- Joined
- Jan 1, 2009
- Messages
- 3,427
I have the hots for one of these.
I did a search here and elsewhere. I think the last discussion here happened around 2011. So I figure it is sort of safe to start a new thread about them.
I am in my mid fifties. I spend a lot of time in the outdoors. Living where I do. That means a lot of time in cooler temps, which is just fine by me.
I have been up, down, and all around rhe clothing spectrum. Sadly, I was around before Gore-tex. hopefully I will be around after it as well. But that is doubtful.
I was working at a ski center, making snow when it first came out. In fact, I ran the snowmaking crew. So when something hit the market that promised what Gore-Tex did. I jumped on it. Quite frankley, i couldn't make it work for me then, and I really still can't now.
Sure the new stuff works. At least to keep the rain out. But I prespire when I am excerting myself. Always have. I am older and fatter than I used to be. But moisture management has always been my issue with Gor-Tex. That and membrain failure. I'm not knocking the stuff, and I know many swear by it. It just doesn't work for me.
When it came out I dove on a blue Gen 1 jacket. Waterproof, yes. But stiff and noisy. And no better at keeping me dry inside than my coated nylon gear. The best gear is the rubber fishing style suit. But fall down on an icy mountain and things get interesting real fast. Think yellow torpedo, headed down hill.
I tried Gen 2, and Gen 3, the only real difference I saw was in garment quality. It certainly improved. And the venting options got better with side pit zips. But if I have to open the front and the pits, i could do that with coated gear. And save a ton of cash.
Over time my go to gear became a fleece with a Bean Classic Anorak over it for wind and weather protection. Not waterproof, but resistant enough, light and quick drying. And it kept the wind at bay.
That was basically just for background. I have evolved, or some would say devolved. I'm ok with that.
As time wore on. I tired of wearing a can of oil in the shape of a fleece. I slowly migrated back to wool. Which was where I started. For me wool just works. It breathes, it can handle my moisture load without leaving me feeling wet. It doesn't melt when I am around a fire. This is huge for me and anothe reason I am leaning toward the smock.
I can't count how many fleeces I managed to melt holes in around fires. If that one piece of cherry popped, inevitably, that hot coal ended up stuck to me. Most of my fleeces, (yes, I still have some) look like hydro-carbon versions of swiss cheese.
I have an Empire Wool and Canvas pullover. It has become my woobie of sorts. It just works for me. I wear it around the house, on hikes, around the fire. Almost constantly from September through May. I love this thing.
The down side is when the wind blows, it blows the heat away. It works exceptionally well for snowshoeing, because it breathes so well. But when I stop, i need more. I have a nylon Wintergreen anorak that I use as a shell in the winter. But I am reluctant to use it around the fire. Because of my ember magnetism.
So that brings me to the SAS Smock. First off, it's windproof. Which is what I seek. But the other thing that really appeals to me is the design of the garment itself. The Brits just nailed it. This thing is not only a shell, it is load bearing equipment. Lots of big pockets, placed all over the garment.
One of my favorite things about the Empire pullover is the rear pockets. They will swallow a lot of gear.
My thought process is, that in combining these two great pieces of kit. They would complement each other very well. Wool for insulation, windproof cotton/nylon for the outer layer. And between the two, enough storage for a long day or even a Spartan overnight with out the daypack. I can easily carry enough gear in my pullover, to not die. But the storage in the smock would add a bit of comfort and extra security on those light, fast, "I'll be back around dark days"
The Smock by itself over a midweight wool shirt would allow me to leave the pullover home on milder days.
Add in the pullover and I'm good down into colder climes too.
I just see it a stellar piece of kit. They have never really caught on here in the states. But everyone I can dig up, that has tried one, seems to love them.
My meduim/large days are behind me, so the X-Large makes finding one more of a challenge. I will most likely snag one and be the crash test dummy either way. But I was wondering what others on here thought of them, if they have experience.
Searches here and on the web really don't bring much up. There are a few videos. But one of the downsides of living in the woods is lack of bandwidth. So videos don't help me much.
So there is a very long winded way to arrive at "What do you folks think?"
I did a search here and elsewhere. I think the last discussion here happened around 2011. So I figure it is sort of safe to start a new thread about them.
I am in my mid fifties. I spend a lot of time in the outdoors. Living where I do. That means a lot of time in cooler temps, which is just fine by me.
I have been up, down, and all around rhe clothing spectrum. Sadly, I was around before Gore-tex. hopefully I will be around after it as well. But that is doubtful.
I was working at a ski center, making snow when it first came out. In fact, I ran the snowmaking crew. So when something hit the market that promised what Gore-Tex did. I jumped on it. Quite frankley, i couldn't make it work for me then, and I really still can't now.
Sure the new stuff works. At least to keep the rain out. But I prespire when I am excerting myself. Always have. I am older and fatter than I used to be. But moisture management has always been my issue with Gor-Tex. That and membrain failure. I'm not knocking the stuff, and I know many swear by it. It just doesn't work for me.
When it came out I dove on a blue Gen 1 jacket. Waterproof, yes. But stiff and noisy. And no better at keeping me dry inside than my coated nylon gear. The best gear is the rubber fishing style suit. But fall down on an icy mountain and things get interesting real fast. Think yellow torpedo, headed down hill.
I tried Gen 2, and Gen 3, the only real difference I saw was in garment quality. It certainly improved. And the venting options got better with side pit zips. But if I have to open the front and the pits, i could do that with coated gear. And save a ton of cash.
Over time my go to gear became a fleece with a Bean Classic Anorak over it for wind and weather protection. Not waterproof, but resistant enough, light and quick drying. And it kept the wind at bay.
That was basically just for background. I have evolved, or some would say devolved. I'm ok with that.
As time wore on. I tired of wearing a can of oil in the shape of a fleece. I slowly migrated back to wool. Which was where I started. For me wool just works. It breathes, it can handle my moisture load without leaving me feeling wet. It doesn't melt when I am around a fire. This is huge for me and anothe reason I am leaning toward the smock.
I can't count how many fleeces I managed to melt holes in around fires. If that one piece of cherry popped, inevitably, that hot coal ended up stuck to me. Most of my fleeces, (yes, I still have some) look like hydro-carbon versions of swiss cheese.
I have an Empire Wool and Canvas pullover. It has become my woobie of sorts. It just works for me. I wear it around the house, on hikes, around the fire. Almost constantly from September through May. I love this thing.
The down side is when the wind blows, it blows the heat away. It works exceptionally well for snowshoeing, because it breathes so well. But when I stop, i need more. I have a nylon Wintergreen anorak that I use as a shell in the winter. But I am reluctant to use it around the fire. Because of my ember magnetism.
So that brings me to the SAS Smock. First off, it's windproof. Which is what I seek. But the other thing that really appeals to me is the design of the garment itself. The Brits just nailed it. This thing is not only a shell, it is load bearing equipment. Lots of big pockets, placed all over the garment.
One of my favorite things about the Empire pullover is the rear pockets. They will swallow a lot of gear.
My thought process is, that in combining these two great pieces of kit. They would complement each other very well. Wool for insulation, windproof cotton/nylon for the outer layer. And between the two, enough storage for a long day or even a Spartan overnight with out the daypack. I can easily carry enough gear in my pullover, to not die. But the storage in the smock would add a bit of comfort and extra security on those light, fast, "I'll be back around dark days"
The Smock by itself over a midweight wool shirt would allow me to leave the pullover home on milder days.
Add in the pullover and I'm good down into colder climes too.
I just see it a stellar piece of kit. They have never really caught on here in the states. But everyone I can dig up, that has tried one, seems to love them.
My meduim/large days are behind me, so the X-Large makes finding one more of a challenge. I will most likely snag one and be the crash test dummy either way. But I was wondering what others on here thought of them, if they have experience.
Searches here and on the web really don't bring much up. There are a few videos. But one of the downsides of living in the woods is lack of bandwidth. So videos don't help me much.
So there is a very long winded way to arrive at "What do you folks think?"
