South Andros, Bahamas - Field Report
Photos: @ajgottschalk
For the last seven years my friend James Caroll II, who runs an outdoor shop in Cold Spring NY called Old Souls and is an amazing photographer and adventure host, has organized a fly fishing trip the week after Thanksgiving to South Andros. The primary target down there is bonefish, but the fish are really only part of the reason we love heading down there.
The flats around the southern end of the island are just breathtaking. Taking a wade with a guide for a few hours across ankle deep water and through mangrove islands will take you to places few if any have walked - and can't help but inspire you to protect wild and unspoiled places like it. It's why JOOB invests part of its revenue in environmental and carbon reducing initiatives - so places like South Andros are here for generations to come.
I was unable to go this past year, with JOOB launching and all it entails, but as we were in the final prototyping stage for many of our products, I thought it was a good place to put the products through their paces. I was particularly interested in how our Check Button Down shirt would be received - as this item was designed for hot, sticky climates. So another friend, A.J. Gottschalk from Allen Fly Fishing - who is an outstanding photographer as well, helped us take some shots with JOOB product on the guys during the trip and provide us with valuable feedback to improve the product for launch.
The feedback was really good. The Check is one of the lightest shirts the guys have seen (it's only 3.49 oz, or 99 grams per square meter), yet has a UPF rating of 30 rating so it keeps you protected from the sun while on the flats all day. The modal fabric is sourced from Japan and comes from sustainably harvested beech trees spun into synthetic rayon - which uses less water and land than cotton. The 10% silk blended into the modal adds to the soft feel and comfortable touch.
The Check is hand/machine cold wash only, so the guys threw it into the sink with some soap and hung to dry so they could swap out who wore it. Which is part of our design - no need for washers/dryers (you could machine wash cold, but always hang dry).
Thanks to the guys input we'll be adding western style front pockets and tweaking the fit a bit in some places. And while it was used on this fishing trip, the Check will be versatile enough to wear to work, on a hike, traveling, or wherever you go and need a cool, light shirt to beat the heat. We're excited to be launching The Check Button Down in the next few months!
We also brought along some the Alana caps and our Superfine Merino Beanies for the group to try, along with our Everywhere pants and shorts. And the JOOB MiiR Camp Cup was adopted by the group - perfect for both coffee or beer since it keeps things hot or cold longer. I'm pretty certain the guys used it mostly for the colder beverages.
You can also check out AJ's video from the trip, one of many that we'll be posting to keep you warm during the winter. We captured some great discussions with the guides and their take on what it will take to preserve and sustain their home flats.
Thanks to Deneki Lodge for always being our lodge hosts, and to the team who tried out the JOOB gear - Steve K, William, Dana, Tory, Ellie, Freddie, and James.
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