Reviewer  information

Name	Marie-Noëlle Augendre	I started backpacking nine years ago, day-hiking in Ile-de-France all year round, and doing several one or two-week trips in more mountainous regions (Corsica, Pyrénées, Cévennes, Lubéron, etc.) each year. In the past three years, I have gradually lightened my pack load as I changed to a hammock, an alcohol stove, a light pack and running shoes instead of boots. Nowadays, I am more and more attracted to the outdoor way of living, to the point I have just moved to northern Quebec, in order to spend as much time as possible not only backpacking, but also kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing, dog-sledding, etc.
Age	48
Gender	Female
Height	about 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Weight	159 lb (72 kg)
Email address	augendre.bgt@gmail.com
City, Country	Alma (QC), Canada

Product information

Manufacturer Duofold URL http://www.duofold.com

Top (size L) Bottom (size L) Listed weight none none Actual weight 6.3 oz (178 g) 6.0 oz (170 g) MSRP 21.00 $ US 21.00 $ US

This report is the closing one of a series of three:

• for a complete description of the Duofold Midweight Varitherm base layer and my first impressions, please refer to my Initial Report

• field testing during the first two-month period is related in my Field Report

• this last report describes the last part of the test, and presents my conclusions regarding the Duofold Midweight Varitherm base layer after a four-month usage.

Testing location

For the past two months, I have been staying in the Saguenay - Lac Saint Jean region, in the province of Quebec, about 125 miles (200 km) north of Quebec City. It is a region of woods, lakes and rivers where heights remain mainly under 1475 ft (450 m). Winter here is usually rigorous; but, though we did get plenty of snow this winter, temperatures have often been mild enough to change it to slush very early in the season.

Testing conditions

Unfortunately, the occasions to use the Duofold Midweight Varitherm as a base layer have been scarce during the past two months: the dog-sledding trip I was expecting to do in March has been cancelled; and unusually warm temperatures have changed snow to slush early in the season, rendering tracks unfit for walking if one has no appropriate gear. I had just moved to Canada at the very end of February and I didn't want to invest in snowshoes and/or skis at once, considering the little remaining time I could have used them. Also the weather has been so spring like during the last couple of weeks that I have often hiked in light apparel such as shorts, t-shirt and even sandals.
The couple of times I have been able to wear the Duofold Midweight Varitherm base layer during that period, the weather was snowy and sometimes windy, with temperatures usually around 40°F (5°C). The most memorable episodes were on the week-end my car got stuck in deep slush several times: the first time it happened at night, and I had to walk briskly about 1 mile (1.6 km) to reach my friend's cabin; the next day, I had to shovel wet snow for some time before I could get the car out of it. Both times, I was truly happy I was wearing the Varitherm base layer, that kept me warm when needed, but also soaked up the sweat produced by such strenuous activities.

My conclusions

All along the four-month testing period, the Duofold Midweight Varitherm has been my main base layer in every outdoor activity. I have truly appreciated its warmth and smoothness: it follows every movement, and is so light and comfortable I could usually have forgotten I was wearing it, except for the strong elastic waist band that is a bit too tight for my not-so-thin waist. The whole garment also tends to feel clammy when wet with perspiration, especially in the back, but this rather unpleasant feeling disappears as quickly as it dries. As I hate drafts in the neck, I would have liked the front neckline to be a bit higher; as it is, I had to rely on an upper layer to provide the additional protection, so I was reluctant to unzip the upper layer front when I needed some more ventilation.
One thing that has disappointed me is its pilling tendency in areas subject to rubbing; though the pilling has not become a lot worse, it began very early, after only few hours of use, and in places where the bottom is subject to constant friction against the upper layer.

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I would like to thank Duofold and BackpackGearTest.org for giving me the opportunity to test the Varitherm Midweight Base Layer.