Long Term Report

Finbar Hood Long Term Report

Personal Information:
Name: Christine Korhonen
Age: 30
Gender: female
Height: 5'4" (1.6 m)
Weight: 155 lb (70 kg)
Hat size: 7¾ (24" [61 cm])
E-mail: chris@wormguy.com
Location: Western Montana
Date: September 22, 2004

Backpacking Background:
I'm in Montana where I'm enjoying the summers and 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 my summer pack weight is around 19 lb (9 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 Sleeper II Hood: $40 US
MSRP Walker-Hunter conversion kit: $5 US
Measured weight, total: 6.8 oz (190 g)

Field Test Information:
I've used the Finbar Hood in Montana and Wyoming at elevations between 4500 ft (1400 m) to 7500 ft (2300 m). Temperatures ranged between 32 F (0 C) and 45 F (7 C). Testing was conducted in a one-person tent.

Hood Description:
The Finbar Hood is a large balaclava worn while sleeping. It's made of a bright red polyester and has three layers of insulation. The thickest layer of insulation is removable, and was not used during my long term testing.

Use:
Summer isn't all that warm here in Montana, and I've used the hood quite a bit since May. I've brought it with me on every camping trip and wore it more times than I thought I would. Although it wasn't that cold, my sleeping bag was usually chilled by the time I got in the tent, and the hood helped me stay comfortable while my sleeping bag was warming up. I normally wore the hood for a couple of hours, then take it off for the rest of the night. I didn't use the arm straps and didn't have any problems with the hood turning while I slept or with the straps getting wrapped around my head.

Comfort:
I didn't realize how much I disliked the mummy hoods on sleeping bags until I tried the Finbar Hood. The Finbar is so much more comfortable! I'm free to turn my head without turning my whole body, and I don't feel nearly as confined. The hood has never slipped around my head; my nose and mouth have always stayed right at the opening. The inner lining is warm to the touch and soft against my skin. The hood is long enough that it shelters my face even when it isn't cinched up.

Wear:
I still haven't washed the hood. I've been wearing it only for sleeping, so there isn't much opportunity for it to get dirty. I had wondered how much my dirty hair would affect the hood, but there are no grease spots on the inside yet.

Walker-Hunter Model:
The Finbar Hood comes in two versions, the Sleeper and the Walker-Hunter. The difference between these two models is the addition of an inner drawstring on the Walker-Hunter model which allows the hood to be pulled back from the wearer's eyes. A kit with instructions for adding this drawstring to the Sleeper models can be purchased from Innovations by Finbar for $5 US. I received one of these kits during my testing and added the inner drawstring to my hood.

The kit comes with a 33" (84 cm) drawstring, two 2" (5 cm) pieces of cord, a cord lock, and instructions. Following the instructions, I sewed the two loops of cord to the inside back of the hood. The drawstring goes through these loops and is attached to the front of the hood at the level of my eyes. When I tighten the cord the hood is pulled back from my eyes. The hood stays in this position by securing the drawstring with the cord lock. I've placed the cord lock on the left side of my face where the inner drawstring is attached to the hood at the front opening. This allows me to get at the cord lock easily for adjustment.

I was a little confused by the kit's instructions because I didn't know what the finished product would look like. There is a diagram showing where to attach the loops on the back and where to attach the drawstring on the front of the hood, but another picture showing the drawstring in action would be helpful. Attaching the drawstring required very little sewing and took only about ten minutes.

The inner drawstring is a good idea that works really well. Shortening the string pulls the hood back from my eyes. This greatly increases my peripheral vision but still keeps my forehead and chin warm. When wearing the hood outside, it is a lot more comfortable when it's pulled away from my eyes. Using the inner drawstring allows me to see what I'm doing. It also keeps the hood tighter against my head so when I turn or nod the hood turns with me.

The inner drawstring is only attached to the hood by two loops, and is otherwise loose inside the hood. Having loose drawstrings on the inside of the hood makes me nervous when taking the hood on and off, but I haven't had any problems. When the drawstring is tight, it forms a loop around the crown of my head, and I can feel the string against the back of my head. Adding a strip of fabric to encase the drawstring would pad my head some and allay my fears of entanglement from the loose drawstring.

Overall: The Finbar Hood has become a must-have for all of my camping trips, regardless of time of year. It can snow in any month here in Montana, and I have slept better wearing this hood that I ever have had before while camping. I look forward to putting the hood on at night, and it's kept me toasty warm on every trip I've taken. I also appreciate the ability to pull the hood away from my face with the new Walker-Hunter drawstring. This hood has been extremely useful, and has allowed me to thoroughly enjoy my winter camping trips.

Plusses:
Warm
Comfortable
Packs easily

Minuses:
Arm straps not useful for me
Instructions for attaching Walker-Hunter drawstring could be more clear

Thanks to Brother Finbar McMullen for running this test and to BackpackGearTest.org for letting me be a part!

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

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Accessories > Finbar Hood > Christine Korhonen > Long Term Report

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