Backpacking Background:

Field Information:

Conditions over the latter half of this test series have not differentiated much from the conditions reported on in the Initial and Field reports.  It's been a damp, wet six months.  It was THE wettest summer I can remember!  The weather has been slightly dryer lately, but much cooler.  Temperatures now are running from 30 - 50 F (-1 - 10 C).  Besides another trek to the Adirondacks and all over Western New York, I was also able to test the Anorak in the Angeles National Forest in California.  Besides testing the Equinox Rainsuit on the trail, I've worn it canoeing and bushwacking as well.  It's been tested even more so around town.  The terrain for testing has been a mixed bag, with local conditions starting out as a flat plateau and changing to rolling hills further away from Lake Erie.  The flat land is around a 700 ft (200 m) elevation with the hills steadily increasing to close to 2000 ft (600 m).  The Adirondack region treks were in elevations in excess of 5000 ft (1525 m). 

Test Results:

Due to the weather conditions this summer, I had an exceptional amount of opportunities to test the Equinox Rainsuit.  I would first like to report on each item of the suit and then the overall effectiveness of the suit in general.

First, I'll start at my top with the Pileus Hat.  The hat held up well over the course of testing.  In a torential downpour, it leaks slightly around the seam, but I never seam sealed it.  The brim provides good cover and the under chin strap keeps a strong wind from robbing me of the hat.  But, I had a few issues with it as well.  First of all, I found it too warm to wear, especially in the warmer months.  Sure, it would keep the rain off my head, too bad I ended up just as wet from persperation!  The hat was effective though when I was in a minimal aerobic activity, like around camp or watching a ball game.  The mylar brim easily distorts too, altough easy enough to adjust.  I've never been able to recreate the crisp brim that the hat had when new.  Now, its shape is more like a fishing cap.  I've actually found that I like the hat much more in the cooler weather, as it was just too unbearable for me in the warmer weather.

The Squall Anorak is still my favorite piece of gear in the rain protection system.   I've found that it is equally applicable in the woods or about town.  In my experience, it's the only piece of the rain system  to be so versitale.  It was quite warm in the warmer weather, and there were times I just let the rain land on me because I couldn't handle the heat from wearing the Anorak.  But, I've found this to be its greatest asset now that it's cooler out.  Its insulative qualities have allowed me to really use the Anorak as another layer as well as a shell.  It does a great job of protecting against the wind.  The hook-and-loop fastener down the front of the anorak holds the front flap closed as good as it did when new.  It packs nicely into its own front pocket and I simply throw the sack into whatever bag I'm carrying.  It's been crushed in my pack, flattened as a pillow,  compressed as tight as a ball and it still performs great.  The seams leak ever-so-slightly around the shoulders, but again, I've never seam sealted them.   I wish the length of the Anorak was longer and maybe a little more trim fitting. 

I found the effectiveness of the Full Moon Chaps limited in the warmer weather.  Any benefits were outweighed by the fact that I found them too warm to wear.  Again though, now that it's cooling down, they are much more appropriate.  I love how quickly they go on, although I find the ties at the top (used to hold them up), quite annoying.  The elastic cord used to secure them at the top is difficult to tie.  I found the usefullness of the bottom vents to be pretty much useless - from a cooling standpoint.  To their credit though, they did facilitate getting the chaps on over boots.  They also provided me with an additional layer for my legs if needed.  If hiking in shorts, the chaps replaced my spare pants in the warmer weather too. 

Th Equinox Rain Suit is an effective, although limited system.  All three pieces work together fairly well in my opinion, except for the fact that the front of my pants was exposed to the conditions, even with the complete rain suit donned.  Inevitably, the clothes underneath would end up wet, given enough time and wind.  So far, I like the whole suit better in the cooler weather.  It adds a lot of heat, and traps it in quite nicely.  The whole rainsuit weighs so little, I carry it around virtually everwhere.  Its self-packing feature makes this even easier. 

The Equinox Rain Suit is warm and water repellant.  I have plenty of room in each piece of gear.  I found it much more applicable to wear in the cooler weather, versus those hot days of summer as it was in the middle of the test series.  The rain suit looks nice enough to wear around town, especially the Anorak.   In fact, I take it to work with me anytime it looks like I may need its protection - either from precipitation or the temperature.   All the pieces pack nicely into the front pocket of the anorak.  The entire system packs very small and takes up very little room.  It's durable as well.  The only downfall I've found is its lack of breathability.  It's just too hot to wear in the summer months.

Thanks again to Equinox and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test this product.

Tim