While in the store, I attempted to stay responsible with my money. I found a pair of Danskos for 1/2 off so, duh. I also found these softshell pants:
Nau: Shroud of Purrin Pants
(not my butt)
Now, there was this amazing softshell jacket in the same line, also 1/2 off, but by the time I had decided on the pants and shoes, I was further in the hole than imagined...so I called it quits. That is, until a few days later, when BW offered an additional 14% off any item, including sale items, for Valentine's Day. Since the Omaha store doesn't carry this line, I immediately dialed up Fort Worth and ordered the jacket to match. I guess if you leave an item behind and are still thinking about it 3 days later, it's something you'd really like to have. So, here's the jacket I apparently couldn't live without:
I'm not typically a shopping nut but put me near technical gear and I have much less self control. I cannot bring myself to pay more than $10 for a cotton shirt, because it could never (should never) be worn for anything other than hanging out but, as most of you know, put some merino wool in front of me and that $45 shirt seems reasonable for all that it does (it will also last longer and probably has some sort of warranty on it).
Now that I'm back home in my winter wonderland, here's a list of what I love and don't love about these two items.
Pros
* Almost 100% recycled and recyclable. how great is that?!* Great look: Just as easily street wear as hiking
* Durable/ Heavyweight
* Wind/Water Resistant (it IS a softshell)
* Fleece Pockets for warming up hands
* Zippers on the ends of the sleeves make getting gloves on/off easy
* High Collar to block out the wind
* Poly-fleece liner insulates and wicks away moisture
* Length- as us tall chicks know, getting sleeves and the back long enough is rare. What is it with midriff-bearing softshells?!
* The pants come with built-in gaiters. Even better, they snap into your boots!
* VERY Flattering fit. The jacket could easily camouflage a muffin top while the pants could give anyone a shapely rear. I have never tried on a pair of technical pants that got a woman's figure right. Well done!
Cons
* $$$- It ain't cheap to get nice-looking, form-fitting, recycled gear. Retail value on the jacket is $280. The pants $250. Ouch! Glad I didn't pay nearly that amount.
(although I still might have for the pants. they're the most flattering pants I own right now. Period.)
* Heavy- The jacket is 24oz, the pants are 23 oz. This is a heavy set to consider packing for bigger excursions. I'd probably pack the pants and bring a lighter weight jacket.
* No ventilation- If I were doing a longer hike in this set, I might be concerned that there's no way to ventilate them. No leg, pit or pocket vents. Combine this with the heavy weight of the material and it could make for a very warm hike.
* This is nit-picky but I wish the zipper pulls were a little larger. It's a bit tricky zipping with gloves on.
As you can see, the pros drastically outweigh the cons so I think, all in all, they were worth the investment. What do you think?
