Sierra Designs Cagoule and Chaps are finally available

Hey… I think SD should go way out there and offer a Kilt for men. We need some breathable underwear too because not everyone is going to want to free-ball it.

I'm hesitant on the Cagoule because I use the front zipper to vent rainwear currently. The reality is that if you hike/climb with rain gear you get wet. I view rain gear mainly as a tool to stay warm, not dry. So the ability to unzip the front and stay cooler by venting is critical to me in hiking rain gear.

Oh man, do we want to make a "kilt". When we came out with skirts only for women, we got accused of being sexist, but the fact is a skirt is actually technically superior in most cases, since it's primary function is simply modesty, to cover underwear (or nothing) or to sit on. Butt protection for sitting but another big downward facing vent where you really need it. Mountain Hardwear and others have tried, but machismo seems to win out and these products can't seem to take hold.

If you want full zip, the UL Rain Jackets have all the features of the cagoule, plus pockets and (maybe not an advantage to you) a 3rd layer to elimante the plastic feel of 2l shells.

But I think you would be surprised how well the "skirt" on the front of the cagoule vents all the way up into the chest, just from the natural motion of hiking. Certainly better than a closed zip, and way more protective from outside moisture than an open zip. But the UL Rain Jacket has both, albeit at a weight expense.

It's worth checking out because the real benefit of these long jackets is that they create a drip line BELOW the crotch, eliminating the need for steamy rain paints, and keeping the "crotch gutter" from giving you wet diaper syndrome. Plus, The "lap" area produces more heat than any other part of the body, so leaving this area uncovered with chaps makes the huge difference in staying cool and minimizing sweaty crotch. So much so that we are dropping all traditional rain pants in 2016.

Ok so I got a cagoule. And it rained today, a miracle here in Arizona. It was not hot here today, in the 60's, but I run hot so to test the cagoule I put on my Melanzama dress, which is like cap 4 patagonia, underneath the cagoule, with fleece tights and put on my pack and went for a run. The cagoule did great, I didn't overheat, and I was using the dress hoody and the cagoule hoody. It rained the whole time and the hood was good, but I'll use a ball cap with it next time in rain, the drawstrings are nice and the neck and chin coverage good. No leaks at all and I stayed dry. I need to do more miles in it to try to build up more of a "glow" (men sweat fellas, ladies glow) to see how it does when I'm out longer doing big climbs, but in all I'm happy with how it fits and functions. The top chest opening is good, it's not short, and serves well for ventilation and that along with the air from below was enough to keep my temps just right. The breathability of the fabric is rated at 31,500G MVTR, probably not much breathability since it seems to be lined with a thin, light rubbery looking interior, with the seams taped nicely. The waterproof is rated at 7,300MM WEP. The armpit vents are small, the wrist Velcros are very much like the Precip coats, which I like. The apron on front did not gutter out for me, but I can see how it might if a persons' waist is shorter than mine, and I would recommend to SD to add an inch more on the length of that side opening seam to accommodate more people's measurements as this will be a deal breaker for some. Also a larger size would help as seriously, I'm not a big person and the XL is the largest I could find. My husband who is a solid XXL could never fit in this. The Velcro spots can be adjusted to the required unevenness of the back and front and yes, for me the back ended up shorter than the front when fitted to me and my pack. I also really liked the hand holes, as my dress has a hoodie type pocket on the front I was able to keep my hands nice and warm as I walked and ran. For your reference on sizing I'm five foot ten and weigh 180 and am a 46 bust and have a 34 waist, and my back shoulder measurements from shoulder seam to shoulder seam is 18.5 inches and I usually take a large in pack sizes. I ordered an XL based on my other Sierra Designs raincoat and because I wanted to be able to layer a base layer and maybe my Borah gear down vest if I had to, which works out fine without compressing the down. I can also wear my nano puff underneath comfortably. The cagoule weighs 7.34 on my mail scale.

Nice Review.

Thanks for the detailed response Michael.

Call it a kilt and make it Unisex. It would have to have a crazy Scottish design.

I'm an anomaly here. Weight isn't the most important feature of a piece of gear. I'll carry a heavier rain jacket if it has what I want. I agree generally with your design mantra of moving vs stationary but there are various phases of both that I adjust my worn gear. The most frequent moving status that requires adjustments is early morning or when you are cold and have layered up. When you start you tend to wear that extra piece for long enough to warm. I like to unzip…. then I pull my arms out and let it hang for the most part all while hiking (takes a little acrobatic move with the pack). I then will stuff the jacket into the rear pocket of my pack next time I fully stop. That often is several hours into my morning so I wouldn't be interested in something without a zipper.

In terms of rain pants… the only time I've carried them are in winter hiking. I tend to be strictly a 3-season hiker now (although spent yesterday hiking with our warm winter) and my winter activity is skiing. That keeps me in the mountains year round.

I'm with Kev – I have learned to hate my rain pants and although the chaps look interesting, there are similar designs from MLD and others. But a rain kilt – oh yeah. Bring it on. Just have an option to add my tartan colors and I will buy several.

I don't know. Seems like men wearing chaps is just as threatening as men wearing skirts, if you are threatened by such things. Not saying I am.

Hey… a skirt works for me. It would be easier to take either a number 1 or number 2. It would reduce the chance of "walk like a cowboy" syndrome. It would keep most people from talking to you. You do hike for solitude right? People would think you are kind of weird or odd…. which has a certain value in the right circumstances. It would keep many people (not all) from following too closely on that steep ascent.

The mediums came in today. Much better fit for someone 5'10

All:

Just an update. Thanks to this thread, we realize we blew it when we sized these. Going forward, we are simply going to size these by inseam, rather than S-XL. The inseam is the crucial measurement, and as shown in the previous post, the girth of the leg is graded but less crucial than the length.

Here are the correct measurements (the ones I sent earlier were INCORRECT):

Small – 29"
Medium – 31"
Large – 33"
XL – 35"

Hope that helps!

Im planning a Presidential Traverse and a 100 Mile Wilderness trip and wanted more durable rain wear than the Frogg Toggs I currently use. Though I will say that for the budget conscious the Frogg Toggs are a good light weight option for trips through easy to moderate terrain that dont require scrambling. Ive used the same set for three seasons and theyre still in good shape.

I considered the Marmot Essence jacket and pants but the active venting used with the cagoule, chaps combo and its lower cost won me over.

I'll report back when Ive had a chance to test this set up on the trail.

UPDATE:
After receiving my cagoule and chaps I tried both on and found the size small chaps to fit my 30 inch inseam perfectly. They were much to tight to accommodate my loose fitting EMS Camp Cargo hiking pants however, so Im going to exchange them for a larger size. Because of the fit issue I did not include the chaps in testing.

Im 5' 7" 185 lbs with a 42" chest. I ordered the size large cagoule and it fits me well. It took me a few tries to learn how to put the cagoule on quickly but this is easy now. Its a matter of bunching the material in your hands and pulling it all over your head at once.

As others have mentioned the front flap seems an awkward fit at first but after going through the motions of donning the cagoule then a loaded pack then adjusting the pack for comfort I found that the cagoule settles into place nicely without any gathering at the waist. I then fastened the velcro closures. For me the back hem sat several inches lower than the front once the adjustments were made. The time spent donning the cagoule and pack, then making adjustments was less than one minute.

Since New Hampshire doesnt see much rain March the first test I performed was the shower test. The was the first time I tested a garment this way and I didnt find it to be a very realistic recreation of natural conditions where I general hike. The volume of water was much higher than Ive ever encountered outdoors and the water pressure felt much higher as well, but here are the results… I stood in the shower for a total of fifteen minutes. I stood in different positions to see the effect of exposure from different angles. After ten minutes I stepped away from the water flow. It was clear at this point that water was not beading on the surface as nicely as when the test began. I then dried my hands and lifted the front flap and could see it had begun to wet out. Though the fabric fely dry to the touch and my legs were still dry at this point. I released the velcro chest closure and inspected the inside of the fabric and found it to be dry. Because I couldnt see the hood fabric very well I cant be certain about wet out but the inner hood was mostly dry at this point because it slid over my bald head smoothly and my head was dry. I sealed everything up again and stood under the water for another five minutes. After exiting the shower I removed the cagoule and inspected the inner fabric. The lap area had wetted through. (see pic) The shoulders and hood had begun to wet out but not not through and with the exception of the lap area I was still dry. Had I been wearing the chaps my lap may have been dry as well.

After the shower test the normally seven ounce cagoule weighed 10.2 ounces.

Test 2: I wore the cagoule on a 5.5 mile hike. Temps in the mid twenties, winds varied from five to fifteen mph with gusts of 25mph. I started with the cagoule buttoned up tight. With a 200 weight merino base layer and 100 weight fleece mid layer I felt comfortably cool when exposed to wind and warm when sheltered from it. Even sealed up I could feel the stronger winds penetrating the cagoule though not to a level I found uncomfortable. Even though this was a biting cold wind its affect was brief. After 30 minutes I felt warm enough to open the chest up. After six more minutes I was cool enough to close it again. The velcro tabs on the chest arent the easiest things to use while wearing gloves. If I planned to use this as a cold weather garment Id replace it with a zipper but the ventilation provided by the huge chest opening is amazing. It measures 14" from end to end.

Periodically I would walk with arms raised for up to a minute to see if I could sense any ventilation through the pit vents. On this very windy day I could feel the wind enter the vents but still felt I needed to open the chest every thirty minutes or so. Some say the pit vents are small. I found that they provided adequate ventilation during testing. Does it matter how big they are if they do their job? Here is a photo to demonstrate the size. Not sure if you can tell from the photo but thats a one liter smart water bottle inserted through the pit vent.

On the moderately strenuous summit section (1/2 mile)I opened the chest and the wrists to maximize ventilation. I noticed some dampness at the wrists of my base layer and the cagoule but the cagoules sleeves were long enough to pull over my hands for warmth while the fabric dried. The wrist velcro and elastic closure isnt exactly sleek but I found them to be an acceptable compromise between weight and function, same goes for the hood drawcord.

At the end of the hike I inspected the inside of the cagoule for moisture. There was some very light condensation in the hood and shoulder areas and also within the taped seams.

With the cagoule removed I immediately felt the full force of the cold wind and realized just how much wind it could block while still maintaining ventilation.
I found the breathability/ventilation and wind resistance of the cagoule to be very good. My comfort level on this hike ranged from warm to comfortably cool. With the venting options, regulating moisture and body temp was easy on this cold day.

I'll update again with natural rain testing info.

I wound up finding a deal on the Jacket and was able use it yesterday for a bit for the first time.

I went on a quick 3 miler in the mid 50's with a decent rain. I wore a t-shirt/shorts and it seemed to work pretty well.I started to heat up at the end, but not to the point of sweating.

I wish the pit vents were bigger on the Jacket and I really wish the size chart existed before I returned the large chaps and got the mediums. At 5'10 with a 30" inseam, I think the smalls would be perfect.

Jeremy, whats the width measurement below the black logo? I may have a solution for you.

I am a 5'4" ft woman, torso length 17", 125 lb. I am wondering if even the XS Cagoule will be way too big and especially too long on me, so that my hip belt would be too high under the skirt.

How do the chaps fit women?

And can you attach the chaps to something as stretchy as elastic running shorts, or will it just start to drag the shorts down?

Thanks!

I am 5' tall and was wondering the same thing what does SD suggest for women who want to try out both pieces are they not sizing them for smaller women or women at all or is this product a mens only thing :(

I'm 5' 6" with a thick 43" chest. The cagoule is a very poor fit for me, the torso is far too short compared to my chest size. The fix would be easy: if the front flap extended to where the "pocket" is then my waist belt would not push the front up. I'm tempted to modify the garmet but I'm going to return it.

My $.02 is that the cagoule is a great idea but the version 1.0 needs refinement in order to fit more people than very skinny people with long torsos.

Also, the pit vents are very small.

Edit: let me add that I admire the simple design and clean execution.

Try the belt through the pockets.

Whoa. Mind blown. I will try that. Thanks!

Might want to check this out……

http://tinyurl.com/lehhdvt

UPDATE:
After receiving my cagoule and chaps I tried both on and found the size small chaps to fit my 30 inch inseam perfectly. They were much to tight to accommodate my loose fitting EMS Camp Cargo hiking pants however, so Im going to exchange them for a larger size. Because of the fit issue I did not include the chaps in testing.

Im 5' 7" 185 lbs with a 42" chest. I ordered the size large cagoule and it fits me well. It took me a few tries to learn how to put the cagoule on quickly but this is easy now. Its a matter of bunching the material in your hands and pulling it all over your head at once.

As others have mentioned the front flap seems an awkward fit at first but after going through the motions of donning the cagoule then a loaded pack then adjusting the pack for comfort I found that the cagoule settles into place nicely without any gathering at the waist. I then fastened the velcro closures. For me the back hem sat several inches lower than the front once the adjustments were made. The time spent donning the cagoule and pack, then making adjustments was less than one minute.

Since New Hampshire doesnt see much rain March the first test I performed was the shower test. The was the first time I tested a garment this way and I didnt find it to be a very realistic recreation of natural conditions where I general hike. The volume of water was much higher than Ive ever encountered outdoors and the water pressure felt much higher as well, but here are the results… I stood in the shower for a total of fifteen minutes. I stood in different positions to see the effect of exposure from different angles. After ten minutes I stepped away from the water flow. It was clear at this point that water was not beading on the surface as nicely as when the test began. I then dried my hands and lifted the front flap and could see it had begun to wet out. Though the fabric fely dry to the touch and my legs were still dry at this point. I released the velcro chest closure and inspected the inside of the fabric and found it to be dry. Because I couldnt see the hood fabric very well I cant be certain about wet out but the inner hood was mostly dry at this point because it slid over my bald head smoothly and my head was dry. I sealed everything up again and stood under the water for another five minutes. After exiting the shower I removed the cagoule and inspected the inner fabric. The lap area had wetted through. (see pic) The shoulders and hood had begun to wet out but not not through and with the exception of the lap area I was still dry. Had I been wearing the chaps my lap may have been dry as well.
After the shower test the normally seven ounce cagoule weighed 10.2 ounces.

Test 2: I wore the cagoule on a 5.5 mile hike. Temps in the mid twenties, winds varied from five to fifteen mph with gusts of 25mph. I started with the cagoule buttoned up tight. With a 200 weight merino base layer and 100 weight fleece mid layer I felt comfortably cool when exposed to wind and warm when sheltered from it. Even sealed up I could feel the stronger winds penetrating the cagoule though not to a level I found uncomfortable. Even though this was a biting cold wind its affect was brief. After 30 minutes I felt warm enough to open the chest up. After six more minutes I was cool enough to close it again. The velcro tabs on the chest arent the easiest things to use while wearing gloves. If I planned to use this as a cold weather garment Id replace it with a zipper but the ventilation provided by the huge chest opening is amazing. It measures 14" from end to end.

Periodically I would walk with arms raised for up to a minute to see if I could sense any ventilation through the pit vents. On this very windy day I could feel the wind enter the vents but still felt I needed to open the chest every thirty minutes or so. Some say the pit vents are small. I found that they provided adequate ventilation during testing. Does it matter how big they are if they do their job? Here is a photo to demonstrate the size. Not sure if you can tell from the photo but thats a one liter smart water bottle inserted through the pit vent.

On the moderately strenuous summit section (1/2 mile)I opened the chest and the wrists to maximize ventilation. I noticed some dampness at the wrists of my base layer and the cagoule but the cagoules sleeves were long enough to pull over my hands for warmth while the fabric dried. The wrist velcro and elastic closure isnt exactly sleek but I found them to be an acceptable compromise between weight and function, same goes for the hood drawcord.

At the end of the hike I inspected the inside of the cagoule for moisture. There was some very light condensation in the hood and shoulder areas and also within the taped seams.

With the cagoule removed I immediately felt the full force of the cold wind and realized just how much wind it could block while still maintaining ventilation.
I found the breathability/ventilation and wind resistance of the cagoule to be very good. My comfort level on this hike ranged from warm to comfortably cool. With the venting options, regulating moisture and body temp was easy on this cold day.

I'll update again with natural rain testing info.

Its been a few months and interested if any more cagoule users out there.
Also, how about the SD UL rain trench jacket, which I saw Skurka is recommending it on his site…?
Also curious if it's much shorter than the cagoule – I'm 6'3" w/a long torso.

Thanks-