MEC T2 Hoodie Group Buy – ROUND 2

[Daniel Russell]

No worries… Here is another:

THE ORDER ARRIVED TODAY!! (2/9/2013)
Since the parcel service is now closed for the weekend, I'll get these out on Monday. Everyone should expect their order by next week.
I'd be glad to help coordinate more group buys in the future.
Cheers and thanks.

[Konrad .]

I figured others may be interested, but the group buy I was part of received it's order today. The material is same as the new patagonia capilene 4. I find the fit to be slim+long. A bit tighter in the chest than I'm used to but very good sleeve and body length. Hood fits very snug and well. No customs/duties/taxes but be aware of your credit cards policies when you place your order…I got hit with an international surcharge.

Enjoy!

[Daniel Russell]

Konrad is right. This thing is a bit tighter in the chest than I'm used to. That being said, it is mostly suited for a baselayer, and possibly midlayer. It breathes extremely well and doesn't give that clammy feel that many synthetics have. I wore it on a 3 mile hike, about 45f and windy. I used my windshirt at first but ended up putting it in my pocket after getting my heart rate up. This shirt is ideal, for me, in these temps. I could see this, paired with a windshirt, taking me down to around 30f (maybe lower?). If I belay then I would have to throw on another layer.
Overall this was a steal at $36!

I didn't get hit for a surcharge. I used a PayPal debit card (free to PayPal account holders) and I recommend getting one.

[Robert Warren]

Thanks again for doing this. It worked out well.

Bob

[Greg Pehrson]

I missed out on this. But if anyone ordered a small T2 hoody that they find too small, I could be interested.
Konrad and Daniel—this was very cool of you to do.
EDIT: Got one! Thanks!

[Albert C.]

Rats, I'm in the same boat, I missed the deal

If anyone got a small, thats too small, I'll buy it

[Dan D]

I received mine from Konrad today, thanks!

I'm 6'4 220 (normally around 210) and got the Large. I think it fits great. The length is perfect for my arms and the torso length is quite long and much appreciated for tucking, etc. The overall cut fits well and the hood fits great as well. I'd agree though that the snug'est part is under the arms. Its still loose enough for me to wear a tight baselayer under it, but i'll probably use this as a direct base layer, maybe just a cap 1 SS under it if anything.

Oh and i also weighed it, 193g for the Large.

[Brad Walker]

Thank you again for the group purchase Daniel. I just received the hoody today.

I agree with the slim and long assessment, which makes it a great baselayer IMO. At 5'8" 150 the medium is perfect. With the Patagonia r1 (haven't tried the cap 4) I'd have to size down to a small for the same (well maybe a tad tighter) fit.

[Ben C]

Dan, got the T2 in today. Thanks for doing this. First impressions are great. The fit is very good for me and the material clings a bit like guaze, but with some stretch. Looking forward to using it.

[Joseph R]

Hi Dan – got the hoodie and mitts in the mail today, everything looks great, thanks for running this group buy!

Impressions of the cloudwaker mitts – quite light, huge coverage. Definitely fills a void in my kit for a lightweight rain mitt.

Hoodie – I happen to have one of the patagonia capilene 4 zip tops on hand for comparison. Both are men's size medium, and as a reference for comments on fit, I'm 5'8", 160lbs, 39" chest.

The fabric in the T2 is a lighter weight, slightly thinner version of the fabric used in the cap 4. The raised grid sections are not as wide as those found in the cap 4, but the spacing for the thinner sections of fabric in between is about the same. The zip on the patagonia only runs roughly 1/3 the way down the front of the garment, whereas the zip on the MEC is far deeper, I'd call it a 1/2 zip.

As for fit, the T2 has a bit more volume in the arms and the sleeves are slightly longer. Additionally, the openings for the hands are slightly greater in circumference as well. I do find myself missing the thumb loops found in the patagonia, and I will probably modify the T2 by adding my own. Volume in the torso seems about right, although a little tighter in the underarm area compared to the patagonia. The length of the T2 is a bit longer than the patagonia, though not by much. I'm pretty happy with the hood, I find it form fitting and provides good mobility. Overall, I find the fit of the cap 4 close to flawless for my body type, and the T2 not far behind. Very happy with it for the price, I suspect it will be my summer long sleeve layer of choice.

Regarding weight, my patagonia cap 4 zip top (not hoody) weighs 176.3g, the MEC T2 hoody weighs 176.2g. So for pretty much the same weight as the cap 4 zip, I gain a hood and deeper zip, lose the thumb loops and a bit of warmth. Not a bad trade off.

[Daniel Russell]

Glad it worked out for everyone that posted so far. I made a crucial mistake on Cody's order and shipped it off to the wrong address (which happened to be right down the street from him). I really hope he can recover the package.

Great comparison Joseph. I also found the hood to be form fitting and comfortable. I also concur on the DIY thumb holes. They seem like they should be there huh?

After wearing this a couple times now as a baselayer, I find that the zipper is a little "scratchy" in the chest area. I will probably use my injector to put some Polartec scraps over the zip area, maybe just in the chest to save a few micro-grams (joking…kinda).

It is stylish unless, of course, you have a problem with green. I'm a big fan of green, if you know what I mean. :P

[Clint N.]

I just received mine as well. The T2 seems to be an excellent balance of warmth and breathability and I'm happy with the fit; it's slim/fitted but not skin tight on me. I'm 6'1" and 200 lbs. with a 42" chest and it goes well over a baselayer LS t-shirt. I didn't try on the hood yet because I don't want to mess up my pretty hair on Valentine's day, I'll try that later. The arms are longer than needed even on my chimp arms but not a big deal. The length is nice for torso coverage when moving around.

I also got a pair of Cloudraker mitts and the weight is great but they are bigger than I had planned for. I'm interested in the T2 long johns and T3 hoodie and bottoms so if they drop to an awesome sale price I'll get those and medium mitts. I'm almost always a large in glove size but these are just a bit too roomy even with a midlayer glove under the mitt.

Thanks for the work on this Dan, you made it extremely easy. Good karma coming your way!

[Ethan A.]

The Cloudraker mitts are oversized by a full size, so order down one size. I was looking for very lightweight and cheap rain mitts like this for a long time. They offer excellent coverage.

Is anyone seam sealing their mitts, and if so, what are you using?

The T2 Hoody HE fabric is very warm for the weight and breathable, but careful not to stretch its temp range – given the thinness and breathability you'd have to wear a wind shirt over it in colder and windy weather. I think it would also make a nice light midlayer in summer. At 6 ft 175 lbs 42 in. chest the Large T2 Hoody fits very comfortably. I was able to sell some old poly tops that weren't functional or warm for the weight to fully cover the mitts and hoody. Thanks again for the great find.

[James holden]

MEC used to (perhaps they still do) sell a puffy synth mitt, the cloudraker shell fits over that perfectly … i suspect it was made so

[Joseph R]

EJ: The mitts already have taped seams, so seam sealing should not be necessary.

[Robert Warren]

Yeah, I too was surprised by how big they are. I normally ware size large gloves and these seem like an extra-large or even XX-large. The tags are still on them. I'll probably resell them if anyone that takes an X-large is interested let me know.

Bob

[Konrad .]

Got your PM EJ, but figured I'd post the info here for all.

The cloudraker mitts are indeed seam taped so no need to seamseal. I find them to be sized 1-2 sizes larger depending on your intended purpose. I am a solid size Medium in Outdoor Research Gloves and pretty much wear a medium in all gloves from other brands. With the CloudRakers, I can fit into a size XS if I am only putting my barehand in it without other layers. A size small allows me to put on a midweight fleece glove under. A size medium would allow me to put a puffy mitt under. For those that are curious, here is the corresponding synthetic puffy mitt that MEC sells that is great to layer under http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/WomensClothing/GlovesMitts/PRD~5024-115/mec-puffy-mitts-unisex.jsp

Also, if anyone misses the old OR lobster gloves, I found these to be the best replacement
http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cycling/MensClothing/Gloves/PRD~5020-734/mec-drencher-gloves-unisex.jsp
These gloves fit true to size and my mediums only allow a pair of lightweight/medium liners.

I'm sure they can be used fine for winter use, but I would stay away from heavy duty tasks such as shoveling snow…I'd imagine the DWR would break down pretty quickly with such agressive use. I've used my drencher lobster-gloves for cross country skiing with no problems

[Tom Watkins]

Have to thank Dan for all his work on this. Got both mine the other day. Fantastic value even taking in to account shipping to the UK.

[Ethan A.]

Have an extra pair of Cloudraker Waterproof Mitts in size XS from a buy I did. Note that the Cloudraker Mitts are oversized by one size, so the XS Mitt will fit a Small size hand (I typically wear Medium-Large Mitts and gloves and in the Cloudraker wear a size S). May also have an extra T2 Hoody in a Men's L and Women's M, will know shortly.

The Cloudraker Mitts are the lightest, best value long-coverage waterproof mitts we've ever found.

The T2 Hoody is a fantastic piece, warm for the weight yet very breathable – will work very well with a light wind jacket over a broad range.

Konrad thanks again for letting us know about these and the T2 Hoody.

[Cody Bartz]

I have a medium T2 hoodie up for sale. See it here:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=74089&skip_to_post=632397#632397

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