Wool Grid "Fleece" or Wool R1 Air style hoody?

[twall13]

I've been a fan of the Voormi High-E for years now. I generally say, if the weather and temperature forecast looks like I'll be wearing my mid layer more often than not, the High-E is what I'm taking along. If I expect the mid layer to be in the pack more than on my body I'll take a Sitka Ambient or another lighter weight fleece grid layer. It's a great piece.

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[Bump79]

Haven’t used the ambient, it seemed a bit warmer than the Active. Interesting to get two comments on the active being hot. I run extremely warm and sweat like an absolute mother, doesn’t matter if it’s 70 degrees or zero. The kelvin active is the only mid layer I’ve ever had that can keep up with the moisture while hiking. It’s way cooler for me than any merino mid layer I’ve used. That’s the reason I like it so much, it’s comfortable in a gigantic temperature range


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I just came across Polartec Alpha Direct Wool.. Will be interesting to see how that performs @mtwarden

Polartec® Alpha® Direct with Wool 4048 - Full Roll

Description Placing a wholesale order shouldn't be hard, so we made it easy... For the first time, order full rolls of material straight through the site. No emails, phone calls, or wasted time. And did we mention wholesale pricing? IMPORTANT: 1) Due to bulk size, exact shipping costs will be...

ripstopbytheroll.com

 

[Jake Larsen]

I just came across Polartec Alpha Direct Wool.. Will be interesting to see how that performs @mtwarden

Polartec® Alpha® Direct with Wool 4048 - Full Roll

Description Placing a wholesale order shouldn't be hard, so we made it easy... For the first time, order full rolls of material straight through the site. No emails, phone calls, or wasted time. And did we mention wholesale pricing? IMPORTANT: 1) Due to bulk size, exact shipping costs will be...

ripstopbytheroll.com

Interesting, they claim the wool “wicks moisture even faster” that’s exactly the opposite of all my experience with wool. If I had a guess, I’d say it’ll be a little warmer, manage smell a little better, and dry a little slower. But that’s just a guess

For what it’s worth, I also solved the “too warm” issue of the ambient. I’ve been rocking the vest version, and it’s money. I’ve got 4 basic layers now

Base: Sitka Core LW hoodie
Active Insualtikn: Ambient Vest
Wind: Mtn Evo Jacket
Duckworth Powder hoodie

The first three layers move moisture and manage temps better than anything I’ve ever found by a long shot. When I’m not moving much, they can be a little on the lightweight side. That’s when I will throw the powder hoodie on. Incredible soft, warm, and lightweight for how much warmth it provides. My big puffy (Kifaru LPP) will still go over the top of everything when needed. I will do anything from hot September early season through late November with this system.

 

[mtwarden]

I just came across Polartec Alpha Direct Wool.. Will be interesting to see how that performs @mtwarden

Polartec® Alpha® Direct with Wool 4048 - Full Roll

Description Placing a wholesale order shouldn't be hard, so we made it easy... For the first time, order full rolls of material straight through the site. No emails, phone calls, or wasted time. And did we mention wholesale pricing? IMPORTANT: 1) Due to bulk size, exact shipping costs will be...

ripstopbytheroll.com

That's news to me; not a lot of description at that link (unless I'm missing it) like exactly the ratio of how much wool to Alpha. Could be a good combo?????

 

[Bump79]

That's news to me; not a lot of description at that link (unless I'm missing it) like exactly the ratio of how much wool to Alpha. Could be a good combo?????

Down at the very bottom: Polartec code 4048. 63% Polyester, 33% Wool, 4% Nylon
Specs: 4.5 oz/yd 2 (152.58 g/m 2)

So mostly polyester - which I'm fine with. I don't know if there is any tangible benefits to this over normal alpha direct. But it will be interesting to find out!

I'm starting to think I need to pick up a sewing machine

It looks like it's more designed to be a exterior piece. I could be mistaken but I think the exterior is wool and interior is normal alpha direct

 

[cubdriver84d]

Down at the very bottom: Polartec code 4048. 63% Polyester, 33% Wool, 4% Nylon
Specs: 4.5 oz/yd 2 (152.58 g/m 2)

So mostly polyester - which I'm fine with. I don't know if there is any tangible benefits to this over normal alpha direct. But it will be interesting to find out!

I'm starting to think I need to pick up a sewing machine

It looks like it's more designed to be a exterior piece. I could be mistaken but I think the exterior is wool and interior is normal alpha direct

Farpointe makes a hat out of it. Maybe they'll come out with some other pieces. https://www.farpointeog.com/store/p/alpha-caps

 

[Bump79]

Farpointe makes a hat out of it. Maybe they'll come out with some other pieces. https://www.farpointeog.com/store/p/alpha-caps

Yeah that's actually where I came across it!

 

[dirtshooter]

More data points for anyone looking at a High-E.

Haven't taken it off since it showed up. It's a nice marriage of a comfortable lounging sweatshirt and technical midlayer, is how I would describe it. Great piece for the "maximize usability outside of hunting" crowd.

With just a t-shirt and High-E on, about 15MPH coastal PNW wind starts getting uncomfortable to sit in as someone who is cold when stationary. When active, about 25MPH gusts started to bite. Very subjective.

Fog, mist, and light rain beads up and dissipates quickly when active, and is easily shaken off. The very small moisture beads are representative of what your exterior looks like in these conditions.

Heavier rain drops splatter like hitting a hardfaced material, with the residual moisture pooling up. This is how most of the exterior looked after ~20M in one of those plodding, heavy drop, type rains.

View attachment 820309

I also attempted to do a "pressure" test by pushing outwards with my fingertip on one of the pools of moisture. Held for 60s, I could not achieve the sensation of wetness on my finger inside.

View attachment 820314

Their "Surface Hardened Termal Wool" seems to work; I'm very curious to get it into a real PNW winter rain soon and see how long it takes to wet out.

How would you compare the High E to the Patagonia R1?

 

[cubdriver84d]

Now that looks really interesting -- did you pick one up?

Too bad I just ordered a Voormi High-E to try out. Might have to snag one of these too depending on how I like the Voormi.

Beringia just came in. Haven’t worn it yet, but I think it’s just what I was looking for. Not too warm like my original ambient hoody but more breathable than a grid fleece. Hope the wool will keep odor down too unlike the ambient and my grid fleeces. The fabric seems like a mesh with the wool/fleece attached to it somehow. Probably wouldn’t want to wear it much without an outer layer but seems super breathable. Fit is excellent.

 

[dwhite0622]

Alright, my Voormi High-E Hoodie arrived multiple days ahead of schedule.

6', 170#, athletic build, Medium fits perfect out of the box, I am hopeful it does not shrink at all, or I may need a Large.

Not going to lie, the construction is so wildly different from what I had expected that I was actually baffled at first. They don't really do a great job at describing the construction on their site in my opinion. The sweatshirt material itself is a wool nylon blend in a grid fleece pattern, with what I would call spongy poly jersey panels across the front of the piece, as well as through the shoulders and hood. The kangaroo pocket is wool nylon fleece on the inner panel adjacent to the exterior of the piece, while the inner panel adjacent to your skin/base layer is the mesh material. These panels are not at all noticeable in practice and do not take away from the piece despite my initial "WTF" reaction upon opening the box.

The thickness of the wool itself is similar to say the Duckworth Powder hoody, but much less fragile and much tighter weave externally. I'd call them similar in warmth from a few quick tests last night and this morning, with the High-E cutting wind and breathing substantially better.

I wore the High-E yesterday from the time I got home until bed. I am notoriously cold when still, and notoriously hot when active. Walking the dogs, filling the deer feeder, etc. last night in ~40º F weather, with ~10 MPH constant wind and light rain, I was comfortable with just the High-E and a Filson Ultralight vest, which is much less insulation than I would typically wear this time of year as someone in the usually cold camp.

This morning, I did a high intensity (no rest) workout in the open-air barn, it was 37º F on the mercury, with a prevailing 5 MPH wind in my face. I typically wear a First Lite Furnace for my workouts, today I wore the High-E. 45 minute EOMOM, pull-ups and dips, followed by 10 minutes of jump rope. I had the High-E unzipped all the way by the end, but did not need to take it or my hat off, which I typically would have to do around midpoint in my workout. I was starting to feel hot midway through, but then the High-E worked its magic and kept me at a happy medium for the rest of the session. Transitioning into the 68º house, I did not need to take it off which I would normally do immediately with the Furnace. I am impressed with how this thing breathes in high intensity situations, although I do not equate that to a real-world high intensity hiking test. The internal pocket on the right breast works great, I put my XL iPhone in there while jumping rope, didn't bounce or annoy me in the slightest.

I plan to do some forestry work this weekend here in the PNW and will put the High-E through more paces.

So far, so good, although again the construction is not at all what I was expecting. I do wish it had pit-zips, although I did not need them working out, but it seems like a no-brainer feature for virtually any outdoors piece these days. The zippers on my unit do not operate smoothly enough to utilize one handed, maybe they'll break in over time. Interestingly, this is one of those rare hoods that does not seem to negatively impact ones ability to hear ambient sounds in the environment, more testing required on that. A neck gaiter works great with the scuba hood, no issues with gaiter over the nose, on the chin, or simply around the neck.

I imagine paired with a light puffy and/or hardshell, a guy really would not need much else in tandem with the High-E Hoodie for most September-October conditions.

I'd like to pick up the earlier mentioned Ridge Merino Convict Canyon Hoodie, which appears to really just be a lighter wool grid equivalent to the High-E, a Beringia Wool Air hoody, and an Atlantic Rancher Ranger Sweater (Form's recommendation) to really do a wool basis mid-layer shootout.

Will update down the road with further High-E thoughts as I put it through the paces around the homestead and back 40.

The wool base layer shootout is a really cool concept. It would be much easier if they weren’t all so expensive! The Duckworth Powder hoody would deserve a spot in the shootout (it’s been great, despite how ugly it is). I’m really curious about the Voormi and the Atlantic Rancher. The Ridge Convict Canyon almost seems like a different typepiece being lighter than the others.