TradBow
Banned
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2013
I got my Tiburon shirt and pants as well as the Icon 1850 pack last week and finally got a chance to use them to go scouting over the weekend.
About Me:
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 195 pounds
Tiburon Shirt Size: XL
Tiburon Pant size: 34
Note: I usually wear a size large shirt, but with all the tight forearm stuff I have seen I got an XL. No problems with tightness in the forearms and I can roll the sleeves up to mid forearm. No problems drawing the bow either. Also no problems with pants binding when squatting / steep climbs.
Where I am living in Southern California the temperatures can get really high. It was high 80’s low 90’s for this scouting trip, we hit the trail at 5:40 am and when the sun crested the mountain it became scorching hot. My wife came along with us; she likes to hike and has gotten into photography so a few of her photos are attached to this review.
Before I got the Tiburon gear I was using the Kuiu Attack Pants and Merino 185 Zip-T. This combo works well in the Southern California heat, but after trying out the Tiburon, I found my new go to gear for the hot weather.
When I saw the stuff that Kuiu was posting about all this “micro dot” technology I was skeptical about whether it would be durable enough to beat through the brush. It seemed to me that these micro dots would snag and get torn up. When we got out into the mountains and started cutting trails I was pleasantly surprised by the durability of the Tiburon gear. We went through thorn bushes and all kinds of nasty **** with no negative effects.
As the day went on, and the climbs got steeper, I really began to sweat (as I do no matter what gear I am wearing in this type of heat). The Tiburon micro dots do perform as advertised in regards to breathability and allowing a breeze to pass through. Standing on top of some of the ridges I could feel the relief of a nice cold breeze, which blew nicely through the fabric. The hip zips on the pants allow for even more air to pass through. I was concerned the mesh material in the hip zips would snag and rip when going through brush, but I had them open the entire time with no problems.
We saw 7 does and about 8 rabbits before the sun fully crested the mountain. We were bummed not to find any bucks on this particular day. We worked hard to get to the top of our “goal” ridgeline and by the time we got there I was soaked. We found some shade and sat down to glass and cool off. We probably sat there for 15-20 minutes and by the time I stood up my gear was almost completely dry. The Tiburon dries really fast.
Now the pack review. This is my first Kuiu pack. The carbon fiber frame and the load sling were big selling points for me. I did not get a chance to use the load sling on this trip, but I look forward to using it to bring some meat home in the future. The memory foam on the shoulder straps is soft, without being too soft, and it is comfortable. I like the fit of the hip belt and the firmness of the lumbar pad. I have seen some concerns from people that it is too firm, but that was not the case for me. I wore it from 5:40am to 2:30 pm and I was comfortable the whole time, I never really thought about having it on my back, which is a good thing. With previous packs, if I slightly lost my balance I occasionally felt like the pack was trying to pull me down in the opposite direction I wanted to go. I did not get that feeling from the Icon, it stays snug to you and does a good job of carrying the weight from the hip belt which I feel helps to maintain balance because you are not as top heavy. I was able to shoot my recurve bow with no problems with the pack on. Sitting down to glass with the pack fully strapped up made for a comfortable back support. I have mixed emotions about the hip belt pouches. They are good sized pockets to store things you want access to without having to remove your pack. They did not rub my arms when I was walking. The only downfall they have is that they require two hands to open. For me this meant either setting my bow down or holding it between my knees. It’s not ideal, but it isn’t a deal breaker.
Overall I am really pleased with my purchases. The Tiburon gear is making this heat a little bit more tolerable and the Icon 1850 is an excellent pack. I hope this review helps. If anyone has any questions about the stuff feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer from my experience with this gear.
In the pictures attached I put on the beanie and neck gaiter just because I don't like having my face all over the internet.
About Me:
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 195 pounds
Tiburon Shirt Size: XL
Tiburon Pant size: 34
Note: I usually wear a size large shirt, but with all the tight forearm stuff I have seen I got an XL. No problems with tightness in the forearms and I can roll the sleeves up to mid forearm. No problems drawing the bow either. Also no problems with pants binding when squatting / steep climbs.
Where I am living in Southern California the temperatures can get really high. It was high 80’s low 90’s for this scouting trip, we hit the trail at 5:40 am and when the sun crested the mountain it became scorching hot. My wife came along with us; she likes to hike and has gotten into photography so a few of her photos are attached to this review.
Before I got the Tiburon gear I was using the Kuiu Attack Pants and Merino 185 Zip-T. This combo works well in the Southern California heat, but after trying out the Tiburon, I found my new go to gear for the hot weather.
When I saw the stuff that Kuiu was posting about all this “micro dot” technology I was skeptical about whether it would be durable enough to beat through the brush. It seemed to me that these micro dots would snag and get torn up. When we got out into the mountains and started cutting trails I was pleasantly surprised by the durability of the Tiburon gear. We went through thorn bushes and all kinds of nasty **** with no negative effects.
As the day went on, and the climbs got steeper, I really began to sweat (as I do no matter what gear I am wearing in this type of heat). The Tiburon micro dots do perform as advertised in regards to breathability and allowing a breeze to pass through. Standing on top of some of the ridges I could feel the relief of a nice cold breeze, which blew nicely through the fabric. The hip zips on the pants allow for even more air to pass through. I was concerned the mesh material in the hip zips would snag and rip when going through brush, but I had them open the entire time with no problems.
We saw 7 does and about 8 rabbits before the sun fully crested the mountain. We were bummed not to find any bucks on this particular day. We worked hard to get to the top of our “goal” ridgeline and by the time we got there I was soaked. We found some shade and sat down to glass and cool off. We probably sat there for 15-20 minutes and by the time I stood up my gear was almost completely dry. The Tiburon dries really fast.
Now the pack review. This is my first Kuiu pack. The carbon fiber frame and the load sling were big selling points for me. I did not get a chance to use the load sling on this trip, but I look forward to using it to bring some meat home in the future. The memory foam on the shoulder straps is soft, without being too soft, and it is comfortable. I like the fit of the hip belt and the firmness of the lumbar pad. I have seen some concerns from people that it is too firm, but that was not the case for me. I wore it from 5:40am to 2:30 pm and I was comfortable the whole time, I never really thought about having it on my back, which is a good thing. With previous packs, if I slightly lost my balance I occasionally felt like the pack was trying to pull me down in the opposite direction I wanted to go. I did not get that feeling from the Icon, it stays snug to you and does a good job of carrying the weight from the hip belt which I feel helps to maintain balance because you are not as top heavy. I was able to shoot my recurve bow with no problems with the pack on. Sitting down to glass with the pack fully strapped up made for a comfortable back support. I have mixed emotions about the hip belt pouches. They are good sized pockets to store things you want access to without having to remove your pack. They did not rub my arms when I was walking. The only downfall they have is that they require two hands to open. For me this meant either setting my bow down or holding it between my knees. It’s not ideal, but it isn’t a deal breaker.
Overall I am really pleased with my purchases. The Tiburon gear is making this heat a little bit more tolerable and the Icon 1850 is an excellent pack. I hope this review helps. If anyone has any questions about the stuff feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer from my experience with this gear.
In the pictures attached I put on the beanie and neck gaiter just because I don't like having my face all over the internet.
From experience with importing clothing my first thought was that this was a cut and sew post production sample fubar. It happens and has happened to me. I too thought their solution may be to ship them all back to the factory to have a small panel inserted from the wrist to the mid bicep. Sometimes the factory will agree to this but most of the time the company will try to sell them off and battle the returns barage until the next production run. (Anyone remember the first run of the First Lite Kanab pant? Wicked tight on the thighs for about 60% of those that tried them on) It's a customer service and brand storm that's tiresome to bear, but it too will eventually pass. He's got a good line of product overall so it's obvious this is an isolated mistake either on his design partor the factory cut-sew part.
