Review and Analysis of Robert’s Polar & Winter Expedition Cap

Introduction

This is a cap that I have used non-stop since 2010 for any winter expedition. There is no better cap for cold winter expeditions, climbs, and any other activities, period. Here’s why.

This cap is designed as a complete solution for wind and cold protection for any element of your face. As such, this cap effectively can be used to replace a hood as well. I use hood with this cap only when it gets really really cold or really really windy.

Test Locations and Other Details

I used the cap in plenty of locations, including the dead of extremely cold Yakutian winters, both in very dry and in wet conditions, for example:

– Extremely low temperatures, for example in Yakutia, the coldest part of Siberia. The cap is just exceptionally warm:

– High winds. Regardless of how strong the wind was, I never felt cold with this cap on. This includes the famous Siberian “Buran” strong winter winds.

Here, the cap comes with a certain additional features that I never saw anywhere else. Specifically, it has a detachable strap (you attach it with velcro), that is normally attached at the back of the cap. However, whenever it gets really cold or really windy, you can reattach it at the front, in such a way that your nose is additionally protected. A great feature, I used it so many times!

Another cool feature is ear protection – also extremely useful. I never ever had cold ears with this cap. The ear protection part is even better, because it can be folded up, leaving the ears open. This is very useful when it gets too warm for covering ears.

– Lots of sunshite. This cap is also great for any sunny location, when you need to protect the eyes from too much light. It has an effective visor that makes it easier to look around in full sunlight:

Anything else?

As usual with Robert’s products, the cap comes with all other “bonuses”, namely high durability, low weight, fast drying construction, adjustability, etc..

Comparison to other winter caps

There is no real comparison, this cap offers the best possible tradeoff of warmth, wind protection, quality, and low weight. The exceptional feature of the attached velcro strap makes this cap truly unique on the market.

Any limitations?

For winter, this cap has no “weak points”. The only comment is that it’s really warm – so I just never take it for summer or autumn, simply because it’s too warm for these seasons.

Summary:

Robert’s cap is in my view the best possible option for a winter cap, regardless of whether you go climbing or mountaineering on a cold winter day, or for a full-blown polar expedition – it will give you best combination of warmth and comfort for any possible conditions.

As a side note, it was also used by many famous polar explorers, for example Marek Kamiński.

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