First, credit to Steven Evans in this thread. He's also doing a lengthly (8 day) winter trip and about one third of the way down the first page, posted a picture of him wearing all of his gear. It is something I have done, for the most part, except in relation to my insulating pants.
I found a fault - a simple one, yet obvious. It simply is this: I need to remove my mukluks to get my insulated pants on. The reason is also simple - the pants are meant to fit snugly, as in over a base layer or base layer and softshell pants. However, they also go to my ankles, and the gaiters on my mukluks stop about 1.5 inches below my kneecap. This means that the bottom snap at my ankle is not long enough to go around the outside of my mukluks without getting stretched too far. Also, because of the length of the pants and the size of my calves, I need must pull the bottom of the pants down as far as they go (i.e. to my ankle) in order to wear the pants and zip them completely shut on the bottom.
What does this all mean? I need to wear the pants correctly or not at all. To do this, I need to briefly pull off my muluks, slide the bottom of the pants to my ankles, and shove my mukluk back on.
Is this a huge deal? Yes and No. Yes because I will need to take off my boots when it is really cold or I'm going to be stopped for a prolonged period of time. No because I really only expect to do this when I get to camp, and maybe not ever. We'll see. In the past I have worn hardshell pants over 100-weight microfleece pants and a thin base layer with Sorel boots that were not as warm as my mukluks. Even when it was -20 and the wind was blowing at upwards of 15, 20 and 30 mph, I was fine on my lower half. That said, I am not leaving home without some form of insulating pants, and puffy insulation provides better a warmth-to-weight ratio than any fleece (even PowerStretch, one of the loftiest and lightest PolarTec fabrics) can offer. In the end, it probably does not matter. Even if I was taking hiking boots, full length gaiters and insulated over boots ( a la 40 Below), I would still need to at least pull down the gaiter to fully protect the insulation in the pants.
On a side note, I learned a few days ago that Mont-bell is posting the insulation weights of their garments. For example, the UL Thermawrap parka uses 80 g/m^2 Exceloft, whereas the UL Thermawrap jacket, pants and vest use 50 g/m^2. (Exceloft is Mont-bell's proprietary synthetic insulation.) Posting this information allows better comparisons between clothing, much like posting fill weight and fill power for down garments and bags.
Also, one of these days I'm going to have to replace my Nupste Jacket with something of a higher quality i.e. 800+ fill down and baffled construction or some serious synthetic insulation, like 5 or 6 oz/m^2 Primaloft Sport of Climashield. I'm working on a building a spreadsheet, like always, in order to compare these garments. More on that later, including requirements.
Finally, BPL is releasing their new line of clothing soon - first out are some merino wool shorts and a merino wool hoody. Me thinks that because of the popularity of the Patagonia R1 Hoody at BPL that Ryan Jordan and company are trying to tap into that market and put something out there in comparison. By the numbers, the BPL hoody is 8.2 oz for a medium with an 11" zipper. The hood looks to fit balaclava-tight and it has thumbholes. Retail is $108.99 for non-members and $98.99 for members. In contrast, the R1 is 10.9 oz, does not list a zipper length and also has a tight-fitting balaclava. It retails for $125, and you're hard-pressed to get that at anything less.
The idea behind the garments is simple: Build a piece of clothing that can act as your sole base layer, hat and gloves (and maybe insulating later in mild conditions). It would be something you never need to take off, and is highly versatile. The BPL hoody went on sale yesterday, and it hits the public on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008.
BPL should be releasing new garments and other gear later, including new insulating clothing and quilts (Post 3, by Ryan Jordan). I'm very, very curious what they're doing to boost the CLO ratings above PS, CS and PG.
Sad note: Western Nonwovens, Inc., makers of Climashield, have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (from Reuters). The news is old but it is news to me.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Clothing system for SHT
My clothing for the winter SHT has been a continuing conundrum to me. I need to be prepared for a wide range of temps, but I also need to keep it lightweight. I know the heavyweight options that I have used in the past are going to be overkill. I'm not going to take a fleece vest, 300 weight fleece jacket AND a down jacket all together. However, I know this heavyweight option has kept me warm. Thus, I (think) I've boiled it down to what I need.
For my head, I'm going with two hats: a thin fleece beanie and an OR Sonic Balaclava. The fleece hat is my trusty all-season insulating hat that I have taken everywhere. For its weight (1 oz), it is the warmest piece of gear I own (maybe). The balaclava is made of Gore Windstopper and WindPro fleece (ear panels). It also comes over my mouth and protects my nose. I know it is a laminate, so it will not breath as well, but it is there when the wind really starts blowing. My experience has shown me that wind protection on one's cheeks is a necessity. Coupled with a pair of goggles, I should be able to completely close off my face to the weather.
My biggest issues have come with my torso insulation layers. Working from the skin out, I am taking a Stephenson's VBL shirt, a REI Mistral jacket as my primary active wear. Both can serve as a base layer, and the REI jacket, which is made of PowerShield, is there for additional insulation when moving.
(I could just drop the Mistral jacket, but this needs some testing. This would then be placed in the uncomfortable position of being without flexibility in my clothing i.e. down jacket either on or off, nothing in between for my torso. I have also toyed around with the idea of bringing a thin fleece jacket or fleece vest instead.)
For insulation layers, I am taking my Nupste down jacket by The North Face. It's heavy, I know, but it is incredibly warm. I would prefer a lighter weight parka with an insulated hood and baffled construction, but I don't have the kind of cash to throw down for a Feathered Friends Hooded Helios or Hooded Volant Jacket. I would like to take my Thermawrap parka, but I don't think it will be warm enough without bringing some serious fleece to put underneath.
For a storm shell, I am taking my Rab Drillium. See my initial review of it here. In short, I believe a true hardshell is necessary given the uncertainties of weather and the locale where I will be. Although I lack experience with softshells in winter conditions, the theory does not jive with me: the snow may be wet and extensive, and that could/would wet out a hooded softshell, such as the Arc'Teryx Gamma MX Hoody or a Beyond Clothing Cold Play X Jacket.
Quickly, on softshells: Much has been written about the benefits of softshell clothing for winter use, here, here, here, and here. (please excuse the member-only content from last two). I am bringing a soft-shell style jacket with me, al beit without a hood and designed as a flexible base layer. If the weather was drier, I would be going with a softshell-style storm shell. However, the possibility of lake-effect blizzards requires a true hardshell to handle the expected conditions.
For my legs, I am taking a thin base layer for my next-to-skin layer. As my main active pant, I just bit the bullet and bought a pair of Marmot Scree Pants at 20 percent off. I know, it is a softshell and I just railed on them earlier. So let me explain. I am already wearing a softshell material for my lower legs, so I think I should extend that to my thighs. Even in a storm, I do not expect to have snow sticking to my legs like it would on the top of my hood, shoulders and arms. A few reasons: my legs are not horizontal and they are constantly moving. They provide no shoulder for snow to . The only exception to this is a blizzard in 30 degree weather where the snow melts on contact. I have experienced this kind of storm in central Minnesota and it that snowstorm (18" in 18 hours @ 30 degrees F) and it is in the back of my mind (my friends, too!). This, I know is an extreme, but it is something I need to be able to deal with. I the end, it is really about breathability. I am concerned with how much heat I will be putting out, and something more breathable than a hardshell is necessary for my legs.
Finally, experience tells me that a softshell pant is a good decision. At winter camp, the scouts wear wool pants over their base layers and are fine. They rarely wear fleece pants underneath or have hard shells over them. Thus, I have faith in a softshell pant. Eventually, I may move to a true softshell jacket (with hood), but that might take a while.
I am also taking some Stephenson's VBL pants. I anticipate these will only be used for really cold days where wearing my insulated pants while moving is necessary (sub -10 F). For insulating pants, I will be taking some Montbell Thermawrap U.L. pants. They are lighter and more compressible than my 100 microfleece pants, and they fit better.
On my feet will be (skin out), some Fox River X-static liner socks, Integral Designs VBL sock, a SmartWool Mountaineering sock, and lastly, my boots, a pair of Steger Mukluks Arctics w/o ribbon. I will be wearing a pair of MSR Lightning Ascents (25") for snowshoes.
For my hands, I will me taking my tried-and-true Black Diamond JetStream gloves. They're made of WindPro Polartec fleece, and are molded to my hands well. Experience has shown me that they should be good down to at least 0 (F) when moving. For insulating mitts, I will be using a pair of REI Ridgecrest, which are completely waterproof and have a Primaloft-like insulation. Ideally, I would like to take a VBL mitt, a la RBH Designs or the BPL Vapor Mitt, but it's a cost issue - I also can't justify purchasing them when I have perfectly good mitts to begin with.
I have debated these clothing choices much, and of all of the areas, I am most comfortable with my hand and foot layers. I believe I will be able to deal with any temperature the North Shore can throw at me, and probably more. The record low for Grand Marais is -35 (F), which is 15 degrees colder than I have ever experienced. That said, I have dealt with some crazy temps with outrageous windchills, and I believe I have assembled a hit that will be warm enough but also weigh a little as economically possible. Yes, there are lighter alternatives that are warmer for their weight, but those toys are far off. Until then, I'll deal with what I have.
For my head, I'm going with two hats: a thin fleece beanie and an OR Sonic Balaclava. The fleece hat is my trusty all-season insulating hat that I have taken everywhere. For its weight (1 oz), it is the warmest piece of gear I own (maybe). The balaclava is made of Gore Windstopper and WindPro fleece (ear panels). It also comes over my mouth and protects my nose. I know it is a laminate, so it will not breath as well, but it is there when the wind really starts blowing. My experience has shown me that wind protection on one's cheeks is a necessity. Coupled with a pair of goggles, I should be able to completely close off my face to the weather.
My biggest issues have come with my torso insulation layers. Working from the skin out, I am taking a Stephenson's VBL shirt, a REI Mistral jacket as my primary active wear. Both can serve as a base layer, and the REI jacket, which is made of PowerShield, is there for additional insulation when moving.
(I could just drop the Mistral jacket, but this needs some testing. This would then be placed in the uncomfortable position of being without flexibility in my clothing i.e. down jacket either on or off, nothing in between for my torso. I have also toyed around with the idea of bringing a thin fleece jacket or fleece vest instead.)
For insulation layers, I am taking my Nupste down jacket by The North Face. It's heavy, I know, but it is incredibly warm. I would prefer a lighter weight parka with an insulated hood and baffled construction, but I don't have the kind of cash to throw down for a Feathered Friends Hooded Helios or Hooded Volant Jacket. I would like to take my Thermawrap parka, but I don't think it will be warm enough without bringing some serious fleece to put underneath.
For a storm shell, I am taking my Rab Drillium. See my initial review of it here. In short, I believe a true hardshell is necessary given the uncertainties of weather and the locale where I will be. Although I lack experience with softshells in winter conditions, the theory does not jive with me: the snow may be wet and extensive, and that could/would wet out a hooded softshell, such as the Arc'Teryx Gamma MX Hoody or a Beyond Clothing Cold Play X Jacket.
Quickly, on softshells: Much has been written about the benefits of softshell clothing for winter use, here, here, here, and here. (please excuse the member-only content from last two). I am bringing a soft-shell style jacket with me, al beit without a hood and designed as a flexible base layer. If the weather was drier, I would be going with a softshell-style storm shell. However, the possibility of lake-effect blizzards requires a true hardshell to handle the expected conditions.
For my legs, I am taking a thin base layer for my next-to-skin layer. As my main active pant, I just bit the bullet and bought a pair of Marmot Scree Pants at 20 percent off. I know, it is a softshell and I just railed on them earlier. So let me explain. I am already wearing a softshell material for my lower legs, so I think I should extend that to my thighs. Even in a storm, I do not expect to have snow sticking to my legs like it would on the top of my hood, shoulders and arms. A few reasons: my legs are not horizontal and they are constantly moving. They provide no shoulder for snow to . The only exception to this is a blizzard in 30 degree weather where the snow melts on contact. I have experienced this kind of storm in central Minnesota and it that snowstorm (18" in 18 hours @ 30 degrees F) and it is in the back of my mind (my friends, too!). This, I know is an extreme, but it is something I need to be able to deal with. I the end, it is really about breathability. I am concerned with how much heat I will be putting out, and something more breathable than a hardshell is necessary for my legs.
Finally, experience tells me that a softshell pant is a good decision. At winter camp, the scouts wear wool pants over their base layers and are fine. They rarely wear fleece pants underneath or have hard shells over them. Thus, I have faith in a softshell pant. Eventually, I may move to a true softshell jacket (with hood), but that might take a while.
I am also taking some Stephenson's VBL pants. I anticipate these will only be used for really cold days where wearing my insulated pants while moving is necessary (sub -10 F). For insulating pants, I will be taking some Montbell Thermawrap U.L. pants. They are lighter and more compressible than my 100 microfleece pants, and they fit better.
On my feet will be (skin out), some Fox River X-static liner socks, Integral Designs VBL sock, a SmartWool Mountaineering sock, and lastly, my boots, a pair of Steger Mukluks Arctics w/o ribbon. I will be wearing a pair of MSR Lightning Ascents (25") for snowshoes.
For my hands, I will me taking my tried-and-true Black Diamond JetStream gloves. They're made of WindPro Polartec fleece, and are molded to my hands well. Experience has shown me that they should be good down to at least 0 (F) when moving. For insulating mitts, I will be using a pair of REI Ridgecrest, which are completely waterproof and have a Primaloft-like insulation. Ideally, I would like to take a VBL mitt, a la RBH Designs or the BPL Vapor Mitt, but it's a cost issue - I also can't justify purchasing them when I have perfectly good mitts to begin with.
I have debated these clothing choices much, and of all of the areas, I am most comfortable with my hand and foot layers. I believe I will be able to deal with any temperature the North Shore can throw at me, and probably more. The record low for Grand Marais is -35 (F), which is 15 degrees colder than I have ever experienced. That said, I have dealt with some crazy temps with outrageous windchills, and I believe I have assembled a hit that will be warm enough but also weigh a little as economically possible. Yes, there are lighter alternatives that are warmer for their weight, but those toys are far off. Until then, I'll deal with what I have.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Ouch: TC Marathon finished
Please excuse the lack of timeliness for this post.
It was the hardest thing I have ever done. It ranks up there with first-year law school exams and the LSAT.
My pace was fine through about 11 miles. I was running a pretty consistent 7:15. My first and second 5K times were even. I ran the fastest 10 mile and half marathon of my life; I was on pace to do about a 3:12 at the half. And then it went downhill. My pace started floating upward and I soon I ran a string at about 7:30. Two more miles boosted my pace to 8:30 at mile 18 and I ran four more miles at that pace. The next two were around 9:00 and then the last two were around 9:20.
The pain started at mile 16. My hamstrings started to give out. My quads went at mile 21 and all I could focus on were two simple things: get to Summit Avenue, the last road and a long 4.5 mile stretch of road; and get to my parents, who were camped just before Mile 23 at Snelling Avenue. Those thoughts kept me pushing as my paced slowed and the pain increased.
I crossed the finish line in 980th place at 3:28:35 chip time, all out of 7966 eventual finishers. That's top 12.5 percent of the crowd. Not bad for myself. My buddy ran a 3:01 chip time and finished in the top 300 runners.
The weather was brutal. Air temp at the start was in the low 40s and I decided to forgo a shirt and instead ran in my usual marathon shorts, hat and sunglasses. While standing in the corral, a Star Tribune photographer took shots of my cold, bare stomach and asked me if I was concerned about hypothermia. I said no, because I knew I would be sweating profusely. The sunglasses never moved from the top of my hat. A few miles in the rain came, first a mist with driving wind from the south, then an all-out down pour that soaked my shoes and put extra strain on my legs. It also didn't help my body temperature. I repeatedly lost and re-gained dexterity in my hands, especially my thumb. It made grabbing cups full of water and Powerade difficult - I needed two hands to take it from the volunteers.
My clothes choice ended up being a good one. Although my finger dexterity was questionable and was slightly chilled on the tops of my things in the high teens miles, I was fine. It was better than dealing with chaffed nipples or band-aids preventing the same, and it was better than carrying a heavy shirt that would stick to my body and chaff other parts.
When I was done, the world collapsed around me. I crossed the finish line and attempted to raise my arms to catch my breath. I couldn't. My hands touched at the base of my skull and dropped. I wobbled and almost fell. A medic who saw my plight asked me if I was OK. I said yes, and kept walking. I wanted my finisher shirt and my medallion, something I missed out on last y ear. I was quickly wrapped in a mylar heat blanket, which I quickly (and surprisingly at that time) sweated out. At the line, there was water, Powerade, potato chips, hot soup broth, bananas and small kaiser rolls. I grabbed water and chips, and attempted to eat both at once. The chips fell out of the bag to the ground and kept walking. I couldn't be bothered by such trivialities.
I needed to get my sweats bag. In it was a thin fleece jacket and hat, and my cell phone. I wandered on the Capitol grounds toward the check. Armed Forces volunteers (Army or National Guard) from Ft. Snelling were in the fenced enclosure and got my bag. I ripped it open (I previously duct taped the bag shut) and put on my clothes and hobbled on toward the Capitol steps. To get there, I had to walk down and up a curb over a sidewalk. It was a standard curb, about a five inch drop and rise, but I couldn't manage it without help. My legs were inflexible rods, my knees bending only to shuffle my feet forward. Volunteers assisted me down the step and up the next one, and I meandered toward the family meeting ground. By now, I had my sweats on and the mylar blanket wrapped like a skirt. My family soon came - we took the obligatory photographs and went to the cars.
At home, it was shower time. I couldn't get the water hot enough. My body was ravaged. I was dehydrated and low on blood sugar. All that had kept my body temp up was my running. Normally I would have been eating constantly to keep my core temp up, and since I had been running, I had spent all of that energy just moving forward.
But it was now time to replenish that calorie loss - Pizza Luce (lu-che) was next. I ordered a "Bear," which basically is a meat-lovers paradise. It looks like the farmer went around the barnyard and took an axe to one of every type of meat-producing animal he raised. I ate about half of a 16" and was hungry later.
For the next 48 hours, I remained hobbling like an old man (mind you, I'm in my early 20s). I sucked in water constantly to help flush out all of the lactic acid that had accumulated. On Wednesday morning, I was fine.
I went running for the first time since the marathon on Oct. 20, 2008. I had taken just over two weeks off, and I felt fine. My body is currently showing no ill effects from the race, and it is my full intention to continue running and begin serious training for January's snowshoe trek.
It was the hardest thing I have ever done. It ranks up there with first-year law school exams and the LSAT.
My pace was fine through about 11 miles. I was running a pretty consistent 7:15. My first and second 5K times were even. I ran the fastest 10 mile and half marathon of my life; I was on pace to do about a 3:12 at the half. And then it went downhill. My pace started floating upward and I soon I ran a string at about 7:30. Two more miles boosted my pace to 8:30 at mile 18 and I ran four more miles at that pace. The next two were around 9:00 and then the last two were around 9:20.
The pain started at mile 16. My hamstrings started to give out. My quads went at mile 21 and all I could focus on were two simple things: get to Summit Avenue, the last road and a long 4.5 mile stretch of road; and get to my parents, who were camped just before Mile 23 at Snelling Avenue. Those thoughts kept me pushing as my paced slowed and the pain increased.
I crossed the finish line in 980th place at 3:28:35 chip time, all out of 7966 eventual finishers. That's top 12.5 percent of the crowd. Not bad for myself. My buddy ran a 3:01 chip time and finished in the top 300 runners.
The weather was brutal. Air temp at the start was in the low 40s and I decided to forgo a shirt and instead ran in my usual marathon shorts, hat and sunglasses. While standing in the corral, a Star Tribune photographer took shots of my cold, bare stomach and asked me if I was concerned about hypothermia. I said no, because I knew I would be sweating profusely. The sunglasses never moved from the top of my hat. A few miles in the rain came, first a mist with driving wind from the south, then an all-out down pour that soaked my shoes and put extra strain on my legs. It also didn't help my body temperature. I repeatedly lost and re-gained dexterity in my hands, especially my thumb. It made grabbing cups full of water and Powerade difficult - I needed two hands to take it from the volunteers.
My clothes choice ended up being a good one. Although my finger dexterity was questionable and was slightly chilled on the tops of my things in the high teens miles, I was fine. It was better than dealing with chaffed nipples or band-aids preventing the same, and it was better than carrying a heavy shirt that would stick to my body and chaff other parts.
When I was done, the world collapsed around me. I crossed the finish line and attempted to raise my arms to catch my breath. I couldn't. My hands touched at the base of my skull and dropped. I wobbled and almost fell. A medic who saw my plight asked me if I was OK. I said yes, and kept walking. I wanted my finisher shirt and my medallion, something I missed out on last y ear. I was quickly wrapped in a mylar heat blanket, which I quickly (and surprisingly at that time) sweated out. At the line, there was water, Powerade, potato chips, hot soup broth, bananas and small kaiser rolls. I grabbed water and chips, and attempted to eat both at once. The chips fell out of the bag to the ground and kept walking. I couldn't be bothered by such trivialities.
I needed to get my sweats bag. In it was a thin fleece jacket and hat, and my cell phone. I wandered on the Capitol grounds toward the check. Armed Forces volunteers (Army or National Guard) from Ft. Snelling were in the fenced enclosure and got my bag. I ripped it open (I previously duct taped the bag shut) and put on my clothes and hobbled on toward the Capitol steps. To get there, I had to walk down and up a curb over a sidewalk. It was a standard curb, about a five inch drop and rise, but I couldn't manage it without help. My legs were inflexible rods, my knees bending only to shuffle my feet forward. Volunteers assisted me down the step and up the next one, and I meandered toward the family meeting ground. By now, I had my sweats on and the mylar blanket wrapped like a skirt. My family soon came - we took the obligatory photographs and went to the cars.
At home, it was shower time. I couldn't get the water hot enough. My body was ravaged. I was dehydrated and low on blood sugar. All that had kept my body temp up was my running. Normally I would have been eating constantly to keep my core temp up, and since I had been running, I had spent all of that energy just moving forward.
But it was now time to replenish that calorie loss - Pizza Luce (lu-che) was next. I ordered a "Bear," which basically is a meat-lovers paradise. It looks like the farmer went around the barnyard and took an axe to one of every type of meat-producing animal he raised. I ate about half of a 16" and was hungry later.
For the next 48 hours, I remained hobbling like an old man (mind you, I'm in my early 20s). I sucked in water constantly to help flush out all of the lactic acid that had accumulated. On Wednesday morning, I was fine.
I went running for the first time since the marathon on Oct. 20, 2008. I had taken just over two weeks off, and I felt fine. My body is currently showing no ill effects from the race, and it is my full intention to continue running and begin serious training for January's snowshoe trek.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Jacket in hand is better than one on order
Midwest called today to inform me that they could not order my Drillium jacket from Rab. I was told that Rab is out of stock for this year's model and is making changes to the jacket. I could not get the new model by my Dec. 1 deadline. So I went to Midwest and bought one of their purple (indigo) models in my size.
It is purple, effectively. This adds to my collection of purple gear - Montbell Thermawrap, TNF Nupste and Marmot Col. Woot. It is not the international orange that I would have preferred, but purple is still visible against white snow. Its still a bold color and effective for what I need.
So far, the jacket works well - I biked back from Midwest and the jacket breathed reasonably well. My sleeves were the area of sweat buildup, but I believe that will go away if I wear a long-sleeve shirt underneath. I'm not worried about it. I have been wearing it sitting down with a t-shirt and a softshell jacket on and been fine.
---
As a later addition to this post, I have now had the jacket for about 6 weeks. In that time, I have taken it hiking with my father, been rained on in it and wore it while biking. Here's the skinny - I can work extremely hard and not wet the thing out. Yes, it can feel incredibly humid underneath, but I am not cold because of it. As I relayed to the employee at Midwest Mountaineering, it is the best eVent is the best waterproof-breathable fabric out there that I have tried.
It is purple, effectively. This adds to my collection of purple gear - Montbell Thermawrap, TNF Nupste and Marmot Col. Woot. It is not the international orange that I would have preferred, but purple is still visible against white snow. Its still a bold color and effective for what I need.
So far, the jacket works well - I biked back from Midwest and the jacket breathed reasonably well. My sleeves were the area of sweat buildup, but I believe that will go away if I wear a long-sleeve shirt underneath. I'm not worried about it. I have been wearing it sitting down with a t-shirt and a softshell jacket on and been fine.
---
As a later addition to this post, I have now had the jacket for about 6 weeks. In that time, I have taken it hiking with my father, been rained on in it and wore it while biking. Here's the skinny - I can work extremely hard and not wet the thing out. Yes, it can feel incredibly humid underneath, but I am not cold because of it. As I relayed to the employee at Midwest Mountaineering, it is the best eVent is the best waterproof-breathable fabric out there that I have tried.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
RIP: Marmot PreCip jacket; Hello Rab Drillium
My love affair with my Marmot PreCip jacket is over. It has died a long, slow death. Nikwax couldn't fix it, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I think the decline started when I let my mother wash it oh-so many years ago. Since then, I have blissfully ignored the jacket's short-comings. Now, the shell is a worth no more than a typical PVC parka. It does not bead water and as a result, does not breath. I got wet from the inside.
Where the PreCip comes up short is the fabric - it is not as breathable as one needs it to be, and the DWR is gone, never to be repaired again. With respect to features, it has more than most jackets with its tremendous pit zips and dual pockets big enough to fit footballs in. Most jackets these days just have a single Napoleon pocket - dumb, me thinks.
So what's next? I'm upgrading either to Gore-Tex PacLite, ProShell or eVent. Therein, the options are endless. My criteria are pretty simple. I want a feature-rich jacket. It should have pitzips, at least two pockets, a stiff brim and an easily-adjustable hood. I want a draw cord on the bottom hem. I want it to be large enough to wear over a few layers, at least a fleece and my Montbell parka. I also want it reasonably close in weight to my PreCip (~11.9 oz). And the last requirement, and probably the most exacting of all - I want to be able to use it year-round. It's more of a weight issue there, but I don't want a 20 oz. winter shell.
---
Post draft edit/addition:
I went to Midwest this evening with Thermawrap and Nupste in hand. I wanted to try on their Rab Jackets. They carry two - the Drillium and the Lokat Alpine. The Alpine is an alpine jacket. It has huge pockets and a large hood designed for helmets. I went with the Drillium. It is lighter (14.1 oz) than the Lokat (18 oz) and it is slimmer cut. It also fit over my Mistral and Thermawrap easily. I could also layer my Nupste over it easily. I ended up going with their "amber" colored jacket, which looks more like international orange than "amber." I had to special order it because they did not have my size and color in stock. They had a purple shell in stock in my size, but I already have too much purple gear and orange is more visible to rescue squads and hunters. The purple also got the cabash from the girlfriend - mostly for the rescue squad reason.
I was surprised by the jacket - Rab bills the Drillium as a multi-spot jacket and says it is cut narrowly. But when I tried it on, the sleeves where very long, the bottom hem went down past my butt and the hood was fantastic (Everyone is making hoods similar to Arc'Teryx hoods now - there is a stiff brim and the hood adjusters attach near your temples; they do not encompass the entire hood). I expected a much narrower cut and the inability to layer it over more than a heavy fleece.
Before going into this purchase, I was looking for a shell that would layer over my Nupste. That meant I needed a shell with at least a 44 inch chest - this is an XL or XXL for most manufacturers. My PreCip could do this. Previously, I knew people purchased their winter shells to be worn over a midweight layer or heavy fleece, but not over their down parka. The idea is that you carry the puffy jacket on your pack and put it on when you stop or get into camp.
I agreed with this proposition when I purchased the shell. I don't remember the last time it was snowing and I needed a puffy jacket to stay warm. It snows less as it gets colder because the air cannot hold very much moisture. And so I went with the jacket, knowing that if it is snowing and uber cold that I may be in a little bit of trouble.
The jacket is being shipped to the store - I'm not going to get a call when the order is placed with Rab, but I am going to get a call when it arrives. I'm not sure when that is, but I put a Dec. 1 deadline to get the jacket. More when it arrives. I'm excited.
Where the PreCip comes up short is the fabric - it is not as breathable as one needs it to be, and the DWR is gone, never to be repaired again. With respect to features, it has more than most jackets with its tremendous pit zips and dual pockets big enough to fit footballs in. Most jackets these days just have a single Napoleon pocket - dumb, me thinks.
So what's next? I'm upgrading either to Gore-Tex PacLite, ProShell or eVent. Therein, the options are endless. My criteria are pretty simple. I want a feature-rich jacket. It should have pitzips, at least two pockets, a stiff brim and an easily-adjustable hood. I want a draw cord on the bottom hem. I want it to be large enough to wear over a few layers, at least a fleece and my Montbell parka. I also want it reasonably close in weight to my PreCip (~11.9 oz). And the last requirement, and probably the most exacting of all - I want to be able to use it year-round. It's more of a weight issue there, but I don't want a 20 oz. winter shell.
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Post draft edit/addition:
I went to Midwest this evening with Thermawrap and Nupste in hand. I wanted to try on their Rab Jackets. They carry two - the Drillium and the Lokat Alpine. The Alpine is an alpine jacket. It has huge pockets and a large hood designed for helmets. I went with the Drillium. It is lighter (14.1 oz) than the Lokat (18 oz) and it is slimmer cut. It also fit over my Mistral and Thermawrap easily. I could also layer my Nupste over it easily. I ended up going with their "amber" colored jacket, which looks more like international orange than "amber." I had to special order it because they did not have my size and color in stock. They had a purple shell in stock in my size, but I already have too much purple gear and orange is more visible to rescue squads and hunters. The purple also got the cabash from the girlfriend - mostly for the rescue squad reason.
I was surprised by the jacket - Rab bills the Drillium as a multi-spot jacket and says it is cut narrowly. But when I tried it on, the sleeves where very long, the bottom hem went down past my butt and the hood was fantastic (Everyone is making hoods similar to Arc'Teryx hoods now - there is a stiff brim and the hood adjusters attach near your temples; they do not encompass the entire hood). I expected a much narrower cut and the inability to layer it over more than a heavy fleece.
Before going into this purchase, I was looking for a shell that would layer over my Nupste. That meant I needed a shell with at least a 44 inch chest - this is an XL or XXL for most manufacturers. My PreCip could do this. Previously, I knew people purchased their winter shells to be worn over a midweight layer or heavy fleece, but not over their down parka. The idea is that you carry the puffy jacket on your pack and put it on when you stop or get into camp.
I agreed with this proposition when I purchased the shell. I don't remember the last time it was snowing and I needed a puffy jacket to stay warm. It snows less as it gets colder because the air cannot hold very much moisture. And so I went with the jacket, knowing that if it is snowing and uber cold that I may be in a little bit of trouble.
The jacket is being shipped to the store - I'm not going to get a call when the order is placed with Rab, but I am going to get a call when it arrives. I'm not sure when that is, but I put a Dec. 1 deadline to get the jacket. More when it arrives. I'm excited.
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