SeasonFive Phantom Features

In addition to the waterproof/breathable Atmos fabric, the Phantom features a zippered expansion on the shirt’s back, flat lock stitching to make the seams feel comfortable and a set on cuff. SeasonFive designed the piece with a snug fit to keep out water and support your muscles. It features a 4-way stretch, which allows the piece to move with you. It combines gray-colored side panels with a black main body and a welded logo for a clean look.

In Usage

During the time that I tested it, I used it primarily in three ways. I used it under my drysuit as a layer, under my wetsuit and a short sleeve drytop and over my wetsuit as a barrier layer. It had advantages in all three uses. Before I address all three uses, I want to say something about the fit. The snug fit felt very supportive, and during my expedition, especially towards the end, when my muscles felt tired in the morning, the fit felt great and soothing to put on.

As a layer under my drysuit, it provided additional wind protection, which basically stopped any wind that happened to get through the Gore-Tex of my suit. When I wore the suit without the top, I could feel the difference in wind penetration. The outer fabric move smoothly inside my drysuit which made the drysuit feel like it fit better (it already feels like it fits perfectly, so this was a pleasant surprise). I found that the shirt worked best under a drysuit with a synthetic long underwear top worn under it. This seemed to help wick the moisture away from my body and through the Phantom quicker than without it, which kept me feeling drier during the day. I layered extra insulation over the Phantom as needed.

Under the wetsuit and drytop, it functioned in much the same way as under a wetsuit. It provided extra warmth and wind protection. Because I was using a short-sleeve drytop, the arms of the Phantom were exposed from my elbows to my wrists. On my expedition, where I didn’t wash my clothing that often, the cuffs of the Phantom stretched slightly, which allowed some of the 45 degree Fahrenheit water into the sleeve. The water sloshed around a little until it drained back out of the cuff. Also without the drytop on if I did rolls, the top would flush water into my wetsuit, which on colder water felt like a shock.

Wearing the Phantom over my wetsuit, worked great. When water flushed into the top, it didn’t flush my wetsuit, and the extra wind resistance of the top, kept me warm. The fabric dried quickly after a roll or during brace practice. I think this is the ideal use for the top, but when you wear it this way, you don’t get the soothing supportive fit. In warmer water, wearing the Phantom without a wetsuit works well, too.

Overall Conclusion About the SeasonFive Phantom Top

I like it. It’s one of the best rash guards that I’ve had the pleasure of using. I definately like having it along on a long-distance expedition, because it feels versatile and warm under a drysuit on a cold day. During practice on warmer water, wearing it over my wetsuit felt perfect. It kept the wind off, which allowed me to wear less layers of neoprene. I think this top is ideal for someone who uses a wetsuit often or for someone who paddles in warmer water and just wants a top to break the wind. The fit feels flattering, and the clean look feels stylish, which doesn’t hurt the ego. If you’re looking for a rash guard, this one is worth your money.

Phantom Long Sleeve | $99

I want to thank SeasonFive for providing the top to test and letting me keep it longer than usual to use on my expedition. It was a pleasure to test this product.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: SeasonFive Phantom Review: A windproof, waterproof rash guard

Fabric

Wintergreen makes the Boundary Waters Shell in two fabrics, either 3-ply nylon in black or 2-ply nylon in khaki. I tested the 2-ply version and all my friends that own them use the 2-ply vs. the 3-ply winter versions. Wintergreen buys the fabric from a U.S. company and sews them in Ely, Minnesota. That means that they’re made in the U.S.A. Being an American, I can get behind that because there are so few garment companies that still make all their products in the U.S. The fabric itself feels like Suplex, which is a softer, light nylon that dries quickly – often within 30 minutes when worn. Since I started testing these, I’ve worn been several times a week, while hiking, paddling and during a recent 3-day long recertification of my Wilderness First Responder training – during lots of simulations, in the rain. They look as good as new. In fact, my friend’s pants look new other than stains from heavy use. You can tell that whoever sewed my pants were well-trained and proud of their work.

Fit

My waist typically ranges from 34 to 36 depending on the time of year, so I ended up getting a 36. It fit perfectly both in waist and in the length. The pant features both knee and seat reinforcement, and the knee reinforcement lines up perfectly with my knees. The gusseted crotch fits and works well. It allows for high steps without any binding. I’d have no problem wearing these pants climbing in addition to paddling. The pants come with a simple nylon belt that uses a side-release buckle. To be nit-picky, I wish the buckle was a smaller flat plastic buckle.

Function

A far as moving with my body, I found no faults. And after using the pants for weeks, I found no faults in any of the features, although it took some time to realize why some things are as they are in these pants. The two most puzzling features are the Velcro cuffs and the pockets. Becky Stacey, one of the company’s owners, said, “The Velcro around the bottom has been used to keep weeds and critters out of your pant legs while you are portaging or walking ‘off the beaten path’.” I can buy that, especially after talking to two of my dog-sledding guide friends who mentioned that it also works well to keep out the snow. The pockets seems a bit more puzzling to me. They’re offset to the side of the pants and sit higher than a typical cargo pocket but lower than hand pockets. When I asked Becky about the pockets and the lack of hand pockets, she said, “The Schurkes [original owners] preferred the larger cargo pockets on the sides of the legs for ease of access when you are in the canoe – rather than hand pockets higher on the seams.” At first, they annoyed me, but after I got used to them, I realized that the placement is actually genius. It keeps everything off the front of your leg and allows you to move around freely. I experienced this one night when shooting pictures of a local band. I didn’t want to carry my photography backpack, so I stuffed a heavy lens in each pocket. As I moved around the venue, between dancers and up and down stairs, I hardly noticed anything in the pockets at all. You can load them up with a ton of stuff and not even notice. Although there is no Velcro holding the top of the pockets closed, an overlapping flap keeps everything inside. I haven’t lost anything, including change, out of the pockets.

Overall

I love these pants. In fact, I like them better than my old stand-bys and have been wearing them often. They are definitely one of the best pants that I’ve ever owned.

Wintergreen Northern Wear Boundary Waters Shell Pants: $158 | More Info

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: The Best Pants You’ll Ever Own: Wintergreen Northern Wear Boundary Waters Shell Pants

Fabric

Piragis makes the Boundary Waters Pants out of a comfortable 70/30-percent cotton/nylon blend. It uses a DWR surface treatment to help prevent water from soaking the cotton fabric. The DWR performs double-duty by helping to resist stains. To revitalize the DWR, you wash the pants or lightly iron them. The dirtier the pants get, the less the DWR works. Steve Piragis, the store’s owner, says about the fabric, “Cliff [Jacobson] and I feel like it’s the perfect blend of fast drying with some spark resistance and a cool soft cotton hand. Most people think the fabric is extremely comfortable.” After several months of testing, the fabric looks new, and despite having worn them around fire, I didn’t notice any holes from sparks. All my old nylon hiking pants have small holes from sparks.

Fit

I found the fit feels generous. I typically run about 34 to 36 in the waist depending on the time of year. I ordered in a 36 and found that around the waist it’s a bit large. But it’s hard to tell, because the waist band elastic shrinks or expands as required. I needed to use a belt to hold the pants up. I’ve been a 34 in length since high school, and still fit that way in all my jeans. I noticed that the Piragis Boundary Water pants ran long on me by about 2 inches. There are no zippers at the cuffs, so hemming them is a good option if you want to fine tune the fit. The reinforcements in the knee, seem to ride just a bit low on me. When I asked Steve about that and whether the knee patch varies in placement between the pant sizes, he said, “The knee patch does vary by size slightly.  We all seem to vary in femur length so it’s hard to get it perfect for everyone.” I imagine with a 32-inch inseam my fit problems would have been fixed. Maybe I’m shrinking.

Despite the generous fit, I did notice that the front of my legs across my thighs felt slightly tight. The pockets are deep, but I didn’t feel like I could load them up because they bound across the front of my leg and I’d feel everything that I put into them. It’s not an issue with just a map and compass, but you’re not going to load these like a cargo pocket, and that’s the idea behind the pants. They’re designed to look clean and not have a bulky cargo pocket loaded up with a bunch of stuff. I liked the zippered secondary front pocket. It made me feel like my keys were safe.

Overall, I felt that the pants fit more like a cross between slacks and a pair of hiking pants. They felt more casual than a pair of slacks, but more formal than hiking pants. Something that I can imagine I could wear comfortably around the cabin, but still look acceptable for a trip into the most formal restaurant in Grand Marais.

Function

I felt a bit skeptical going into the test, because the pants are cotton. I’m a firm believer in the old mountaineering saying, “Cotton kills.” When cotton gets wet, it doesn’t provide any insulation, it sucks heat from your body and it takes forever to dry. However, on these pants, the DWR surprised me. It actually kept the pants fairly dry, and water beaded off the surface. At the end of the day the only areas that got really wet were the cuffs; it took about four hours to dry out. The performance felt acceptable to me for warmer trips into the Boundary Waters. Tim Stouffer, Marketing Director and Webmaster for Piragis, pointed out that “Comfort is key for our design, most people take canoe trips in the heat of the year, July and August, so we tailored our design towards this when quick dry for safety sake is not normally an issue.”

Because I live in Grand Marais and my busy work season is during the time when the majority of people vacation in the BWCA, I can’t get away for a summer trip. I tend to do trips during the cold and wet shoulder seasons. During that time of year, I rely on my clothing to keep me warm and dry. Any pant that I take into the BWCA during that time of year, needs to dry quickly and retain warmth when wet. I’m not sure that I’d use these for trips during the cold and wet shoulder season, and I would need more testing to find out. For summer trips, the pants feels fine and would be a big improvement over jeans or other cotton pants. Especially, since the DWR is so effective.

Overall

I enjoyed testing the Boundary Waters pants. The fabric feels comfortable, the pockets are big enough for a map and compass and they do look good. They look so good that I felt that if I still wore a tie to work in the corporate world I could get away with wearing these pants to work to show my interest in the outdoors. I liked wearing them around town and during day-long hikes or trips. For warm-weather tripping in the BWCA, if you want the feel of cotton combined with water resistance, then these pants might be your ticket.

Piragis Boundary Waters Pants: $69 | More Info

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Comfy Pants for Paddling: Piragis Boundary Waters Pants Review

NRS Natural Gloves

I used to use NRS Reactor gloves, because they were the warmest gloves that I could find, but the main problem with the old Reactor gloves was that they didn’t grip, so I’d end up over gripping the paddle shaft to compensate. I’m prone to tendonitis and over gripping the paddle shaft causes it to flare up, so I’ve always used Sex Wax to increase the grip. The newer NRS Natural Glove feels grippier, just as warm and somehow feel less bulky. The glued construction seems to keep water out, so new cold water doesn’t replace the water that your hand warmed up, and the wrist stays tight enough without the need for an annoying elastic and velcro band. One thing I appreciate about these gloves is the soft fabric spot on the thumb, which works great for wiping the snot off your nose. All gloves should have that feature.

Price: $39.95 | Buy from NRS

NRS Toaster Mitts

In winter, I use neoprene mittens more often than gloves, because they keep my hands warmer. The best I’ve used are NRS’s Toaster Mitts. NRS makes the back of the glove with thick 3.5mm neoprene but leaves the palm of the glove a thinner 2.5mm for better grip on the paddle’s shaft. All the seams are sealed, so there is very little water penetration. Although the mitten uses an elastic and velcro band for closure, it doesn’t really need it. You can cut it off without worry –  it does work well to hang the mitten from a clothing line. Like the Natural Gloves, it features a soft area on the thumb for wiping your nose. One feature that I think is well thought-out is the bite tab, which helps you pull the glove on when biting it. Even in the coldest weather that I enjoy paddling in (15 degrees Fahrenheit), my hands stay warm — sometimes almost too warm in these mittens. Highly Recommended!

Price: $36.95 | Buy from NRS

NRS Mambas

If it seems like I’m on a NRS kick, it’s because NRS makes some of the best paddling gloves on the market. The Mambas are NRS’s version of a warm neoprene poggie. While I prefer mittens, poggies, which wrap around a paddle’s shaft, give direct contact to the paddle. The Mambas are warm and comfortable, although a little inflexible. They’re easier to put on verse gloves or mittens, and because they stay attached to the paddle, there’s less chance of losing them when you take them off.

Price: $42.95 | Buy from NRS

How Neoprene Works

Neoprene works by trapping a thin layer of water between your skin and the neoprene. Your body heat warms up the layer of water, which keeps you warm. Ideally, you want a tight-fitting neoprene glove, which keeps the layer of water directly against your skin and helps prevent new cold water from flowing in. Loose gloves or gloves that allow water in at the wrist are colder than others, because the water moves around and colder water enters the glove more often.

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: The Best Winter and Cold Water Paddling Gloves

The vest consists of lightweight mesh chambers that hold XPS foam. The front of the vest has eight separate foam chambers and seven on the back.  Taken together, the foam provides 13 lbs. of dead weight flotation. The chambers conform around the body. At first, it feels stiff, but as the vest breaks in and the XPS compresses to fit the body, it feels comfortable.  Both sides of the vest have large pockets. Typically, racers use the back pocket for hydration and a flare kit. The hydration pack’s tube runs through a loop of fabric on the left shoulder strap to a Velcro tab on the strap’s front. The front pocket is large enough for multiple power bars, a VHF radio and more. Below the front pocket, there’s a tab for clipping a boat leash. There are two reflective tabs on each side of the vest.

The fit is snug, but comfortable, with enough clearance on the sides to stay out of the way while paddling. The shoulder straps adjust via a double metal D-ring system. Two-inch Velcro waist straps keep the vest tight and secure on the body. The vest is side-entry with a metal zipper on the vest’s left side. A single ladder lock buckle backs-up the zipper. The vest weighs 1 lb. 3 oz.

I had the opportunity to test a Racer this summer. I found it comfortable and light. It was cool. In the water I found that although it never slipped up over my head, it wouldn’t stay low, like my Stohlquist and Kokatat vests. The big pockets carried plenty of gear, but the Velcro closure won’t stay closed with heavier loads. On cold days, when wearing a drysuit, I noticed the vest tended to rise up and the shoulder strap’s metal D-rings brushed against my face. Over a wetsuit or rash guard, the vest held in place better. Surprisingly, the vest fits over my Tuilik and stayed in place for rolling.  The main issue I have with the vest is the lack of any North American certification, which means that it’s illegal to use as a lifevest in the United States or Canada. Because it’s so light, it’s tempting to ignore the rules and use this as the only pfd, but that’d be breaking the rules.

I really wanted to like the Mocke Racer enough that I could see it as a replacement for my heavier vests, but the lack of certification and all the minor issues add up. For those reasons, it just doesn’t work for me — two of my friends use these vests exclusively. I’m not into packrafting, but I suspect that because this pfd is so light that it might interest paddlers into that sport. I looks much better than Mountain Laurel Design’s The Thing or Thermarests tucked under a rain jacket.

The paddlers using the surfskis in the below video are using the Mocke Racer.

Mocke Racer | Price: $145 | More Info | Get It

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Mocke Racer PFD Review

Kigo bills the Edge as:

With unisex slip-on styling, the kigo edge is designed for active men and women. The shoes provide complete foot coverage for a fully protected barefoot stride. Full coverage keeps dirt and debris out of your shoe, and thin, high-grip rubber outsoles and toe bumpers make the kigo edge an ideal minimalist footwear option for active wear.

I have no reason to disagree with that assessment. They’re relatively light at 7.5 oz. a shoe. They sort of feel like a cross between walking barefoot and walking with a light running shoe, but they’re surprisingly stiff and make a solid dress-shoe-like sound when walking across the floor. The outsoles are extremely sticky, probably as sticky as any other water shoe on the market. I’d even say that the rubber is sticky enough to work well on easy rock climbs. I like the wrap around toe bumper, because it actually works to protect my toes and it allows toeing-in when scrambling over rocks next to a river.

Around town these seem like a perfect shoe style for casual khakis and jeans. I get tons of questions from friends about what kind of shoe I’m wearing. In the past, I hadn’t realized that people look at your feet that often. I don’t think I’d wear them around town in shorts.

In the woods, I have mixed feeling. They don’t work for kayaking. The first time I tried them in a kayak, it was blowing like crazy and the waves were building just enough to make the rocks at a nearby area fun to play in and around. I paddled out and after the first few minutes of playing, the heels slipped off. There was nothing I could do, except reach into the cockpit and put them back on, and then they came off again and again and again. The only reason I kept them on is because I wanted to protect my drysuit’s socks. After long days of hiking over rocky trails, I can feel the lack of thicker-sole protection of hiking boots or even my Teva’s. And once wet, like after wadding up the Devil Track River, they don’t dry quickly — mine were still damp after more than 24 hours. On the positive side, they stick to rocks! When moving along the shore, I don’t ever feel like I could slip — even when the rocks are wet. They’re adequate for short hikes and kicking around camp. And they’re fine for canoeing.

When trying to figure out the best use, I finally decided that they would make a great camp shoe for kayaking. At 15 oz. a pair they’re 3. 5 oz. lighter than my Teva’s. They’re comfy. They’re easy to pull on — perfect when duty calls in the middle of the night. They’re water-resistant, which will keep your socks dry in camp. They fold in half for storage in the hatches. They work for the types of short hikes that I’m likely to take after setting up camp or during a wind day.

The big question is “How have they held up?” For a $70 pair of shoes, I have big expectations. The Kigos meet that expectation. The shoes are slightly stained in places. The threads on highly abraded area are showing wear. In some places the threads are hanging free. The rubber, which I thought would wear quickly, show limited wear. One odd piece of wear-and-tear is in the heel; the fabric has formed a crease right above the outsole. I think this occurs because the heel cup isn’t shaped right for my heel.

If you’re planning on ordering a pair, order one size larger than you usually wear. I’m usually a 11 or 11.5, and 12.5 Kigo fits snuggly, like a slipper.

Kigo Edge | Price: $70 | More Info

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Kigo Footwear Review

Bell Magic, portage pack and ZRE paddle in the Boundary Waters during a test of the Terramar T-shir

Sue-e, Sue-e, Sue-e

The Terramar Transport Micro-Mesh T-shirt is built from a fabric called VisaEndurance(TM), which claims to eliminate 99.9% of odor causing bacteria for the life of the garment. It was this claim that drew me to try out this new shirt. I’ve seen this type of claim before, so with skepticism I decided to give it a go. $13 and a week later, the shirt arrived at my door step via UPS. The next day, I wore it on an hour long road ride on my bike. Then threw it on the floor. The next day, I wore it on a two hour mountain bike ride, and then threw it on the floor. I skipped a day, and then wore it on an hour long road ride. By the third ride, it had an odor, but not nearly as bad as the odor my $100+ bike jersey has after that many rides. Plus, it wicked moisture much better.

What the Heck Are Raglan Sleeves for Freedom of Movement

Besides passing the first test, the Terramar Transport Micro-Mesh shirt has a good fit, sort of. The body of the shirt has about the right fit with just the right tightness across the chest to leave you looking like a cross between Kurt Cobain and Superman, but the sleeves and the neck. I’m not sure what they were thinking when the designed the sleeves. They tend to bunch up under the arm pit. It takes a little while to get used to the feel, and the neck feels like a cashmere sweater after George on Seinfeld put his head through it. One feature that I found I really like was the longer back to the shirt. This is nice for not only bike riding, but helps prevent showing your paddling partner your plumber’s crack when you’re paddling bow.

So, What’s the Review for the Terramar Transport Micro-Mesh Shirt on Trips?

Well, the good news is that this shirt weighs only six ounces, so even when you’re wearing it, you’ll hardly know that it’s on. And the really good news is that for long weekends, you won’t have to worry about a stinky shirt. At about the fifth day, it does start to smell slightly, but a quick dip in the lake, and after the shirt dries in no time, it looses most of the stink. I found that by washing the shirt out twice over a nine day trip the shirt continued to smell good. I can’t be sure, but my educated guess is that because the salts from your sweat stick to the shirt, it’s these salts that start to stink, when you wash the salts out, the VisaEndurance(TM) smells good because it doesn’t absorb any odor. Very nice.

Conclusion

This is “the” shirt for odor free long trips. I’m amazed after using this shirt for the last few months. I only wish I would have purchased one for my month long trip over the summer. With a slightly different cut under the arms and around the neck, this shirt could pass as a nice shirt to wear around town also, but as it is, I’d skip it in town but wouldn’t leave it home when adventuring. This gets the Famous Nessmuking Buy Me Now Before It’s Too Late Award.

Date Reviewed: 10/15/2005
Product Reviewed: Terramar Transport Micro-Mesh T-Shirt
Retail Price: $32.99 (On sale at Campmor for $13)

This article originally appeared on PaddlingLight.com. Leave a comment and an opinion by clicking through here: Review Terramar Transport Micro-Mesh T-Shirt