Fleece vs Smartwool

This isn't a review of a particular product, but rather a comparison of two insulating products--Smartwool vs Fleece.

In my quest to find the perfect insulator for my upcoming PCT hike, I've been hiking in the rain and cold trying out different clothing combinations.

My main concern, as with most people who hike in the cold and wet, is how do you keep yourself warm (and deal with moisture) after hiking up a big hill. The general scenario is it's warm (er) at the bottom, and as you hike up, you run into snow, colder temps, and on top of that, you're a sweaty mess. Here's what I've found out--

 I've always believed that wool is a great insulator when wet.  I believe this to be true, if the wool is heavy and has a certain amount of loft to it. Armed with this belief, I bought several different weights of smartwool, put them on, and then off I went into the wet and crappy weather of the pacific northwest in the winter time.

 The ultralight weight smartwool is great, as long as you keep moving. Even when sweaty and wet, I was pretty warm (not totally). I tried it under fleece, a light wind jacket, a rain jacket, and it performed "OK." I then moved up to mid-weight smartwool, and as expected, it was a little warmer. What I did notice is that when I stopped at the top of the mountain or some place to take a break, I had to immediately take off the sweaty smartwool or get chilled. It didn't really feel much different than when I used to hike in COTTON!

 Next I tried just wearing my medium weight Cabela's fleece pullover next to my skin. Luxurious! Not really. Fleece next to skin, when sweating, is a little weird. As I hiked with the fleece on, I noticed that it regulated my temperature very well, and never felt cold. Even when I stopped! I'm not sure where the moisture ends up, but the material insulates very well. After stopping for several minutes, the fleece continued to keep me warm. Here's the really cool part about fleece--I took it off for a minute, let the moisture inside cool, and then put it back on. The fleece was only about 1/10 as cold as putting on a soaking wet wool or cotton shirt.

 So the winner is fleece. Cheaper, warmer, and you get the added bonus of smelling like an old goat after a day on the trail. Ok, the last part isn't really a bonus, but fleece does soak up stink. Smartwool wins in that category.

 Next, I'll continue testing lightweight performance shirts. I'm considering taking a couple along on my PCT hike next year and swapping them out as I reach various summits so I'll have something warmer to wear down the other side. They'll have to be super quick drying, ultra lightweight etc...

Sealskinz waterproof socks

Sealskinz.com 

I recenlty purchased and hiked about 8 miles in a pair of Sealskinz "Thin Ankle Lenth socks."
I was extrememly impressed by thier weight (3.1 oz - size XL mens), comfort (merlino liner), and their ability to keep my feet dry and warm.

I hike in trail runners (Nike 910 V1), and usually get wet, cold feet while going through snow and muck. The Sealskinz kicked some serious butt, and I will always take them along no matter where I go (maybe not the desert).

They feel a bit more stiff and rugged than regular wool socks (I hike in darn tough socks too), but never did I get a blister or even a hot spot.

Zpacks Arc Blast 60L

I recently purchased, and returned, a Zpacks Arc Blast. This review is of my limited time with the pack (20 miles of hiking), carrying about 25 lbs.

I won't go into the specifics about the pack; you can get all that info from Zpacks.com. The options I selected are:
1. The camo cuben fiber material (way cool)
2. 22.5 inch shoulder strap/pack size
3. hip belt pouches (very nice)
4. Large hip belt size
5. Top stabilizer straps
**The pack weighed 18 oz empty

(I'm 6'3" and weigh 222)

The 20 miles of hiking I did with the Arc was actually done on 2 seperate hikes. I hiked 10 miles with the Arc, and then hiked 10 miles with my ULA circuit, and then did another 10 miles with the Arc (that's 10 miles a day, for three consecutive days).

Enough with the preliminaries, here is the review--

   The quality and workmanship of the Arc is second to none (as with all Zpacks products).

   The rolltop closure at the top works very well at keeping out water (it rained on one of my hikes).

   The stabilizer straps are connected to material on top of the pack. A possible improvement would be to move the straps onto the frame of the pack so that when you tighten them, the frame moves forward instead of the pack material.

   Next, I'll talk about pack fit- I've always been led to believe that a pack shoulder strap should fit like this--(pic from www.outdoorsports.com)--



 

 

Notice how the shoulder straps curve all the way over the top of the shoulder, and slightly down the back to where the strap connects with the pack? Also, the stabilizer strap should connect to the shoulder strap either right on top of the shoulder or slightly towards the back. I've read on several websites that this is how a shoulder strap should fit on an internal frame pack, and I assume the same is true for an external frame like the Arc blast. Maybe someone could clarify...

 

I also have an internal frame ULA Circuit pack. It is set up this way and is very comfortable.

 

If you go to the pack fitting instructions at Zpacks.com, they suggest you measure with a yard stick from the bottom of where your hip belt would sit to the top of your shoulder, and then use this measurement for ordering their pack. I did this measurement, and came up with 22.5 inches.

 

Here are two pictures of measurements, comparing my ULA circuit and the Zpacks Arc Blast--

 

ULA circuit - 15.5 inches

Zpack Arc Blast - 18.5 inches

 



  Before I get into these comparisons, I should tell you that the ULA Circuit is a size large for 21"-24" backs. Also, I've measured my back from my C7vertebrae  to top of my hip bone and it's 22.5 ".

 

 As you can see from the pictures, the CLA circuit measures 15.5" from where the shoulder straps connect to the pack to the top of the hip belt. The Arc Blast measures 18.5 inches.

 

 So, what does all this mean? I'm not really sure. Here's what I do know- The ULA circuit, which weighs in at 41 oz empty, carried 27 lbs more comfortably than the Arc blast (which weighed in at 18 oz-and carried 25 lbs total). The mesh back of the Arc did lend itself to a more comfortable and cooler back. Both packs were very similar in size and features, but the circuit is about $100 cheaper.

 

  Here's my bottom line question--If the Arc Blast's shoulder straps were the same as my ULA Circuit's, would the Arc be just as comfortable (or more so because of the weight savings)? That would mean lowering the Arc's straps 3 inches! So I would need to order an Arc with a frame size of 19.5 inches instead of 22.5. Is the large difference because of the different type of frames (internal vs external)? Just food for thought...

 

 Lastly, I've ordered and returned a few items from Zpacks. Their customer service is excellent, and they have always offered to fix or customize the product in question.