I absolutely love hoodies. I don’t know if they are as popular around the country as they are here in Minnesota, but they are the perfect all around jacket for any time of the year. In the fall and spring they are great to put on and leave on all day whether inside or out. In the winter they provide just enough warmth to keep you warm while getting in and out of your vehicle and then you don’t have a big bulky jacket to carry around and in the summer they are great for an evening around the campfire.
What hoodies are not great for is the rain. Due to their cotton material, hoodies are incredibly comfortable and breathable, but this also means they absorb water and are about the worst clothing for rain. With Minnesota’s rainy summer we have been experiencing, Cabela’s Storm Cotton hoodies intrigued me. Do they really work? Are they as comfortable as a normal hoodie?
Does Storm Cotton Really Work?
Absolutely, but they are not as good of rain protection as a full blown rain jacket (like my XPG Storm Edge rain jacket). Today we happened to get a moderately heavy rainstorm at our home and it was the perfect day to test out the Storm Cotton. Light rain easily beaded on the cotton and ran off the jacket leaving me completely dry. I did find that heavier rain or big droplets could slightly work their way through the cotton upon impact. Even if larger droplets worked their way through, it felt like roughly 10% of the droplet actually got to me. Also, the Storm Cotton dries 40% faster than normal cotton, so the tiny bit of rain that did get through to me dried up rather quickly.
Is It Comfortable?
This one is simple, yes. I kind of expected the hoodie to not be as soft or flexable as my other hoodies but the very first time I put it on I realized this was not the case. The hoodie is as comfortable as any other hoodie I have ever owned. Add to that the great look of Cabela’s hoodies and I have a new favorite!Personally, I have found the Guidewear Storm Cotton hoodie to be perfect to wear in any normal situations I would wear a hoodie as well as ligght and for hikes where rain is a possibility. If I know it is raining heavily before I go out, I still pull out my wonder XPG rain jacket from Cabella’s, but the Storm Cotton is still great.
A Bit About Storm Cotton
Storm Cotton was developed by Cotton Incorporated (the cotton commercials) and offers protection against light rain that is far superior to other cotton water repellant treatments. Storm Cottons adds water repellant while maintaining the natural breathability and comfort of the cotton. Since the cotton is water repellant, it doesn’t hold water the way normal cotton does and thus dries off much faster as well (40% faster). Other water treatments for cotton have been hindered by the fact that they quickly wear off the cotton after 2-3 washes. Storm cotton on the other hand lasts through many washes. In fact, after 10 washes it still maintains 90% repellancy, 20 washes at 80% and 30 washes at 70%. If your like me, you wash your hoodies maby a little more often than a jacket and far less than a shirt (If I am using it without bug spray and not getting it filthy). This means I should have great water repellancy on my hoodie for years to come.
You can purchase the Storm Cotten Hoodie at Cabela’s for $67.49.