Posts Tagged Outdoor Research
Ventilated Sun Hat From Outdoor Research
Outdoor Research just might make more travel hats than anyone else around, with sun hats that can appeal to pretty much everyone. (There’s now a summer version of the double-duty Odd Job hat I reviewed before, which comes with its own beer bottle opener!)
The problem with many sun hats is, if it’s sunny enough to need a wide-brimmed hat, it’s probably hot too. That means your noggin heats up even more if it’s got something trapping the heat rising off your highest point. That’s why some cowboy hats and Panama hats can fry your brain. The obvious solution is to ventilate it. That way the heat doesn’t build up and the breeze can flow through.
Enter the
Outdoor Research Acacia Sun Hat. It’s got your usual wide brim, your chin lace (removable) for a windy boat ride or mountaintop trekking, and organic cotton with a bit of spandex to make it a little stretchy. With an SPF factor of 50, you can ride a camel for hours without getting a sunburned scalp or nose.
If a hat’s organic cotton and ventilated, the natural comparison is going to be to the Tilley Air Flow hat we’ve reviewed here before. The differences? This one has a little wider brim and it’s not as soft and floppy. The brim is more rigid and the top is cushioned, which is good, but you probably can’t just jam this into a backpack for a decade straight like Tilley’s pre-shrunk version and expect it to come through okay. (And alas, no secret stash on this one for your cash or a credit card.)
I’ve reviewed quite a few Outdoor Research hats though and since it’s been quite a few years since I had a head of hair like the guys on Entourage, I use them a lot in my travels. This lightweight Acacia travel hat lists for $42 (sometimes about 10 bucks less online), but it’s worth the premium over a superstore cheapie. It will accompany you on journeys to many mountains, deserts, and rivers and keep going strong. With a stiffer brim than some floppier versions (including the Tilley Airflo), it keeps its shape well in a stiff breeze.
Get the OR Acacia hat in this khaki color or plaid from Amazon, Altrec, or RockCreek.com.
* Editor’s note 9/21/11 – this appears to be going on sale as a closeout, so buy it now if you like it!
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Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on August 3rd, 2011
Enigma Gore-Tex Pants from Outdoor Research
I had the good fortune, a few years back, to visit the Outdoor Research (OR) test lab here in Seattle. They had a machine for repeatedly poking holes in fabric, and a washer full of golf balls, and a number of other things to test the durability of the clothing they make and the materials they make it out of. I was impressed and inspired to do my own testing. That’s why when I got my Enigma Gore-Tex pants from OR, I put on my wellies and stomped around in the choppy, knee deep waters of Puget Sound. The result? I was a little damp around the edges, but that’s all. The rest of me stayed warm and dry.
OR doesn’t skimp on the detailing — this shows in the Enigma pants from the ankles to the waist. There are zip out gaiters (though I’d probably lose them if I took them out) that keep snow and water out of your boots. They’ve got rubber grippy stuff to keep them in place, too, and double velcro closures that make room for bulk if you need it. There ankles cinch up, nice if you’re short, like me, so your pants don’t drag or get caught under your heels. The inner ankle area has tough reinforced fabric to minimize wear from friction. And oddly, there’s a little zippered pocket at the ankle on one side, a good place for that emergency cash for milkshakes after your hike.
The pants have extra fabric where you need it for movement — gussets in the crotch and articulated knees. The waist is super adjustable, there are tabs at each side and a built in belt in the front for more — or less — room as you need it. The zips are all taped for waterproofing — on the legs they run from waist to ankle so you can get in and out of them without taking your boots off. OR throws the ladies a bone by putting flowers on the buttons and detailing the hip and ankle, but they don’t skimp on any of the toughness.
This is a great pair of outerwear pants to add to your travel kit if you’re going to be outdoors in windy or wet conditions. If you add an insulating base layer, you’re good for just about anything — hiking, camping, a walking tour of Seattle in March… They don’t take up a lot of space in your bag and bonus, they’re light weight, so if you need to be prepared for less than ideal conditions, OR’s Enigma pants are a fine addition to your kit.
Want your own? Check OR’s dealer list, do a search at Sierra Trading Post or see what the latest prices are on Amazon.
Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear on April 1st, 2011
Aspire Jacket from Outdoor Research
Outdoor Research is a Seattle based company, so it seems appropriate that they get rain gear right. 
Their Aspire jacket is a great addition to your travel wardrobe if you’re planning to go somewhere wet — warm or cold. I really like this coat, I’ve been wearing it outside since I got it — though I did have to send it back to exchange it for one size larger.
The jacket has a feature I wish more outdoor wear had — side vents that go all the way down. They’re calling this feature “TorsoFlo” — essentially, this means you can open up the sides of the jacket all the way to your underarms, giving you lots of ventilation and extra room to move. All the zippers open from the top or the bottom — another feature I wish was standard — and they’re taped and waterproofed. They’re a little hard to work with gloves on — I tried! — but erring on the side of dry in a raincoat is the right choice. The jacket has some built in adjustment features for fit: Velcro on the cuffs to tighten then around your gloves, elastic pulls to make the hood fit just right and to close the bottom of the jacket against drafts.
I traded mine for one size larger because I wanted to be able to wear a down sweater underneath it. Combining the Aspire jacket with a compatible insulation layer has given me all kinds of versatility in my outdoors in changeable weather wardrobe. A good rain jacket is an essential part of any traveler’s gear, and here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s essential at home, too. The Aspire jacket is a winner for our weather — and for all those wet places in the world.
The jacket comes in turquoise, red, black, and eggplant (a nice purple, that’s what I’ve got) and it’s made from lightweight GORE-TEX. There’s a similar jacket for men, the Foray, Both are about 200 USD.
Get yours from Amazon.
Get the Outdoor Research Aspire Jacket at REI or at Backcountry.com.
Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear on February 11th, 2011
Sombriolet Sun Hat from Outdoor Research
There are some travel clothing items that are going to brand you as a tourist, like convertible pants and yes, big wide-brimmed sun hats. But you can look cool and have a peeling face a week later or you can look not so cool and be protected.
This Sombriolet Sun Hat from Outdoor Research puts you in the latter camp, but it’s a fine travel hat if you really want to protect your face and neck from the sun. You get UPF 50+ protection from the sun’s rays, so you can pretty much wear this all day long and be fine unless you’re albino. It’s super-light, however, weighing in at only 3.1 ounces (86 grams), plus it stays wrinkle-free when you cram it into your pack between layers of clothing.
You stay cool with this on, however, because the Sombriolet has mesh vents placed around the top that will let some fresh air in—or allow the heat to escape. There’s the requisite dorky string to keep it from blowing off your head when riding a boat or hiking on a windy day, but the string comes with clips that enable you to remove it quickly if you don’t want it hanging around. And if it does fly off your head, the brim floats!
Made of ripstop nylon, I’ve found this travel hat to be somewhat water repellent, it won’t shrink when you wash it, and it dries quickly. It’s going to last for the long haul too: like other Outdoor Research products I’ve tested, it comes with an “infinite guarantee.”
The hat comes in three colors and three sizes and usually sells for around $35. Get the Outdoor Research Sombriolet Sun Hat at RockCreek.com
See other travel hat reviews.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on August 4th, 2010
Outdoor Research Women’s Helium Jacket
When I’m flying to warm-weather climates in the winter months from my Colorado home, I layer like crazy so I don’t have to travel with a winter jacket. My outermost covering is always a hooded, nylon jacket that doubles as rain gear in the tropics. I’ve been using a hand-me-down from my husband that never quite fit him correctly (nor me), but now I’ve got one of my very own: the Women’s Helium Jacket in fiery “salsa” by Outdoor Research.
This jacket is super light, about 6 ounces, and it stuffs down into its own sack (it’s tucked into an inside pocket that’s usable when you’re wearing the jacket); when the jacket is compressed into itself, it’s only about 5 by 3.5 by 2. 5 inches. For this reason alone it’s great for carrying on a plane, and I’ll stick it in a day pack for hiking this summer, when afternoon thundershowers in the Rockies are not unusual. A little loop on the stuff sack means you could also easily attach it to the outside of a backpack.
It also protects against the elements. The Pertex Shield ripstop fabric is waterproof and the zippers are water-resistant. I wore it on a winter hike during a mild snow, and I liked how the jacket repelled the flakes; I stayed perfectly dry. I wouldn’t hesitate to wear it in stormy conditions: the hood and hem can cinch tight and elastic sleeves help keep water and wind out, too.
I do wish this jacket had two zippered pockets near the bottom hem; it’s got one chest pocket (with zipper) to stash tissues, lip balm and the contact-lens re-wetting drops I always like to have readily at hand (whether I’m traveling or being active outdoors), but this jacket would really shine if I had two more pockets to stick a pair of light gloves, a point-and-shoot camera and other miscellaneous stuff that I might like to carry on my person as opposed to a purse or backpack.
Another caveat: the Women’s Helium Jacket is not cheap. It retails for $140. But this is a quality piece of gear for hard-core climbers, mountaineers and other adventure enthusiasts. Me? I’m not about to climb Kilimanjaro this year, but for day hikes near my mountain home and frequent plane trips to different climates, it more than does the job of keeping me comfortable and dry.
Buy the OR Women’s Helium Jacket on Amazon.com.
Outdoor Research Helium Jacket – Women’s at Backcountry.com
Get the Men’s version at Backcountry.
Related post: Men’s OR Fanatic Jacket
Posted by Kara in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on March 26th, 2010
