|
| Home | Guest - Not logged in | |||||
|
» Register
» Login
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
» Contact
|
Reviews > Clothing > Underwear > Duofold Varitherm Silkweight > Roger Caffin > Initial Report
| |||||
Reviewer Details
| Reviewer: | Roger Caffin |
| Age: | 60 |
| Gender: | M |
| Weight: | 63 kg (139 lb) |
| Height: | 167 cm (66") |
| Email address: | r dot [surname] at acm dot org |
| Home: | Sydney, Australia |
I started bushwalking at 14 and took up rock climbing at University with the girl who became my wife and my permanent walking partner. Ski touring and canyoning followed. Winter and summer, we prefer long hard trips by ourselves: about a week in Australia, up to two months in Europe/UK. We prefer fast and light in unfrequented trackless country. We would be out walking and skiing for at least three months a year. We have now moved to lightweight gear, much to our backs' relief. I designed and made much of our lightweight gear myself.
I am also the maintainer of the Australian aus.bushwalking FAQ web site www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/.
Product Information
| Manufacturer: | Duofold | |
| Manufacturer URL: | www.duofold.com/ | |
| Year of manufacture: | assumed 2005 | |
| Country of manufacture: | Honduras | |
| Style: | Silk Weight | |
| Model: | Men's Long Sleeve Crew Neck Top | |
| Model: | Men's Bottom w Fly HC4736 | |
| Size: | Medium | |
| Material: | Polyester knit | |
| Colour: | Black | |
| Listed weight: | not stated | |
| Actual weight (top): | 131 g (4.62 oz) | |
| Actual weight (bottom): | 126 g (4.45 oz) | |
| MSRP: | not stated | |
| Review Date: | 30-Dec-2005 |
Product Claims
Labeled 'Silk Weight Stretch', these are lightweight synthetic full-length base-layer garments. They are made from 'silver-based anti-microbial yarns', and are meant to 'wick moisture away from the skin for quick evaporation, keeping you warm, dry and comfortable'. This is meant to happen at 'Higher Activity Levels' in 'cooler weather': other garments in the range are suitable for lower activity levels or keeping you cool and dry under warmer conditions. There does not seem to be much else in the way of factual product claims or description on the packaging.
Initial Impressions
When I opened the box they came in, my first (tongue-in-cheek) thought was that someone had sent me two packs of freeze-dry food. Well, that is what the zip-top plastic bags looked like at first glimpse, anyhow. But I knew what they were from the brand.
So I opened up one of the packs and extracted the contents. A skivvy Crew-neck Top with a little logo on the sleeve was in one, and a pair of men's Longs were in the other. I knew they had to be a male fitting because the front had a cross-over fly arrangement. The knit fabric seemed quite light ('silk weight') and smooth.
Garment Fit
I popped them on of course, and found they did a good impersonation of a Superman outfit: they were skin-tight, but not excessively so. Now this is actually a good thing: when a garment is loose it doesn't trap much air against my skin at all, and so gives negligible warmth. In this case the soft knit fabric stays against my skin, and I expect it will trap air and insulate.
I tried wearing them around the house after taking the photos, but it dawned on me fairly quickly that they are definitely in the 'keep you warm' rather than the 'keep you cool' class. As you can see from the picture and my country, December is in the middle of our summer (in Australia), and this week we are having a heat wave: 35 - 40 C (95 - 104 F), with high humidity. Even so, I didn't notice much build-up of sweat, but I only had them on for a short while.
As you can see from the picture, the arms and legs seemed a good length on me. There was plenty of stretch in the legs: I think I had them pulled up a little bit from my ankles, so a taller person would still find the length of the Longs satisfactory. The arm lengths are 'comfortable' on me, but I have fairly long arms for my height. The waist length was fine: although not visible in the picture, the Top was tucked well into the Longs. The bottom edge came well below my coccyx, almost down to my crotch. I don't think there will be any gap around my back, and the Top should even keep my backside warm: we'll see. A seriously heavier person might find the fit a bit tight: I can't speak to that.
The seams are all 'flat-felled' - sewn flat with soft thread on a multi-needle machine. This seems standard these days on good underwear, but does make for comfort. The wrist and ankles are neither tight nor loose: suitable for underwear. I will have to see if they stretch much over time.
Assessment of Varitherm design
I was expecting ' light thermals' and this is exactly what arrived. They are lighter than our typical Australian outdoors thermals - a typical pair of those weighs about 205 g (7.23 oz) compared to the 131 g (4.62 oz) for these Varitherms, but I wear the Australian ones in the snow. These Varitherms are labeled 'silk weight', and will be more suited to milder conditions. The fit should be described as snug rather than tight, and in fact they feel quite comfortable.
The one drawback to the design is in the appearance of the Longs: with a broad exposed elastic waist and an obvious fly, they are obviously 'underwear'. I would have preferred the waist elastic to be concealed and the front to be plain. Granted, there are few situations where I want to go around looking like Superman without his red underpants, but it might have been useful. In comparison, the Top can be worn anywhere as a 'skivvy' and will be more versatile.
Planned Testing
Testing will be done on trips, both day and extended, and at home. Hopefully I will get some cool weather in a while so I can see how well they keep me warm - it's a heat-wave in mid-summer right now! But our weather can be very variable, especially when a cold front drifts over the mountains after a hot humid day and causes a sudden drop in temperature and an abrupt storm. When we have got the tent up in wet weather the first thing my wife and I do is to change out of our wet outerwear into a set of dry thermals. But I won't need anything too warm for many months to come, so these garments might be quite suitable. I will have to be a little careful here as very often our set of 'thermals' is all the reserve clothing we carry apart from a windshirt and matching trousers under our ultra-lightweight regime. For the other part, I will wear these garments around home under more 'civilian' life.
Things I would be monitoring in the Varitherm Top and Longs include:
