From Brian Davis, the guy that brought us one of our favorite tools, Fix It Sticks, and the Back Bottle, is now promoting his third and once again, un-complicated product, the Weatherneck. Taking the typical gaiter and adding some unique features to make it more functional and easily removable on the fly just might appeal to cyclists that choose to venture past their winter comfort levels.
Head past the break to see if and how Brian has re-invented the bandana, and the details on how it works…
Living in the South, even though it gets cold, several of us live in what we call a “shedding state”. More often than not, during a medium to long ride on all but the coldest of days, as the temps creep up (or our bodies heat up), we need to shed a layer or two. We’ve gotten pretty good at the “no hands take jacket off without dying” and the “glove and arm-warmer teeth technique”. Our neck gaiter, however, usually just gets pulled into a scarf, which restricts some of the much wanted fresh air at times. Or, we’ve simply left the wrap at home and suffered the cold air across our sensitive lips and noses.
Such compromises could be a thing of the past another with Brian’s latest Kickstarter. The Weatherneck is a detachable gaiter with a ventilated center channel that breathes better and is quickly removable when things get too hot.
The Weatherneck functions like most gaiters, but instead of slipping it over your head like a shirt, it uses powerful magnets on each end that stick together creating the “gaiter” effect. In short, when things get too hot, you can either pull it down, or just yank it straight off of your neck and stuff it into your jersey in a single second. The Weatherneck can easily be adjusted by simply folding a portion of one side and letting the magnets hold it secure.
Brian sent us an early prototype to test out prior to the crowdfunding campaign, and it works as promised. Each end has two small magnets that snap into place. To adjust the size, simply fold the ends over. The magnets are stitched into the fabric in intentionally-larger-than-necessary pouches, which allows them to flip over to maintain proper polarity and keep the gaiter closed securely. That does mean a slight bit of fiddling to keep it folded over as you put it on, but once in place, it held fast even as I tugged it up and down and made slight rotational adjustments.
Brian took a lot into consideration when developing the Weatherneck and the material was the most important. He chose a double knit Spandex because it would block just enough of the wind, expel moisture, and hold its form when being worn without feeling like it’s too tight.
The mesh center section allowed breath to escape more easily, preventing my glasses from fogging on a very cold ride, but it still blocks the wind well enough to keep heat in. And heavy breathing was definitely easier without the usual restricted feeling of sucking air through a fleece fabric. I did have a little trouble keeping it sitting high on my nose, but putting it under the helmet straps worked better to maintain its position. Over the straps, as shown in the top pic, meant it slid down off my nose more frequently, but it was quicker to remove. All in all, it worked well on my first test ride.
The Weatherneck will come in nine design choices including 5 hex patterns and 4 camo patterns in the colors above plus a Hot Pink.
It’s made in the USA and Kickstarter backers have a few options for deals: 1 for $20, 2 for $38, 4 for $72 or 9 for $155. Shipping is free inside the U.S., or $5 more for international.
