The second I picked up the Outdoor Research Frostline Hat I knew I wanted it. This is an awesome hat that combines some incredible features into an awesome hat that I think stands by itself. It’s light, waterproof, full covered and packable all in one package. They took the old trapper style hat and created a super light super protective hat that is well under the weight limit of any lightweight hiker.
The first thing that I noticed was the light weight of the hat which is strange for a winter hat. It only weighs around 3.4oz so it won’t cause feelings of guilt by taking it on a winter backpacking trip. Then I took notice of the smooth soft hand of the material which felt all to familiar and had to be Pertex Endurance. Now I don’t own any gear made of Pertex but some friends that I hike with do and I think it’s an amazing fabric. It’s tough, light, packable and has an incredibly soft hand. Almost simultaneously I noticed the Posh Pile lining that’s extremely soft, thick and makes fleece feel like sandpaper. And you know just by running your hands over and through this lining that it means business and holds some serious insulating power.
Now that it had my attention I started checking out the rest of the features which, one by one started stacking up. First with the flip down ear flaps that wrapped under my chin and fastened with light Velcro fastener. And then the flip-up magnetic brim and draw cord adjustment at the back of the hat. Well those features already convinced me to purchase this baby so anything else was a total bonus. Then I find one of the coolest features yet! There is a zippered pocket on the side of left flip down ear flap that holds a facemask. And like the rest of the hat the facemask follows suit by being super lightweight yet is also very soft. It’s a lightweight stretchy spandex material that has a low nap fleece on the inside part that would contact the face. I like that it’s thin and doesn’t completely hinder breathing while wearing it because when you’re hiking you’re sometimes huffing and puffing so you still need to breathe.
At this point I realized this was a full featured hat in a super compact package and better than anything I’d seen out there for some serious winter backpacking. I’ve only worn it outside a few times because of the unseasonably warm winter we are having but hopefully it will get back to normal and start freezing here soon so I can take it on a backpack trip. I will definitely provide a full rundown on it after that.
Here is some information straight from the Outdoor Research website
OUTDOOR RESEARCH FROSTLINE HAT
Description
Designed for extreme conditions, the Frostline Hat is built for ultimate winter weather protection. Water-resistant, ultralight 30D Pertex® Endurance fabric keeps out the elements, while Posh Pile™ fleece provides warm, wicking insulation. A zip-out face mask and fleece-lined earflaps provide adjustable protection from biting wind and snow, and the foam brim snaps up for greater visibility when you’re eyeballing the route ahead.
Features
- Water Resistant
- Wind Resistant
- Breathable
- Wicking
- Ear Flaps
- Fold-Out Facemask
- Foam-Stiffened Brim
- Brim Folds Up and Secures with Magnets to the Crown
- External Drawcord Adjustment
Details
Fabric: Pertex® Endurance, 100% nylon 30D // Posh Pile™ fleece lining 100% polyester // Zip-out Thermodynamic ™ 63% nylon, 23% polyester, 14% spandex single jersey face mask, zip pocket for easy storage
Avg. Weight (oz./g): 3.4oz / 97g (L)
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Cincinnati
Hi,
How has your Veda been holding up? I’m thinking of purchasing this tent for a thru hike of the AT in 2016. Obviously, my biggest concern is the condensation factor and was hoping you could attest to that as well as interior space if you have pictures. I’m 5’9″ and I’m looking for a UL tent that I can also put my pack in if necessary. Thanks!
Hi Robert,
I love my Veda first off! I think this tent is beautiful – it is a work of art. I’ve used it quite a few times over the course of a year. The longest was a 8-10 day trip on the John Muir Trail in California. Other than that mostly 3 or 4 day trips here in the East.
I’m a little over 6’2″ and around 230 and it has tons of room for me so I’m sure you would be quite comfortable. It’s very easy to set up and get taut – took virtually no time to get the pitch down. It does get it’s share of condensation on the inside so that’s a definite but with single wall tents it’s all about location. On the JMT we had a specific spot where we had to camp and it was a low spot by a lake. Definitely the worst scenario. I had very little condensation out West but here in the East it will definitely happen. If it wets out it is a pretty heavy tent(like most tents I guess) but it actually dries very quickly. I actually had it ice up on me one night on the JMT and I had to put it away wet in the morning and I bet it weighed 5 pounds, lol. The material they use is amazing and different than any other tent I’ve ever used – incredible hand and seems pretty durable. I’ve seen what could be a stress spot like any other tent material but absolutely no durability issues as of yet.
As far as a thru-hike tent it should get you there just fine and super comfortably but I just don’t know what condition it would be in the end because I haven’t used it for that long. I love this tent so much that I would be afraid to damage it on a thru-hike! I view my Veda as a wonderful weekender or weeklong tent and it’s pretty darn light but there are a few lighter options out there for a hard-core thru-hiker tent. Definitely plan on replacing the stakes – they are standard stakes – they won’t hold up very long on really hard ground.
I’m hoping to hit the JMT again this year but I’ll probably opt for a tarp or a tarp-tent to go lighter.
This tent is still in outstanding condition.