Do PHD products breathe well?

If you are referring to Smartwool Phd products, I'm very fond of their performance. Their weak spot is the top cuff stitching, and tearing those stitches can simply be avoided by not pulling your socks up by the cuff. Just pull from below them when putting them on or pulling them up.

I prefer the balance that the "light" socks offer. Good padding in the heel and toes; thinner, breathable and supportive in between. Hiked the JMT last year with them without a single problem or blister. No worn through spots/holes, tears or general signs of wear after at least 250 miles of JMT and hiking around Yosemite prior.

HTH

KJ

I found their Dri shell material to be very breathable.

Never worn them backpacking, but I've routinely wore them in the summer and have never found them overly warm.

Great socks! In fact, they might be the most comfortable socks I've ever worn, but you do have to baby them a bit.

I believe he is referring to THIS PHD not Smartwool socks

I should have been more specific. I was looking at the Ultrashell material they are using for sleeping bags and jackets and it's hard to tell if it breathes well or is just a throw back to the old rainpants I used to have with a PU coating.

I tried out Minix Down/Primaloft Sleeping Bag and I didn't like it; I felt clammy in the morning, so now I hesitate to buy. I saw there was a Hispar Parka on ebay.

The Hispar would be nice, make sure to ask if it's the 800,900,1000 fp version.

Ultrashell doesn't look to be anything different than Pertex Endurance. I would expect the same performance.

Frankly, based on my recent contact experience on the phone and by email I would not buy any of their products. IMO, the math behind their specs just doesn't add up. When prompted for more details regarding loft and fill weights, their response is just plain cagey. And they spend pages of web space to try and explain the futility of a recognized standard temp rating only to give us their spin on one is just as silly.

Sorry, but for a niche provider of highly technical and EXPENSIVE clothing that lives can depend on, fill weight should not be a secret. It's like if Ferrari refused to tell you how many cylinders they have in their engines.

They're difficult to deal with. Shipping is exorbitant, as they insist on only using the most expensive (and quickest) mode, because, I think, of qualms about being becalmed in customs — or, what is more likely, pique at once having their products held for a bit.

I once bought a Hispar 500, on eBay, which was lighter than made sense, with a weight somewhere between that of a Hispar 400 and a Hispar 500. It had, on its tag, something like WOxxx, where xxx was some number I forget. The best explanation I could get from PhD was that the bag had been made for the Warrant Office (connected with the British military) to some top secret specification which they weren't at liberty to divulge, or had forgotten. I've only used it on one trip, which was very cold, too cold for things to get clammy.

One gets the sense that they think we colonials are a bit uppity, and need to be put in our place.

Hi Jim,

Did you not purchase my Hispar 800?

Cheers,

Stephen

And Stephen was much easier to deal with than PhD. His shipping charges were more reasonable, too! (I think it was $0). So maybe the best place to buy PhD, until they figure out something better with their shipping (which wasn't, by the way, always so expensive), is on the secondary market.

Stephen, though personally quite modest (I think), is actually somewhat famous in the UK, being quoted on PhD's site, under the Hispar 800, as saying:

"I am a big fan and have a Hispar 800 which is outstanding."
— Stephen

Well, actually, he doesn't have it any more. But have PhD come to me seeking my endorsement?

Hi Jim,

I guessed it was you.

Hope it seeing good use.

Cheers,

Stephen

I have a synthetic PHD vest I bought a few years ago for my ex. Its superb.

Breathability with an insulated vest (or product) is pretty hard to comment on if you only have the built product as its hard to distinquish between being too warm and lack of breathability.

I was going to drop coin on their limited run waferlite vest in the last few days. 85 grams, sheesh! I trust their temp ratings, for me at least they work out. YMMV and I agree its very strange that they won't supply fill rates.

I'm yet to see a more technically built sleeping bag than the Hispar. I think it looks superb in so many ways. I'd trust what it can do by their specs, I think they are a pretty reputable manufacturer. They are used by a lot of big names and well reviewed in Europe.

I asked them if they could remove the PHD logo on my waferlite vest if I ordered one. For me, as a PHD candidate and research scientist working in an Australian Uni, its very VERY weird to have PHD displayed on clothing. We here don't ever call people formally by their titles, Dr, Prof or otherwise, even if they have earnt and deserve them. Its first name basis, from 1st day undergrad, to emeritus. If I was to buy that vest, I'd want to wear it casually too every now and then in winter here. Mainly as it helps to build up experience on what temperature ranges I can get out of it.

They accepted that, but said they'd put it on the inside the jacket instead…weird???

I figured, whatever. I went to order and saw the shipping. Whoah! Absolutely crazy, for an 85gram item. Its like they wanted to charter a plane just for my vest.

So no, not worth it. For that total money I could get literally any US manufacturer to custom me a vest just how I like it, with whatever materials, to my exact size specs. Crazy.

So no down vest for me for now (I did have and loved my cheap uniqlo one but it has gone missing, sad Adam)

I agree PHD's maths doesn't quite seem to add up, but that said they are used by expeditioners all over the world and I've never heard one complaint about the quality or performance of their products, so that lends a lot of credence to their claims. I can sort of believe that by selecting the very best down and materials, and using finely honed knowledge about baffling etc. they can squeeze a bit more performance out of their products than your average name brand.

What I can't believe is their shipping choices. $100 to send a jacket across the Atlantic? Ridiculous. Even their domestic shipping charges are high. I have dealt with other UK companies that ship to Australia for under $20. God knows why PHD want to throttle their demand by making their shipping costs absurdly high but I guess they just don't care that much.

I've had the Ultra down pullover that uses Ultrashell and a couple of their sleeping bags one with drishell the other MX for a few years now.
They all breath well enough that i've not had any problems with sweat build up.

Should say though that i use all products for around camp though so i'm not hiking up a hill in my down pullover.

Temp ratings are a bit cold for me, so to be safe i'd probably add 5c to what you see on the site.

If i was to order another sleeping bag i would specify drishell, just seems to handle water a LOT better than any of the other materials i've tried from them