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Owner Review:
Frogg Toggs Pro Action Suit
Owner Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77
kg)
E-mail address: pamwyant@yahoo.com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
Date: February 19, 2005 |
Backpacking Background:
Last year I acted on my long time interest in backpacking,
and started
day hiking, researching backpacking products and techniques, and
purchasing
gear. I took a few overnight trips,
including one solo. I currently day
hike often, am planning several overnight and weekend trips this year,
and hope
to take a weeklong trip and do a winter overnight.
I hike and backpack mainly in the hills and valleys of
West
Virginia, and use a hammock sleeping system. For
a two-day trip my pack typically weighs 22-30 pounds
(10-14 kg),
which I am working on lightening.
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Product Information:
Manufacturer: Frogg
Toggs
Year of manufacture:
2004
Manufacturer Website: http://www.froggtoggs.com/
Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $74.95
U.S.
Size: XL
Listed weight: not
given
Actual weight:
jacket 10 oz (283 g), pants 7 oz (198 g)
Fabric: patented
3-layer microporous polypropylene
Product Description:
The jacket features a hood with a draw cord around
the face
that can be tightened by a cord lock on each side.
The hood rolls and tucks into a zippered collar.
There are two front hand warmer style
pockets that fasten with a snap, a storm flap with snaps that fasten
over the
front zippered opening, and elastic at the sleeve cuffs and bottom of
the
jacket to keep it snug. The only seams
in the jacket are at the collar and sleeves, and these are not taped. The pants feature snap closure pocket style
slits, but with no actual pockets, so the wearer can access the front
pockets
of pants worn underneath. The pants
also have an elastic waist, elastic at the bottom of the pants legs,
and an 8
in (20 cm) long zipper at the bottom of each pant leg.
There are no seams on the outside of the
pants legs. The front and rear seams on
the stomach and buttocks area and the seam on the inside of the pants
legs are
taped.
The
fabric has a
papery feel to it on the outside. The
inside of the fabric feels similar, but
with a very slight feel of a membrane coating.
A label inside the pants provides laundering instructions to
hand or
machine wash in cold water and to drip dry only. The
label warns not to heat dry or dry-clean, to avoid open
flames or other ignition sources, and that oil or alcohol based
products cause
permanent stains.
The manufacturer guarantees the product to be
waterproof,
windproof, and breathable, and provides contact phone numbers and names
of
staff members, as well as an e-mail address on their website.
Frogg Toggs Pro Action Suits are available in a
variety of
colors. Mine is a mottled charcoal gray
color, which I like due to its muted appearance. The
jacket and pants can be rolled together into a cylinder approximately
7 x 12 in (18 x 30 cm) for storage in my pack.
Field Conditions:
I have used my Frogg Toggs Pro Action Suit for
approximately
eleven months in a variety of temperatures, ranging from approximately
40 to 80
F (4 to 27 C), on day hikes, backpacking overnights, day events, and
camping. Terrain has varied from nearly
level to steep, but walkable; trail widths from single file paths to
wider fire
roads; and surfaces from grassy fields to rocky ridges.
I usually stay on established trails and do
not do much bushwhacking, especially in rainy conditions.
The longest use so far was a 14-mile (23 km)
trip on the Greenbrier River Trail, with near solid rain and
temperatures in
the 40 F (4 C) range for the first day of approximately 7 miles (11 km).
Field
Use:
Although at first the papery feel of the fabric
made me
doubt its ability to shed water, my doubts were soon overcome. I have found the manufacturer’s claim of
waterproof, windproof breathability to be accurate.
Rain has never penetrated the fabric during the numerous times I
have worn the rain suit, and I do not overheat as much in the Frogg
Toggs as I
have in polyurethane rain suits. The
Frogg Toggs Pro Action Suit also blocks the wind, and adds a bit of
warmth, so
I’ve also found it useful even when it’s not raining.
When hiking and backpacking in wet windy conditions with
temperatures around 45 F (7 C), I have stayed warm enough with only a
lightweight base layer underneath. I
have found that if I expect rain and temperatures 60 F (16 C) and
under, I feel
most comfortable wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants under the Frogg
Toggs. One the one occasion that I wore
only short sleeves in the rain with temperatures 60 F (16 C), my arms
felt cold
and clammy where they were in direct contact with the fabric. The only other time I have felt
uncomfortable wearing the Frogg Toggs was during a light rain shower on
a warm,
humid summer day, during which I ended up taking the jacket off and
holding it
over my head for rain protection with more ventilation, as I was
feeling very
hot with it on. In most conditions,
however the fabric seems to keep me quite comfortable, leading me to
conclude
it is fairly breathable.
So far, even after nearly a year of use, my Frogg
Toggs have
held up well. I have experienced no
rips or tears. The only sign of use
that is visible is a slight “fuzzy” appearance to the fabric where some
small
fibers have pilled. I have been very
careful to make sure my rain suit is completely dry before storing it
after
use. This usually involves re-arranging
the way the jacket and pants hang a few times, because any where the
fabric is
folded together (such as under the sleeves), it does not dry well.
Summary:
My Frogg Toggs Pro Action Suit fits me very loosely, being
larger than the size recommended for my size and height according to
the
manufacturer’s web site. Although the
jacket won’t fit over my backpack when hiking, I have found it will fit
over my
daypack, a 2400 cu in (39 L) model measuring approximately 19 x 14 x 7
in (51 x
36 x 18 cm), and keep it protected from rain.
I have found the rain suit very comfortable, and would
definitely
consider purchasing Frogg Toggs if I need new rain gear in the future.
Even in the extra large size, the entire suit is light
enough that I don’t mind taking it along on any hike or backpacking
trip. The packed size is reasonably small,
and
while it is bulkier than ponchos I have owned, it provides much better
coverage. When significant rain is
expected, it’s become my favorite rain gear due to its light weight.

Things I like:
Totally waterproof
Light weight
Comfortable
Reasonably priced
Things I don’t like:
Pilling of fabric
Can be clammy when touching exposed skin in cooler
temperatures
When wet, overlapping fabric doesn’t dry easily
Read more reviews of Frogg Toggs gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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