Test Review Series by Kathryn Doiron
Edited by Ken Bigelow
Last updated on December 9th, 2009
Kokatat capris
Review Status: Completed
Product Information:
| Manufacturer | Kokatat |
| Website | http://www.kokatat.com/ |
| MSRP | n/av |
| Material | Anti-static Microsuede |
| Colors available: | Blue, Burgandy, Dark Brown, Mist |
| Sizes available: | Small through Extra Large |
Detail of the belt
Product Description
The Destination paddling line from Kokatat is geared both for on and off water activities while providing ample sun protection. The paddling capris are a woman’s specific product and, like all the women’s products by Kokatat, has the dragonfly logo. The logo is embroidered on the left leg cuff in matching thread. The capris are made of an anti-static Microsuede and are mid-calf in length. The cuffs of the capris have a side slit and gently flare out for extra room. The capris as a whole are a relaxed fit style with a generous fit. The small zippered self-draining pocket is equipped with a key lanyard and provides room for a couple of keys, bit of money or other little necessities. The capris have a slightly higher waist in the back and a generous cut in the legs. They have a zip fly and snap closure with an integrated, adjustable webbing belt and an elastic waistband around the back.
Impressions
Pocket detail
I initially received the medium size as according to the sizing chart I was just within the medium sizing. Alas it was not to be. The medium didn’t fit being a little tight across the hips and thighs. I now have the large size which is a much better if slightly looser fit.
On initial wearing, the Microseude material felt nice and soft against my skin and the fit was a relaxed fit that seemed to give me ample room for sitting or moving around. I didn’t initially feel as though the capris were binding up anywhere. I found that the jump from medium to large provided ample room and I now need to tighten the webbing belt in order to fit my waist. This isn’t a problem and it is nice to have a belt. I did notice that the belt, while mostly integrated into the waist band, is integrated right up to the snap closure. This seems to prevent puckering in the front when I tighten the integrated belt but time will tell on this.
Kokatat dragonfly
I haven’t had a chance to get the capris wet yet. I will be very interested in how much of that relaxed fit comes across in the capris when they are wet. Other than the one little pocket, the capris are very minimalistic which is flattering on the figure but leaves me searching for pockets. I really do like having a least one bucket style pocket I can dump my keys into when moving around the car before heading out. The small pocket just doesn’t seem big enough to accommodate a large key ring and I will have to play around with various combinations to see what works best for the small pocket.
Kokatat Capris
I’m not sure why, but I always assumed that capris were supposed to come down to just below the knee. Rather I have discovered that capris in fact should come down to about mid-calf. So while the capris are a little longer then I expect, they are actually sitting right about where they should by the definition of capris length. This isn’t a problem but more a perception issue. The fit is fine in spite of the length. I will be interested in see how the capris feel when wet and if the length below the knee will cling to my leg and pull at the top part of the capris.
So far I after trying on the capris, I have found that the tail of the belt is a little long. I will be interested to see if I notice this while paddling. I didn’t notice the pocket immediately which goes to show how low profile it is. And while I miss pockets just a little, I am finding that the streamlined look is flattering. I look forward to getting these capris out on the water so I can see how good they feel once they are wet.
On Water Use
My first few times out on the water were for whitewater kayaking trips. I used the capris and found them to be loose but otherwise comfortable. I wish the size break down was a bit narrower as small, medium and large can cover a lot. I found the capris quite comfortable both when dry and eventually wet. I did have one issue with the capris, when I was sitting in my whitewater kayak, the embroidery on the left leg unfortunately ended up pressed against my knee and the kayak while padding. This gave me some pain and I ended up with a dragonfly pressed into my skin. This was slightly painful after a while but easily remedied by pulling the cuff up a little more. The capris cling when wet but there was enough room in the capris to move well with me. Given the extra material, I didn’t feel that they were excessively clingy.
Embossed knee
My next trip out was a couple of training nights in the sea kayak. This time the capris stayed mostly dry. They are nice to wear and paddle in. The dragonfly logo doesn’t press into my knee in the sea kayak. I thought the extra material around my waist might be an issue with my spray skirt but I never noticed it. I didn’t feel that the back of the capris are any higher than the front though. I did notice that they tend to dry quickly as I wear them around.
The next trip out was a four day training and assessment out in Bar Harbor Maine. I wore the capris each day which ended up being three days on the water and one day in the classroom. Since I have extra room, I was able to comfortably fit a thick set of wool thermals underneath and wear the capris comfortably on top. I wore a dry suit over all the layers and was comfortable the entire day. The only issue came the first day with an impromptu bathroom break. Reaching around through a back entry dry suit, having a buckle, snap and zipper to get through was a bit much, so once I got it undone I didn’t bother doing it all back up, the snap proved to be enough to hold the capris relatively in place.
So far the capris have been great to wear. With fall moving in, the extra room of the relaxed fit means I can wear an extra layer, so far thermal wool, and still feel comfortable. I do find that the webbing strap seems to be longer then needed. I would like to see this a little shorter.
More on water use and wear
With the cooler weather I have been taking the capris to pool sessions with me. I have so far done two pool sessions. The first pool session, I wore the capris commando and found that didn’t really work well for me. The capris still remained comfortable though when I was seated. I do find that the capris tend to cling when wet. Both pool sessions were about 1-2 hours in length. I haven’t noticed the dragonfly logo pressing into my knee anymore. Maybe the logo has softened with age and washing.
My last trip on the water took me to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Temperatures were cool, around 55 F (13 C) while the water was down around 48 F (9 C). The sea kayaking trip was about 3-4 hours in length. I wore the capris with some wool thermals underneath and dry pants over top. The capris fit very nicely with the wool thermals and didn’t interfere with the fit of the dry pants.
Wrap-up
The capris have been fun to wear. I like the intermediate length most of the time. I found over the fall the length was nice, giving a little extra warmth. Due to the loose fit, I have been able to wear wool thermals underneath and continue wearing the capris under dry pants. I do wish the fit was a little more fitted but the ability to layer has been great. The capris have not stretched out, nor do they show any signs of wear. The pocket wasn’t that useful and I found I never used it. Overall, the capris have been a great addition to my paddling clothing.
Summary
Pros
- – Dries quickly and fits well when wet
- – Loose fit allows layering underneath
Cons
- – Dragonfly logo pressed against knee in whitewater kayak
- – Sizing doesn’t allow for very fine fit
- – Belt webbing is a bit long
Personal Information:
| Name | Kathryn Doiron |
| Age | 33 |
| Gender | Female |
| Height | 5′ 8″ (1.7 m) |
| Weight | 150 lb (68 kg) |
| kathryn ‘at’ kayakgearreviews ‘dot’ org | |
| Website | http://kayakergirl.blogspot.com/ |
| Location | DC, MD, VA area |
Paddling Bio: I started seriously kayaking in the summer of 2007 and bought an Impex Force Category 4 as my first real boat that fall. I started whitewater kayaking in the summer of 2008 with a Jackson Classic Fun and now I also have a Jackson AllStar. I currently enjoy white water, flat water, ocean surfing and sea kayaking and look forward to getting more into rafting. I tend to get out on the water several times a week during the height of the kayaking season. I have even paddled with the Ice Pirates at the height of winter. I am hoping to do an expedition trip in the following year.
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