OR - Big Agnes Zirkel Circle Skirt

Dear Editors,

 

It's still raining, but it's 5 o'clock somewhere!  Yay - here!  So, this
will be it for today.  But there's always tomorrow - "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I
love you tomorrow.  You're only a day away"  - sorry, it's 5:45 now.

 

Anyway,  the text is below and the HTML is in the test folder at:
http://tinyurl.com/m7nowgz

 

Thanks for all your hard work!

Kathy

____________________________________

 

BIG AGNES ZIRKEL CIRCLE SKIRT   

 

BA Logo 

BY KATHLEEN WATERS 

 May 24, 2015   

 OWNER REVIEW   

 

 

  

 

TESTER INFORMATION   

 

NAME:    Kathleen Waters   

 EMAIL:    kathy at backpackgeartest dot com   

 AGE:    64   

 LOCATION:    Canon City, Colorado, USA   

 GENDER:    F   

 HEIGHT:    5' 4" (1.60 m)   

 WEIGHT:    125 lb (56.70 kg)   

 

Living in Colorado and being self-employed, I have ample opportunities to
backpack. There are over 700,000 acres/280,000 hectares of public land
bordering my 71-acre/29-hectare "backyard" in addition to all the other
gorgeous locations which abound in Colorado. Over the past 15 years, my
husband John and I have also had the good fortune to hike/snowshoe glaciers,
rain forests, mountains and deserts in exotic locations, including New
Zealand, Iceland, Costa Rica, Slovenia and Death Valley. My hiking style is
comfortable, aiming for lightweight. I use a tent (rainfly if needed).
Current pack averages 25 lb (11 kg) excluding food and water.  

 

PRODUCT INFORMATION   

 

 

 

Manufacturer: Big Agnes, Inc.

Year of Manufacture: 2014

Manufacturer's Website: http://www.bigagnes.com

MSRP: US $129.95

Listed Weight: 9 oz (255 g) Medium

Measured Weight: 8 oz (227 g) Medium

Sizes Available: Small, Medium, Large

Size Reviewed: Medium

Colors Available: Black/Light Teal & Fuschia/Orange

Color Reviewed Black/Light Teal

 

Other details:

 

* Materials: Nylon rip-stop shell with 700 fill power DownTekT water
repellent down

* A-line fit with vertical baffles

* Listed and measured skirt length size Medium - 17. 5" (44 cm)

* Listed adjustable fit range for size Medium 29 to 36" (74 to 91 cm)

* Machine washable in warm water and down cleaner. Tumble dry low. Do not
bleach or iron.

* Made in China 

ORWM 2015 

Solitude Mountain, Utah, Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2015 

 

 

 

FIELD USE AND PERFORMANCE   

 

Over the winter months, I continued to backpack/hike and snowshoe as much as
possible. I spent most of my time in the south central region of Colorado
that I can home. Mostly, I hiked in the mountains of Fremont County,
including the Wet, Fremont and Cooper Mountain ranges. This area's terrain
runs the gamut of evergreen forests, to grassy plains to high desert rock
and dirt/mud (as the moisture or lack thereof dictates).

 

I also spent some time snowshoeing in the Wasatch Mountains in Utah and a
wonderful week in the snow in Twin Lakes, Colorado, snowshoeing in and
around the Colorado Trail. These two areas are environmentally similar to my
usual haunts but had way, way more snow.

 

It's been a strange year for weather, so early on, winter was mild but
snowy; then it became very bitter cold and snowy, to mild temperatures, to
downright warm. All this in the time span of November 2014 to March 2015. As
I write this, it's early May 2015 and it's been raining almost every day for
the past two weeks and I'm back to wearing long-sleeved base layers along
with wind and rain jackets! Wacky Weather!

 

Over these 5 months, I estimate I've covered 40 miles (60 km)
backpacking/hiking/snowshoeing and walking in the Big Agnes Zirkel Circle
Skirt and several more just wearing it around town casually.

 

The Big Agnes Zirkel Circle Skirt is a very simply constructed wrap-around
A-line down skirt quilted diagonally and fastened with a series of snaps.
The seven pairs of snaps allow a wide range of waist sizes and allows for a
custom fit wherever (waist high or hip hugging). The skirt is lined with a
contrasting nylon material. It features a small diagonal slash pocket on the
left front of the skirt which is hidden in one of the quilt seams and is
mercifully placed off the hips! That's it! Very Simple!

 

But how the Zirkel Circle Skirt performs is anything but simple. It a
wonderfully versatile item of clothing for wearing solo with base layer
running/hiking tights or leggings or layering over heavier leggings, pants
and even ski pants. I've worn mine with all of these bottoms at one point or
another and been quite happy with the results.

 

First off, depending on what else I'm wearing, my mood and whether or not I
ate that second s-more, I use the tightest to the third tightest set of
snaps. The snaps are very sturdily fastened, are easy to work with and have
withstood my very rough "ripping" open method of removing the skirt.

 

At the loosest range of the fastening snaps for me, the Zirkel sits lower on
my hips when I'm wearing a pair of tights or leggings. I usually wear the
Zirkel in this position when I am not bundling up for Artic winds or a foray
snowshoeing up a mountain trail. This is my "stylish" look. 

 

However, generally, "style" is not my thing and not what I have in mind when
I'm backpacking/hiking and snowshoeing. Comfort is the name of the game and
if my look doesn't scare small children, well that's an unexpected plus!

 

Mostly, this winter I wore the Zirkel over my ski pants. It didn't score any
fashion points, but it sure scored big on the warmth scale! Wearing the
skirt kept me noticeably warmer across the thighs, an area that seems to
take the brunt of the cold and winds since I usually just have on a base
layer and the ski pants. Every other part of my body gets layered up in more
than two layers, but not my thighs and derriere! Not anymore! With the
Zirkel, I have a very thick, very warm extra layer now. This extra layer is
also great on those occasions - and there have been more than a few - when
the seat of my pants came in contact with the cold hard icy ground or even
the cold soft snowy ground after a tussle between my trekking poles and my
snowshoes.

 

I've found the Zirkel Circle Skirt gives me a better range of motion and
more freedom of movement when backpacking/hiking/snowshoeing than trying to
wear heavier or multiple base layers under my ski pants. Not having that
extra bulk on my legs and in the crotch area makes for a much more pleasant
outing while still maintaining a measure of comfort. The skirt gives me
warmth where I need/want it without extra weight as well. It's a great
weight to warmth ratio, I think!

 

Even though function will always win out over fashion for me, it is nice to
know those turning heads are not (necessarily) gawking at my ridiculous
outfit, but rather admiring a trendy (did I actually write "trendy") look!
I've actually had women ask about the Zirkel Circle Skirt and compliment me
on its style. (Blush!) The snaps are very sturdily fastened, are easy to
work with and have withstood my very rough "ripping" open method of removing
the skirt.

 

 

The Zirkel has never gotten wet through even in some nasty blowing snow
treks and so far, hasn't suffered any thread pulls, tears, snagged zippers,
etc. It's in very good shape and clean-looking even though I haven't had to
wash it yet. I'm looking forward to many more outing as soon as
spring/summer comes and goes and cold weather backpacking and snowshoeing
are on my calendar again!  

 

STARRING ATTRACTIONS   

 

1.) Extra layer to keep my derriere and thighs warm.

2.) Easy to put on and take off on the go.

3.) Cute and stylish - women like it and want it.  

 

MINOR DISTRACTION   

 

1.) See number 3 above!

 

 

 

Independance Pass, Colorado 

There's MY Skirt! Give it back! 

 

 

 

SUMMARY   

 

At the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in January 2014, I spotted the Big
Agnes line of quilted skirts and was immediately intrigued. So when I got
the chance last November 2014 to purchase one, I jumped on it. I thought it
might be just a cute "snow bunny" fad sort of look that I would wear around
town apres ski (even though I don't ski) but I'm happy to say, I was wrong!

 

The Zirkel Circle Skirt is a great extra layer of protection against
frostbite of the derriere when winter winds are in full gear. And it gives
me more freedom of movement than other layering options I've used. 

 

I've certainly worn the Zirkel Skirt way more than I thought I would for
sure. I like it so much that I bought a second quilted skirt to match my Big
Agnes Marvine Jacket!

 

Kathleen (Kathy) Waters

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