Initial Report

Finbar Hood Initial Report

Personal Information:
Name: Christine Korhonen
Age: 30
Gender: female
Height: 5'4" (1.6 m)
Weight: 165 lb (75 kg)
Hat size: 7¾ (24" [61 cm])
E-mail: chris@wormguy.com
Location: Western Montana
Date: March 24, 2003

Backpacking Background:
I'm in Montana where I'm becoming re-acquainted with winter. Now that I'm back above the snow line, I'm attempting some winter camping and snowshoeing. I'm a lightweight backpacker mentally, if not always in practice. I've gotten my summer multi-day pack weight down to 13 lb (6 kg), but winter backpacking is still new to me, and my winter pack weight hovers around 25 lb (11 kg).

Product Information:
Manufacturer: Innovations by Finbar
URL: http://www.finnovations.org/
Model: Sleeper II
MSRP: $40 US
Weight not provided by manufacturer.
Measured weight, total: 6.8 oz (190 g)
Measured weight, removable fiberfill layer: 1.0 oz (28 g)

Hood Description:
The Finbar Hood is a large balaclava designed to be worn instead of an attached hood on a sleeping bag. The Finbar Hood Sleeper II is made of a bright red polyester outer shell with a blue supplex nylon inner lining. Two layers of 3M Lite-Loft insulation are attached to the hood, and there is an additional removable layer of polyester fiberfill insulation. The red material is slippery and cool to the touch while the blue material is soft and feels like cotton.

The Sleeper II has uninsuated front and back bibs which are extensions of the hood that extend 7½" (19 cm) from the hood's neck down into the sleeping bag to keep out drafts. There's a small label on the back bib indicating that the Finbar Hood™ is patent pending. Attached to the front and rear edges of the bib are two ribbons, one on either side. These ribbons are arm straps that go under the wearer's arms to keep the hood in place. There is a thin nylon drawstring used to cinch the hood closed in front of the wearer's face. The hood can be held closed by the attached cord-lock. When the hood is cinched closed, there are two breathing holes, a large one at the nose, and a smaller slit at the mouth.

First Impression:
This hood is huge! The hood only comes in one size, and even though I have a big head, the hood is large on me. With the hood on, I feel like I'm in a tunnel. The hood extends a good 3½" (9 cm) past the edge of my face. Even with the drawstring fully closed, my nose does not poke through the blow hole, and there's room for me to turn my head.

First Use:
When I first put the hood on, I got a little claustrophobic. The hood's front bib is a solid piece of material, so the hood must be put on by lowering the whole piece over one's head. When the hood is on, the default position for the hood is up, and the feeling of being in a tunnel is very evident. I was able to push the hood back so my head was free only after I untied the ends of the drawstring and extended the cord-lock as far as it would go. With the drawstring out of the way, I can fit my face through the front hole of the hood and push the hood back, but it's a tight squeeze unless I get my head angled through the hole just right. Since the drawstring is made of stiff nylon, any knots in it to prevent the cord-lock from falling off take up a lot of cord. A slightly longer piece of cord, or a cord of a more flexible material, could be used to allow the drawstring full extension and still have enough room for a knot on the bottom.

When I started feeling comfortable in the hood, I was struck by how much noise my hair made against the inner lining. Sounds originating outside the hood were slightly muffled when the hood was on.

The arm-strap ribbons are quite loose, and it's easy to slip my arms through them. I have full range of motion in my arms when the hood is on and don't notice the arm straps at all.

Packing:
The hood is large, but it can pack very small. The hood arrived in a 4" x 4½" x 9" (10 cm x 11 cm x 23 cm) box. Looking at the hood in it's expanded state, I'm amazed it could pack down that much. I found a 8" x 9" (20 cm x 23 cm) stuff sack and was able to get the hood in it with no problem.

Documentation:
The hood came with a lot of documentation, some of which is shown on the Innovations by Fin website. The hood came with sheets describing its features, its benefits, how to remove the inner layer of fiberfill , the role of moisture in heat loss (personally signed by Brother Finbar!), support from Ann Bancroft (the American Women's Trans-Antarctic Expedition leader), and data from field tests. These tests were conducted by Brother Finbar himself in Minnesota, and indicate that he was able to sleep in temperatures as low as -26 F (-32 C) using the Finbar Hood.

One thing I learned from the documentation that I didn't get from the website was to wear a silk or polypropylene balaclava under the hood to keep the hood clean. This certainly makes sense, but wasn't something I would have thought of on my own. I don't have a silk or polypropylene balaclava. Innovations by Fin could indicate on their website that this type of liner is recommended so prospective buyers can get one before their hood arrives. Other information that I would like to see on the website are the differences between the Sleeper I and Sleeper II hood models. I understand the main difference is the Sleeper I has insulation in the bib as well as the hood while the Sleeper II has an uninsulatd bib.

Test Plan:
I will test the Finbar Hood for ease of use and comfort in the backpacking trips I take the rest of this winter. I will be testing the hood without an additional silk or polypropylene liner, so will find out how dirty the hood gets. I will see how easy the hood is to put on and take off in a small tent, how well it works with my sleeping bag, and how comfortable it is to sleep in. I will see how much condensation forms in the hood while using it in temperatures above freezing, and I will find out how well the hood fits in my backpacking style.

Read more reviews of Innovations by Fin gear
Read more gear reviews by Christine Korhonen

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Accessories > Finbar Hood > Christine Korhonen > Initial Report

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