pamwyant
2006-01-04 05:11:11 UTC
As with my jacket report, I apolgize for the lack of conversions for
some measurements, and will correct as soon as the site is back up
with that wonderful conversion page I have become so dependent on.
The HTML version is ready otherwise, and I will post to the test
folder when we get the go ahead.
Pam Wyant
Field Report:
Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Full Zip Epic Pants
Date: January 3, 2006
Tester Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77 kg)
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western West Virginia, U.S.A.
Backpacking Background:
As spring 2006 looms on the horizon, I'm beginning my third year of
backpacking, and I continue to love it! So far, I've progressed
from day-hiking and single overnights to weekend trips, but I'm
planning a longer trip for spring '06. Hopefully it will be a
section hike of the Appalachian Trail! 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 typical pack weighs 22-30 lb
(10-14 kg) including consumables, and I'm striving to lighten that a
bit.
Product Information -
Manufacturer: Big Sky Products
Year of manufacture: 2005
Date of Delivery: October 21, 2005
Size: Large
Total Length: 44 in (112 cm)
Inseam Length: 33 in (84 cm)
Circumference at waist: 34 in (86 cm)
Circumference at hem (one leg): 14.5 in (37 cm)
Advertised Weight: 6.9 oz (196 g)
Weight as delivered: 7.2 oz (204 g)
Color: Dark Blue
Manufacturer Website: http://www.bigskyproducts.com
MSRP: $89.95 US
Features -
Water/wind resistant, breathable Epic fabric
Full side zip
Water resistant YKK zippers
Elastic waist with Velcro closures
Elastic ankle cuffs with snap closure
Gusseted crotch
General description:
The Warm-n-Cozy Full Zip Epic Pants are made of a soft, thin, and
silky feeling fabric that makes a light rustling sound when handled
or worn. They have a full length water resistant zipper, hook and
loop waist adjustment tabs, and a snap closure at the hem bottom.
For a more detailed description and photos, please see my Initial
Report.
Field Information:
So far I've worn the Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Full Zip Epic
Pants on trails, back country roads, and streets of West Virginia.
Hiking elevations have ranged from a high over 4200 feet on the Tea
Creek Mountain Trail to a low near 800 feet at Charles Fork Lake.
Temperatures have ranged from lows in the 20 F range to highs around
70 F. I've day-hiked with the pants on several occasions, carrying
loads ranging from only a half liter of water to a day pack weighing
approximately 7 lb. So far, I've had them on one weekend
backpacking trip carrying a pack weighing approximately 30 lb
including food and water.
Use:
I've worn the Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Full Zip Epic Pants over
silk to mid-weight base layers and found them very comfortable so
far, although the combination of the base layer and the pants made
me a bit too hot when hiking in 70 F weather. I was able to cool
down a bit by leaving the waist tabs fastened and unzipping the
zippers about 6 in at the top for venting. The pants do seem to add
a small amount of warmth even though they are thin, and wind doesn't
seem to penetrate the fabric (but will push it against the base
layer, transferring some cold in the process). I did find my legs
felt uncomfortably cool at 20 F with a mid-weight base layer under
the pants, although I didn't feel dangerously cold. I haven't been
fortunate (or as I would normally consider it, unfortunate) enough
to be hiking or working in a pouring rain yet. I have worn the
pants while hiking in a light rain and in light snow, and have not
noticed any leaks in the fabric or zippers. Due to the lack of
significant testing in heavy rain, I tested the pants in my home
shower for about 5 minutes (while also wearing the Big Sky Products
Warm-N-Cozy Epic Jacket, and still found no leaks.
The pants fit me well. I've found them easy to pull on and off,
even without unfastening the waist tabs or ankle snaps when I put
them on without shoes. If I'm pulling them on over my shoes, I find
it convenient to unfasten the waist tabs and unzip the waist around
10-12 in and unsnap the ankle snaps and unzip the ankles around 12-
14 in. This allows me to gather the pants and pull them on without
getting a lot of dirt or debris in the pants from my shoes. When I
first received the pants I found the waistband a little higher than
I normally like, but the pants are so lightweight and comfortable
that this hasn't been a problem.
So far the fabric is holding up well with no fraying or wear, and
the slight odor I noted upon first receiving the pants has
dissipated. The zippers have worked smoothly, although requiring a
little more pressure to operate than a normal non-water resistant
zipper. The waist hook and loop holds well. One downside I have
noticed is that the ankle snaps remain very hard to open. About the
only way I can open them is to partially unzip the pants at the
ankle, grasp both sides of the fabric near the snap, and pull hard.
The pants are lightweight to carry for rain gear, and pack small -
not much larger than a half liter bottle of water when compressed.
I do find them difficult to fold or roll neatly due to the heavy
zipper making the pants thick and stiff in that area, compounded by
the slippery fabric causing the material to slide around. I've
found it works best just to gather the pants lengthwise around the
zipper, and then sort of twist and roll them together.
I have missed having pockets in the pants, especially when I wear
them when it isn't raining. However, due to the light weight of the
fabric, I think that a loaded pocket would cause the waist of the
pants to sag and droop from the weight. On one hike, I fastened the
Warm-N-Cozy Epic Jacket stored in it's own pocket to the hook and
loop of the pants waistband, and found the weight of the jacket
really caused the pants to pull down on that side. This lead me to
the conclusion that pockets probably wouldn't be very useful in the
pants anyway, since I couldn't carry much weight in them.
Testing Plan:
I'll be continuing to test the Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Full Zip
Epic Pants mainly in West Virginia, on varied trails and back roads
at elevations anticipated at 550 to over 4000 feet (150 to over 1200
meters). Temperatures could range anywhere from lows in the 0 F (-
18 C) range to highs up to the 80 F (27 C) if we experience at
abnormally warm winter days, which seems to usually occur at least
once in either January or February. We usually have lots of
rainfall, some snow, and occasional sleet or ice over the winter.
Most of my use for this time of year will be day hiking, although I
hope to fit in at least one backpacking trip if weather conditions
permit me to feel I can safely do so. Many of my trips are carried
out near rivers or streams, and moisture laden air is often a side
effect in these areas creating dampness in colder weather that adds
a definite chill. I also plan to use the pants during times of
significant precipitation when I am working, which entails being
outdoors for part of most days.
I will continue to monitor how the pants handle various weather
conditions. Key characteristics that I will be testing for include
continued waterproofness/resistance, windproofness, warmth, and
durability. If I am fortunate enough to have weather conditions
permitting a backpacking trip, my pack weight will likely vary
between 30-35 lb. During day hikes I will be carrying a wide
variety of weight from just a water bottle to a fanny pack, to a
larger daypack. My plan is to continue to use the pants as my only
lower body rain gear for work and play. Will the Warm-N-Cozy Epic
Pants prove to be a lightweight solution to keeping me dry in
inclimate weather?
Likes so far
Very light weight
Easy on and off
Nice feel to the fabric
Dislikes so far
Ankle snap difficult to open
Pants difficult to fold or roll neatly for packing
No pockets (not really a bad trade-off for the light weight)
Thanks to Big Sky Products and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity
to test the Warm-n-Cozy Full Zip Epic Pants
some measurements, and will correct as soon as the site is back up
with that wonderful conversion page I have become so dependent on.
The HTML version is ready otherwise, and I will post to the test
folder when we get the go ahead.
Pam Wyant
Field Report:
Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Full Zip Epic Pants
Date: January 3, 2006
Tester Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77 kg)
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western West Virginia, U.S.A.
Backpacking Background:
As spring 2006 looms on the horizon, I'm beginning my third year of
backpacking, and I continue to love it! So far, I've progressed
from day-hiking and single overnights to weekend trips, but I'm
planning a longer trip for spring '06. Hopefully it will be a
section hike of the Appalachian Trail! 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 typical pack weighs 22-30 lb
(10-14 kg) including consumables, and I'm striving to lighten that a
bit.
Product Information -
Manufacturer: Big Sky Products
Year of manufacture: 2005
Date of Delivery: October 21, 2005
Size: Large
Total Length: 44 in (112 cm)
Inseam Length: 33 in (84 cm)
Circumference at waist: 34 in (86 cm)
Circumference at hem (one leg): 14.5 in (37 cm)
Advertised Weight: 6.9 oz (196 g)
Weight as delivered: 7.2 oz (204 g)
Color: Dark Blue
Manufacturer Website: http://www.bigskyproducts.com
MSRP: $89.95 US
Features -
Water/wind resistant, breathable Epic fabric
Full side zip
Water resistant YKK zippers
Elastic waist with Velcro closures
Elastic ankle cuffs with snap closure
Gusseted crotch
General description:
The Warm-n-Cozy Full Zip Epic Pants are made of a soft, thin, and
silky feeling fabric that makes a light rustling sound when handled
or worn. They have a full length water resistant zipper, hook and
loop waist adjustment tabs, and a snap closure at the hem bottom.
For a more detailed description and photos, please see my Initial
Report.
Field Information:
So far I've worn the Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Full Zip Epic
Pants on trails, back country roads, and streets of West Virginia.
Hiking elevations have ranged from a high over 4200 feet on the Tea
Creek Mountain Trail to a low near 800 feet at Charles Fork Lake.
Temperatures have ranged from lows in the 20 F range to highs around
70 F. I've day-hiked with the pants on several occasions, carrying
loads ranging from only a half liter of water to a day pack weighing
approximately 7 lb. So far, I've had them on one weekend
backpacking trip carrying a pack weighing approximately 30 lb
including food and water.
Use:
I've worn the Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Full Zip Epic Pants over
silk to mid-weight base layers and found them very comfortable so
far, although the combination of the base layer and the pants made
me a bit too hot when hiking in 70 F weather. I was able to cool
down a bit by leaving the waist tabs fastened and unzipping the
zippers about 6 in at the top for venting. The pants do seem to add
a small amount of warmth even though they are thin, and wind doesn't
seem to penetrate the fabric (but will push it against the base
layer, transferring some cold in the process). I did find my legs
felt uncomfortably cool at 20 F with a mid-weight base layer under
the pants, although I didn't feel dangerously cold. I haven't been
fortunate (or as I would normally consider it, unfortunate) enough
to be hiking or working in a pouring rain yet. I have worn the
pants while hiking in a light rain and in light snow, and have not
noticed any leaks in the fabric or zippers. Due to the lack of
significant testing in heavy rain, I tested the pants in my home
shower for about 5 minutes (while also wearing the Big Sky Products
Warm-N-Cozy Epic Jacket, and still found no leaks.
The pants fit me well. I've found them easy to pull on and off,
even without unfastening the waist tabs or ankle snaps when I put
them on without shoes. If I'm pulling them on over my shoes, I find
it convenient to unfasten the waist tabs and unzip the waist around
10-12 in and unsnap the ankle snaps and unzip the ankles around 12-
14 in. This allows me to gather the pants and pull them on without
getting a lot of dirt or debris in the pants from my shoes. When I
first received the pants I found the waistband a little higher than
I normally like, but the pants are so lightweight and comfortable
that this hasn't been a problem.
So far the fabric is holding up well with no fraying or wear, and
the slight odor I noted upon first receiving the pants has
dissipated. The zippers have worked smoothly, although requiring a
little more pressure to operate than a normal non-water resistant
zipper. The waist hook and loop holds well. One downside I have
noticed is that the ankle snaps remain very hard to open. About the
only way I can open them is to partially unzip the pants at the
ankle, grasp both sides of the fabric near the snap, and pull hard.
The pants are lightweight to carry for rain gear, and pack small -
not much larger than a half liter bottle of water when compressed.
I do find them difficult to fold or roll neatly due to the heavy
zipper making the pants thick and stiff in that area, compounded by
the slippery fabric causing the material to slide around. I've
found it works best just to gather the pants lengthwise around the
zipper, and then sort of twist and roll them together.
I have missed having pockets in the pants, especially when I wear
them when it isn't raining. However, due to the light weight of the
fabric, I think that a loaded pocket would cause the waist of the
pants to sag and droop from the weight. On one hike, I fastened the
Warm-N-Cozy Epic Jacket stored in it's own pocket to the hook and
loop of the pants waistband, and found the weight of the jacket
really caused the pants to pull down on that side. This lead me to
the conclusion that pockets probably wouldn't be very useful in the
pants anyway, since I couldn't carry much weight in them.
Testing Plan:
I'll be continuing to test the Big Sky Products Warm-N-Cozy Full Zip
Epic Pants mainly in West Virginia, on varied trails and back roads
at elevations anticipated at 550 to over 4000 feet (150 to over 1200
meters). Temperatures could range anywhere from lows in the 0 F (-
18 C) range to highs up to the 80 F (27 C) if we experience at
abnormally warm winter days, which seems to usually occur at least
once in either January or February. We usually have lots of
rainfall, some snow, and occasional sleet or ice over the winter.
Most of my use for this time of year will be day hiking, although I
hope to fit in at least one backpacking trip if weather conditions
permit me to feel I can safely do so. Many of my trips are carried
out near rivers or streams, and moisture laden air is often a side
effect in these areas creating dampness in colder weather that adds
a definite chill. I also plan to use the pants during times of
significant precipitation when I am working, which entails being
outdoors for part of most days.
I will continue to monitor how the pants handle various weather
conditions. Key characteristics that I will be testing for include
continued waterproofness/resistance, windproofness, warmth, and
durability. If I am fortunate enough to have weather conditions
permitting a backpacking trip, my pack weight will likely vary
between 30-35 lb. During day hikes I will be carrying a wide
variety of weight from just a water bottle to a fanny pack, to a
larger daypack. My plan is to continue to use the pants as my only
lower body rain gear for work and play. Will the Warm-N-Cozy Epic
Pants prove to be a lightweight solution to keeping me dry in
inclimate weather?
Likes so far
Very light weight
Easy on and off
Nice feel to the fabric
Dislikes so far
Ankle snap difficult to open
Pants difficult to fold or roll neatly for packing
No pockets (not really a bad trade-off for the light weight)
Thanks to Big Sky Products and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity
to test the Warm-n-Cozy Full Zip Epic Pants