PETE WARD

"WELCOME TO MY OUTDOOR WORLD"



GEAR REVIEW
 Thermal Body Sock
"WEB FOOTS BODY SOCK"

Carol Davis Sportswear, Inc.,
425 Club Road,
Sherwood, AR 
72120 
PH 501.835.6331  
email: caroldavis@cdsportswear.com
Website: www.cdsportswear.com

Update Jan 12 2008
 
I had to remove the neck warmer!
The day this picture was taken I was wearing only jeans and a quilted jacket with the Body suit system.
 
To continue with the updates on the CD sportswera I will be talking about the accesories Carol has made available since the initial reviews. We now have a hat, neck warmer and flip top mits that are made from the same wonderfully warm material as the body socks.
 When the temperature drops and you think od bundling up , these accesories are unbelievable. The hat is a tight fitting watch cap style that I like a lot. It sits on the head and stays there, walking thru brush it is very resistant to branches sweeping it off, and it is warm, light weight ,and very compact when it gets to hot and needs to go in your pocket. The stretch material pulls down to cover your ears when it is realy cold and normal people stay inside.
 When we add the neck warmer the system takes on a whole new meaning of warm without bulk.
 The neck warmer like the body suit and hat fits without bulk and it also does not grab at the other clothes you wear. It has a large apron that makes the body suit completely cover your upper body from the chin down.
This pushes warm in the cold outdoors to a new standard, and you will soon learn to wear fewer layers. The fit is very comeforatable to wear.
 The last item to try are the mittens. we all know there is no substitute for mitts.  Lets face it, gloves are cold on the fingers, and mitts are warm.
 The problem with mits is we loose the use of our fingers. These mits are thin but warm and have not only flip tops for the fingers, they also have flip tops for the thumbs. I Bow hunt and being able to access the finger tab with gloves or normal mitts is always a problem for me. The diference here is the flip top finger cover completely exposes the fingers down to the knuckle.
 This allows me to have complete finger access  and wear the shooting tab just as if it was summer time.  All I need to do to shoot is flip the top back and the tab is there  in the normal position I am used to. The rag wool flip tops I used to wear always make the shooting tab or glove an inconvenience to use, and a normal shooting glove has to be forced thru the stub fingers. These mitts solve all of these issues and are very warm and light weight. removing the Mitts with a glove or tab on is easy because to do not have to wrestle the fingers free or remove a tab first.
 
 
 
 
 
Update Oct 23 2007

After 4 years I have discovered that I did not update this review, and it is well over do.

The body suit I first tested has been outstanding over the past few years and it is still in excelent condition. The warmth this suit has provided me while sitting in blinds from dawn to dark over the years has been wonderfull. I have worn it in -40 weather and have yet to be cold. Why I would sit out in those temperatures is even a mystery to me, but for some strange reason I do it from time to time. Naturaly warmth is the most important feature in sub zero temperatures, and the body sock is definately warm, however there are other features that continue to impress me.  I will not elaborate on the trap door, but it can be a blessing at -35 or 40. The stirups and thumb holes make this suit the only suit I have ever worn that did not want to crep up my arms and legs, binding movement.  This may seem minor but as a bow hunter I need to have free movement without any binding at the moment of truth. These stirups/ thumb holes help ,and allong with the slipery outside covering of the Body Suit , I have never found my clothes to be bunched up and uncomforatable. Pants, shirts, sweaters, everything is able to slide on the Body suit giving me the most freedom of movement I could ask for.

In exterme temperatures we still need to layer up with warm clothes. There is no way around this .We need to dress in layers and keep dry. The underwear we wear is the first line of defence against being cold,or hypothermia.  I consider the Body Sock a necessity now.

 The problem I always had was the  normal long johns would grab at the clothes and make movement very difficult and they were never as warm and dry as the Body Suit. Sweating can and will happen when we work in cold weather . The body suit does an excelent job of wicking away that moisture,and this keeps the cold out.

This suit has not let me down after all this time and as winter sets in I am about to start another November wearing the best winter underwear I have experienced.Without question if you are bothered by the cold, or just like to be out in it, Carol Davis Sportswear "Body Sock"is the winter underwear that will make the bigest diference in how warm you are. 

The same original suit I tested in 2003 will be  will be keeping me warm again this year. A side benefit  is that on days that turn warmer than expected I can remove my outer layers of shirts,and sweaters and sit in the Double Bull Blind with just the body suit on my upper body and still be dressed in black to blend into the blind without being seen or becoming to warm.

For cold weather hunting, Ice fishing ,or any outdoor winter activity, or most importantly inactivity ,this is the best there is. I know you will not be disapointed.

Pete

 

 Original review.


Carol Davis of CD sportswear recently sent me a sample of her WEB FOOTS BODY SOCK, and foot socks to evaluate. Winter was nearly over in Alberta when the suit arrived and I only had a couple of days at –15 c to test the body sock. This review will be updated next winter when the real cold sets in again.

The limited time I had to wear this body sock impressed me with the comfort and warmth it provided. The material wicks away wetness leaving you dry and warm I am testing the style #3 with stirrups that prevent it from climbing up your legs and thumb holes in the cuffs that act as hand warmers as well as keeping the sleeves from creeping. The trap door rear panel is functional and the zipper is shielded from your body to prevent the cold from getting inside just like the front zipper, that works from the bottom as well as the top.

I found that the outside of the material is smooth and does not cling to your clothes and bind movement like so many other Long Johns do. This provides a freedom of movement that will be noticed the first time you wear them. I gave Carol my measurements and sizes over the Internet and when the Body sock arrived It fit perfectly. It wraps around you like a divers wet suit, without any baggy areas to bunch up and restrict movement.

Another great feature is the antimicrobial treatment it has. This will prevent that perspiration odor from impregnating itself into the material and you when the laundry is a bit overdue. Washing is simple cold-water wash and air dry is recommended. Carol has a video on her website describing all the features of these suits as well as laundry instructions.
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO This is the first time I have seen long underwear that has a guarantee with it. That shows a commitment from Carol to the outstanding workmanship of her garments.

I have washed my Body sock and the foot socks that I tested without any shrinking or stretching. The elasticity of the material is unchanged as is the fleece lining. I will be wearing the Body Sock next winter and at that time I will give an update on how well it keeps a Bow hunter warm at –35c.I have no doubt that the Body Sock will make winter hunting a warmer experience than it was last year.

For those of us that work outside in the winter this is a great set of long Johns that will make the day a lot more tolerable By keeping us dry and warm. I am sure that the construction Industry will welcome this addition of new technology underwear when the temperature drops to double digits next winter.

Pete Ward
“Welcome to my outdoor world”


Copyright © 2002 PETER WARD