The following testimonial is a true account of events that took place on the Yakima River near Toppenish, Washington on January 21, 2002. It was written by Mike Skoro a day after the events took place. He is the chief field-tester of H2P products for Rivers West. In this account, he was field-testing the Modoc Pant. Matt,
I just got back from testing the H2P pants you sent me. Let me tell you, they work like no other.
Four friends of mine and I were out quail hunting near the Yakima River in Toppenish, Washington. We flushed them out of the brush and took two, but the rest of the covey took flight over the river and into the brush on the other side.
Because the river was too deep to cross at that point, we decided to walk upstream to find shallower water. My friends grabbed their chest-waders and threw them in their packs to wear when they crossed the river. I, on the other hand, didn't want to carry the extra weight - so I decided to give my new waterproof pants the best field-test I could.
About ½ a mile upstream, we found a suitable crossing point with waist-high water. My friends unpacked their waders while I tied my pant-cuffs to my waterproof hunting boots as tight as I could. The other guys snickered at the thought of me crossing the Yakima River in the middle of January with nothing between me and the frigid waters but a pair of fleece pants.
With about 40 yards of river to cross, I must admit I was getting a bit skeptical as well.
The five of us started our cross about knee-high and the pants held up fine. As the water-level climbed my legs, my friends began looking at me for any sign of discomfort. With each passing step, I could feel the water rushing around the fleece, cooling me a bit - but never penetrating the waterproof barrier. As I climbed out of the river on the opposite bank, my friends were dumbfounded to see that I was just as dry and comfortable as them. It was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
We quickly relocated the covey and thoroughly enjoyed the next two hours of hunting before recrossing the river. I got a couple of minor drops through the Lycra venting on the way back, but nothing to make me uncomfortable. I got back to the truck just as warm and dry as my buddies, without having to lug those bulky waders through the woods.
I put those H2P pants to the ultimate test - a 40 yd. river crossing in crotch-high water in the middle of January - and they passed with flying colors!
By the way, my friends want to buy their own H2P Camo gear as soon as it's available.
- Capt. Mike Skoro, Mountain Guide
Portland, Oregon
January 22, 2002
