustable strap Pant Clips to back hem
• Shortens with Wading Snaps
• Elastic waistband with drawstring
• Deep side pockets
• Zippered security pocket/self stow pouch

 

Macabi Skirt: For more information on our products please write to:

                                    Macabi Skirt

                                    P.O. Box 520944

                                    Salt Lake City, Utah 84152-0944

                                    801-588-0424

                                    website: : www.macabiskirt.com

 

            The second tag is a 3 in (7.62 cm) x 3 in (7.62 cm) card stock tag that has Dupont Supplex on the front and a brief narrative about the fabric on the back.

 

 Initial Impression:

            I unfolded the skirt and held it up in front of me to take the first glance at what my friends and family are going to be laughing at me about. The skirt is what I had expected from viewing it on the web site. The material is very light seems to be very durable. I slipped the skirt on over my jogging shorts to get a feel for what it feels like to wear a skirt. It felt very awkward to me. My wife looked at me and laughed and said that I could not wear the skirt to the mall with her. I thought maybe I would start a new trend. I proceeded to reach between my legs at the bottom of the back of the skirt to find the ‘D’ ring that is attached to the skirt to allow the skirt to be pulled up and attached to the Pant Clip that is on the front of the skirt. With this in place the skirt material is gathered between the legs to give the effect of wearing loose legged rolled up beach pants. I started to feel a little better about my appearance in this skirt. I then reached down to the sides of the pant leg at the bottom to find the button snap to pull up the sides of the pants to attach it to the Wading Snaps. With the skirt in this position, the appearance is that of very baggy legged shorts. I certainly felt a lot more confident with the skirt in this position. I liked the ease and access of the snaps and straps to be able to make this skirt in many different fashions and accessible variations to fit leisure at the moment.

 

The front of the skirt has an adjustable Pant Clip that allows me to adjust the amount of material that is to be drawn up between my legs. The Pant Clip adjusts from 10 in (25.40 cm) long to 16 in (40.64 cm) long. The Pant Clip attaches to the waist band with a snap hook. It is hooked to the same strip of fabric as the belt loops. The strip of fabric does not appear to be constructed well enough to prevent the loop from being ripped off if the Pant Clip got snagged on an object. The waist band is an elastic waist band that measures 30 in (76 cm) in the relaxed position and stretches out to a maximum of 42 in (107 cm). The waist band also has 7 belt loops that surround the entire outside of the waist and a draw cord on the inside to be sure that this thing is not going to fall down. The material is pleated on the front and has 2 front pockets. The right front pocket has a zippered pocket just above the opening to the pocket. The left side of the skirt has a ‘D’ ring attached for clipping different things to. The material is a single layer fabric that is double stitched at the seams. There are four seams that run the entire length of the skirt, one in the front, one at the back and two on the sides. The skirt has four, 3 in (7.62 cm) long, pleats on the front and no rear pockets.

 

I think I will like wearing this skirt while hiking in the hot weather. It already feels cool, as in ice cool, to have it on and the wind was not even blowing when I had it on. I will be curious to see how fast this material dries and to see how well it holds up to catches and snags along the trail.

 

Test Plan:

My test plan for this skirt will be to wear it as much as possible during the hot weather to test some of the web sites stated features for this skirt. I will wear it everyday on my weekend get-a-ways to the local river trails.

 

            As part of my test plan I will be noting things such as durability of the material, cleaning ability and odor resistant. Will the straps and loops perform under different circumstances? Other tests will be conducted and noted for the Field Report.

 

Thank you Macabi Skirts and BGT for the opportunity to test this skirt.