Long pullovers have been something I've loved since I first heard about Swanndri. A gap year in AUS and NZ cemented this affection as they can be quite common down there, but I have mostly long wool coats and not much for rain.
Quite awhile ago I made a knee length anorak out of a Frogg Toggs poncho, pretty crude but a proof of concept.
More recently I found out that some of FT's mid-range options have much better fit and finish then their budget versions. I particularly liked certain things about their fishing jackets, but there where several shortcomings, a major one being the super short wading jacket cut. Well I know how to fix that:
Step one:
Buy wading jacket, cut off below high water pockets:
Step two:
buy All Sport jacket in matching fabric and cannibalize any large sections of fabric:
I didn't like how the inner nepoleon pockets on the wading jacket pushed the hand pockets so far apart, also I decided I didn't need FOUR nepoleon pockets, so I removed the zips and sewed it up as a dart to bring the hand pockets closer to the center zip. I left the pocket packing from the two deleted pockets and just made them top entry interior pockets:
Step three:
Combine:
Results:
I like the idea of neoprene cuffs, not sure I like them in practice yet. The hood is too short, fine with no pack but if you try to wear a backpack the straps keeping the neck down make the shortness of the hood very apparent, needs about 2" of height. Hand pockets are too tall, actually partially covered by most pack straps. Initial storm worthiness is promising, did get some leakage around my new seams of course and had to go back and seal them better. Length is about all I could manage without either going really baggy or impeding high-stepping ability, would like a few more inches of coverage though. Fabric stiffness does make it ride up a bit, and there are still some weird Frogg Togg fit issues going on, but overall will be a good test piece for a later from-scratch anorak.
Back Yard Action Shot:
Quite awhile ago I made a knee length anorak out of a Frogg Toggs poncho, pretty crude but a proof of concept.
More recently I found out that some of FT's mid-range options have much better fit and finish then their budget versions. I particularly liked certain things about their fishing jackets, but there where several shortcomings, a major one being the super short wading jacket cut. Well I know how to fix that:
Step one:
Buy wading jacket, cut off below high water pockets:
Step two:
buy All Sport jacket in matching fabric and cannibalize any large sections of fabric:
I didn't like how the inner nepoleon pockets on the wading jacket pushed the hand pockets so far apart, also I decided I didn't need FOUR nepoleon pockets, so I removed the zips and sewed it up as a dart to bring the hand pockets closer to the center zip. I left the pocket packing from the two deleted pockets and just made them top entry interior pockets:
Step three:
Combine:
Results:
I like the idea of neoprene cuffs, not sure I like them in practice yet. The hood is too short, fine with no pack but if you try to wear a backpack the straps keeping the neck down make the shortness of the hood very apparent, needs about 2" of height. Hand pockets are too tall, actually partially covered by most pack straps. Initial storm worthiness is promising, did get some leakage around my new seams of course and had to go back and seal them better. Length is about all I could manage without either going really baggy or impeding high-stepping ability, would like a few more inches of coverage though. Fabric stiffness does make it ride up a bit, and there are still some weird Frogg Togg fit issues going on, but overall will be a good test piece for a later from-scratch anorak.
Back Yard Action Shot:
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