Gearzilla » Insulated Jackets

Helly Hansen H2Flow Jacket

nborchelt — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:00:18 +0000

www.hellyhansen.com, 15.6 ounces
This unique variation on the venerable shelled fleece jacket design truly impressed us during recent tests, with its excellent insulation-to-weight ratio, easy venting, and fast moisture transfer in sweaty situations. At first glance the H2Flow looks like a standard hoodless zip-front jacket with a taffeta outer shell, fleece inner, and twin zip pockets. However, the shell fabric isn’t nylon, it’s tougher polyester, which resists UV degradation and doesn’t stretch or absorb water when wet. Beneath that is a 200g Polartec brushed fleece with yet another difference, a Swiss cheese pattern of circular cut-outs that trap air to increase insulation, while also helping to disperse sweat vapor. The cut-outs are body-mapped, with larger holes and closer spacing in high-sweat areas like the central back, while smaller, widely spaced holes cover the chest and midriff.

The side panels and sleeves are lined only with a lightweight brushed nylon, while the fleece torso is further lined with a loose open mesh for slippery layering and free air flow. As if that weren’t enough, two foot-long zippered vents run down the chest, and the pockets are all mesh, forming de facto vents as well.

The overall effect is a jacket that’s nearly as warm as a puffy when zipped up, but resists rain showers, transfers sweat better, and vents far more than either puffies or standard shelled fleece. The weather resistance and wide temperature range made it perfect for humid, chilly camp evenings and soggy autumn trail runs on damp, cold, 11,000-foot Boulder Mountain. It’s already become one of our key layering staples, as fall progresses into winter.
- Steve Howe

Outdoor Retailer: Mountain Hardwear Preview

nborchelt — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:00:26 +0000

The three pitching options of the Skyledge tent, including the way to keep the tent dry in a downpour.

The Mountain Hardwear innovation that will likely garnish much of the fanfare in spring 2013 will be the cadre of active apparel outfitted with Cool.Q ZERO, which boasts “active cooling technology.” Pieces like the Way2Cool Short-Sleeve T ($65) will wick the sweat off your skin, then use a proprietary technology to cool your body before the moisture evaporates. We’ve tested the same tech in Columbia products (the parent company of MH) and so far it works. We’ll continue to test and let you know what we find.

Elsewhere on the apparel side, the Ghost Whisperer Down Jacket ($300) offers 850-fill down insulation in a package that weight a measly seven ounces, but should keep you warm and dry whenever the weather gets rough. As with all down products in Mountain Hardwear’s line, the Ghost Whisperer boasts waterproof Q.Shield DOWN. The Plasmic Jacket should also be a fast-mover on the retail shelves. The hard shell jacket employs MH’s proprietary Dry.Q Evap for waterproof/breathable protection, with a sly-looking exposed water-resistant zipper and a wide array of colors. Priced at only $140, it could become a gateway drug to Mountain Hardwear for the uninitiated.

Finally, on the outdoor shelter front, they’re introducing the Skyledge 2 and 3 ($450, $550). The footprint for both the two- and three-tent is included in the price, which gives you three out-of-the-box pitch options: the tent and fly, just the tent, or just the fly, with the tent frame anchored in place by the footprint (pictured, above). This last option also lets you pitch your tent in the rain; just roll out the footprint, assemble the frame, toss over the fly, and then you can then pitch the tent without worrying about getting the tent interior fully soaked. And for the ultra-lighter go-getter, there’s the SuperMegaUL 1, a free-standing one-person tent that weighs in at 1 pound, 14 ounces for $350.

Sierra Design Revolutionizes Down Insulation

nborchelt — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:00:20 +0000

DriDown in Action, floating where normal down drowns.

We’ve always loved down. From jackets and vests to sleeping bags, those soft little feathers are the insulation elite for good reason. Warmth without weight, excellent breathability, and plush, comfy loft—except when down gets wet. Then it loses its capacity to keep you warm, and takes forever to dry. Previous solutions to this problem mainly include wrapping down in various waterproof/breathable shell fabrics. But that adds extra weight, stiffer material, extra cost, and greatly reduced breathability.

That’s all changed now, thanks to Sierra Design’s new DriDown. Introduced in this summer’s sleeping bags, this new technique makes the actual feathers water-resistant. And when they do get wet, they keep their loft and dry much faster than their less-enhanced relatives. This miracle cure occurs during the down finishing process (some time after it leaves the duck or goose and before it becomes insulation), when a molecular-level polymer is applied to each individual feather. This hydrophobic (water-hating) finish keeps the feathers dryer longer (manufacturer’s tests indicate five- to seven-times longer). The treated down maintains its loft in humid conditions (which can pancake non-treated feathers) and dries noticeably quicker when it does eventually get damp. Sierra Designs will start unveiling the apparel with DriDown this August.

DownTek (made by Down Décor, a supplier of down since the 1990s) is also entering the game, supplying hydrophobic, quick-drying down to outdoor gear and apparel manufacturers including Big Agnes, LL Bean, Mountain Hardwear, and Brooks-Range, who will be rolling out their version of waterproof down in sleeping bags and apparel throughout this summer and the fall/winter seasons ahead. Which one works best? We’re testing now. Stay tuned.

Nau Elimeno-Pea Coat

nborchelt — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:00:49 +0000

nau.com
Traveling levies near-constant challenges for the minimalist packer, especially when visiting colder climates. You could go with tech-savvy weather protection—but then you look like you’re in a city solely to be outside, even when you want to museum hop or hit the latest Top Chef-established restaurant. Thankfully, Nau’s dedication to functional fashion-forward apparel continues to provide the perfect sartorial answer. The hybrid approach in the Elimeno-Pea Coat merges naturally insulating, odor-resistant, breathable wool flannel with a poly, weather-proof laminate. The outcome? A stylish peacoat jacket that also armors you from averse elements. The higher-impact areas of the coat, like the shoulders and upper sleeves, are further reinforced with waxed cotton. However it’s the tailor-crafted detailing that keeps it firmly entrenched in a GQ world, from a patterned, cotton inner lining to bound internal seams for a clean finish to its overall slim design. A strong central zip and flip collar keep out the elements, twin zipper hand pockets are deep without becoming black holes, and two internal pockets house your must-have electronics. As you’d expect from a pea coat, it’s not the most packable jacket. The price may seem a bit high,but you’re paying for quality. And if you want proof of Nau’s dedication to the outdoor world, look no further than the sleeve cuffs. They may look a bit overdone, but they’re designed to cover the back of the hand, a bike-friendly detail that makes the Elimino one tester’s go-to jacket for damn near everything, not just travel. If only winter lasted longer….

First Ascent Downlight Sweater

nborchelt — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00:17 +0000

www.eddiebauer.com, 12.5 ounces
Some of us aren’t too crazy about the industry impulse of calling light down jackets sweaters, but we certainly love these ultra-light, ultra-warm items. And of the many on the market, we’ve become particularly fond of the Downlight Sweater. First Ascent, the alpine-specific line from Eddie Bauer, was developed with input from professional mountaineers like Ed Viesturs, and it shows. The 800-fill premium Euro goose down provides some of the warmest, lightest, most compressible insulation on the market, while the 200-denier ripstop nylon exterior boasts durable water repellency, with twin zipper hand pockets and a mock turtleneck-length collar. And yes, we know they’re called sweaters because they’re best-served as mid-layers (the Downlight’s water repellency isn’t waterproof, and down is notorious for taking forever to dry if it gets wet), but we’ve found that in all climates, save the very cold or the wet, this jacket provides enough warmth for hiking, cycling, and climbing in below-freezing temps.

Brooks-Range Cirro Jacket

nborchelt — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:00:55 +0000

www.brooks-range.com, 12.4 ounces
The Cirro jacket combines helium balloon weightlessness with hot chocolate warmth. With a name that evokes the wispy lightness of cirrus clouds, this new jacket from Brooks-Range is hewn from lightweight Primaloft One, an ultra-fine synthetic microfiber insulation that maintains its warmth, even when wet. Covering this airy, warm insulation, a breathable 15-Denier ripstop Pertex shell (AKA: an ultra-light, durable, water- and wind-resistant material). To increase its moisture-thwarting ability, the shell is also treated with a DWR (durable water resistance) finish, making it one of lightest, most bombproof mid-weight jacket out there. Two roomy hand-warmer pockets, an inside zip pocket, and an outside “Napoleon” pocket ideal for a phone or iPod eschews the minimalist approach—in a good way. And since it practically swallows itself into a tiny ball, you’ve got no reason to not bring it along.
The Cirro comes in both pullover and full-zip models, in red, blue, or black. You can get an attached hood for an additional $20—but we like the non-hood models best.

Obermeyer Bella Jacket

nborchelt — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

obermeyer.com
Combining sports with teen fashion is a parent’s dream. Named Bella for reasons obvious to most kids (hint: the paired pant is called the Twilight), the mid-length, slightly-shaped jacket is as relevant on the slopes as it is to teen literature. Regardless of what you think of Stephanie Meyer’s writing style, the Bella is truly a classic; the edgy, fashion-forward design belies the coat’s true ruggedness and technical performance. The HydroBlock fabric is waterproof to 5,000 cm (meaning it will repel a stream of water sprayed at that velocity)—entirely capable of staying dry in the worst weather winter can offer. The body is 140 grams of Permaloft (a synthetic insulation with an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio), with 100 gm in the sleeves. That way you have more insulation to warm your core, but less bulk and weight on your arms. The articulated sleeves, removable hood, storm skirt, and all the features that Bella (or even a flesh-and-blood icon like Lindsay Vonn) could ask for. The coat may not be designed for the lifespan of a vampire or werewolf, but for the rest of us mortals, it will provide reliable and fashionable performance for many seasons. And when you have people waiting at lift lines just to find out who made the jacket and where they can get one, you know you’re onto something.

Nobis Audrina Jacket

nborchelt — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:00:22 +0000

www.nobis.ca
No, no one sees me while I’m solo snowshoeing through the backcountry, and a mountain slope certainly isn’t a fashion runway, but I’d still like to look good in both places. So, if you’re as sick as I am of earth tones, bright racing stripes, neon, or quilted marshmallow wear, I have the answer. Nobis is brought to us by our friendly neighbors to the north, where winters are more hardcore and the strong arm of PETA a bit more lax. The least expensive coat in their women’s modest outerwear line, the Audrina, is a Canadian-sourced white duck down waist-length piece, wrapped in a durable DWR poly outer shell, that comes in five stylish colors—none of which glow in the dark. Instead, a fashion-forward removable coyote fur ruff lines the hood (and yes, you can opt for a faux fur version). The removable hood joins up with a sizable collar, creating loads of extra fabric to help you wrap up against the elements, along with two adjustable pulleys for a snug fit when you encounter wind or blowing snow. The fleece-lined pockets are admittedly shallow, with plenty of room for your hands and not much else. And, unless your stuff can fit into the four-inch inner mesh pocket, plan on a backpack to help you haul it all. Other features, however, are tailored to resist the elements, including ribbed cuffs with thumb hole openings, waterproof/windproof fabric treatment, pit zips for quick breathability, and a sturdy central zipper with a magnetically sealed wind flap. Extra buttons secure the bottom of the coat tightly around your waist to thwart exposure to the elements and keep drafts at bay. Perhaps the best part for fashion-conscious outdoorsy girls? You don’t look like the ladies from Ice Road Truckers when you put it on.
-Lacy Morris