Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody.

In my quest to find a decent wind shirt i have bought the Rab Boreas pull on and the Montane lite speed to name 2 well known offerings, i was very close to buying the Rohan Ether shirt too but i bought the trousers instead and what a disappointment they were although i would probably agree that the material is more suited to a wind shirt rather than trousers.

I found both the above offerings disappointing but more so the Rab which i have never been able to wear for any length of time. I cannot put my finger on why i don’t like it but its probably a mixture of small annoying things. The Montane is ok but it tends to billow out in the wind, it sweats and the sleeves have scuffed quite badly.

So when i came across the Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody in Ellis Brigham’s i wondered if it was going to be just another item for the wardrobe if i bought it.

I tried the medium size on and found it a bit tight. (Must go on a diet) The Large fitted me better.
medium is my “Normal” size so it must be designed for the fit lean Alpinist type rather than a plodder. The length is fine and I did buy it.

I like the material, the weight and the feel. It’s a lightweight  Schoeller fabric that stretches in all directions.80g/m2 fabric, 93% nylon and 7% elastane. 230gr (L) My scales. 204gr (M) Spec.
Because i went for the Large size the sleeves are a touch long but to be honest i like the longer length sleeve, so that i can pull them over my hands and delay the need to use gloves.

The outer face of the fabric has a DWR finish and this will prevent a sudden shower soaking you through and with the hood in place it will keep you cosy.
I have purposely kept the wind shirt on in the rain to see just how it performs even though it isn’t meant to be a waterproof shell.  I must admit to being pleased with it. During one quite heavy shower of rain that lasted about 20 minutes i was only slightly damp around my chest area. Certainly not soaking by any means. Water beads well on the surface. The outer fabric is robust and can take a good amount of scuffing unlike my Lite speed

The jacket is a simple design and it doesn’t have hand pockets. Just one average size chest pocket that doubles as a pac pocket for storage. The sleeve cuffs are elasticated and are not adjustable. They are not too tight and allow gloves to be used without over stretching the elastic but keeping the wind out.

The hem has a draw cord and toggles on the right side. I did read a review on this wind shirt prior to me buying it that said the drawcord was adjustable from the inside pocket. There is no inside pocket on my jacket, maybe it had one when it first came out.

The hood is a generous size but not overly so. It is said to be helmet compatible but i havn’t tried it.
It is tensioned from both sides of the face and at the rear of the head to reduce volume. The front tension cords locate on the inside so you need to have a play around with the tensioning before use so that you don’t have to keep adjusting it on the hill. I have found this works ok. The peak is not stiffened or wired. The fit is good and the material close fits around the chin when fully closed.

The 2 zips are YKK standard not water resistant. The main zip has a baffle behind it.

The main thing though, does it stop the wind. Is it a true wind shirt. Well yes it does. It works well.
Even though the fabric excels in the breathability stakes, better than both the Rab and the Montane it still stops the wind very well.

I find myself wearing it most of the time now and that for me speaks volumes. I check the weather and if its not prolonged rain then i will wear the Alpine Start. Its ideal gear for the TGO Challenge.

What do i like.
The feel and fit is excellent.
Its well made, although it comes from Bangladesh and not made in the USA.
It does the job of protecting you from the wind and can be worn at anytime except prolonged spells of rain.
Decent length.
Not sweaty.
It cleans very well and maintains DWR.

What don’t i like.
I don’t like the front of the hood. Some support would be better but it does close nicely around the head. I would prefer a narrow peak as well.
The advertising badge on the back. Embarrassing IMO. The one on the front is enough.
Not much else at all really.

Cost at Ellis Brigham £119.99


Disclaimer.
This jacket was purchased with my own money and i have no financial relationship with Ellis Brigham.

Mountain Equipment Arclight jacket Review.

The Mountain Equipment Arclight jacket was my replacement jacket for the failed Montane Minimus mountain Jacket I reviewed here.

In some ways i have Mark to thank for his comment on my Montane post for me buying this jacket. With my own cash i may add.

This is not going to be a comparative post because the two jackets are completely different. The Montane being Pertex shield +, whereas the Mountain Equipment Arclight is Polartec Neoshell.

The ME Arclight is a shell jacket in the more traditional mould. To the untrained eye it could be forgiven if you thought it was Gore- tex or similar membraned jacket. It feels somewhat similar especially internally but the outside is softer unlike most Gore-tex. Obviously a great deal of thought went into the term “Softshell”.

So what is Polartec Neoshell?
It’s another relatively new material, as the term “neo” suggests, on the market from the people we have known for years who have made superb fleeces. It’s classed in the Ultra Breathable range of outdoor jackets.
Neoshell has oleophobic properties within the membrane and not glued on top of it as with Gore-tex. No, i had no idea what oleophobic was and found out that it is similar to the coatings that you can find on tablet screens like ipad to stop oil and grease from soaking into the screen and what makes removing the stain easy with a screen cloth. However, you need to look after the coating because certain chemicals can remove it, in which case just like the screen will deteriorate the jacket.

Its claimed that this is the first breathable, fully waterproof, temperature regulating fabric ever, but i’m not sure about that because i know that Aclimatise were working with a fabric stating the same message.
Have a look here. I had a prototype on test from Brenig ages ago.

Info from Polartec Neoshell web page.

(Check out Polartec site for more info here if you want to read all about it)

The fabric is stretchy and the cut is not too athletic although they have cut it to avoid a baggy fit. I am told by a good contact that ME have relaxed the fit generally.

Let's leave the fabric data behind and take a look at the jacket.
The colour of mine is Raven or in customer speak, Grey.
It is also available in Gecko (Green) or Cayenne (Red).
Specified weight (Size L 520grams, Medium 490 grams.
Actual weight for size medium 465 grams.(My scales)

RRP is £260. I have found prices to vary wildly on this jacket and I actually paid £118 for mine. For some reason the price also varies at differing outlets depending on colour. Look around for the best deals if you are thinking of getting one. I got mine from Hill and Dale. it was on a special offer at the time and i happened to be in the right place at the right time.

The Hood.
                 It is huge. I think it is the biggest hood i have ever had on a jacket. Its so big i could almost camp in it. It is obviously designed with a helmet in mind, but what helmet i am not sure. It will probably fit most if not all helmets for climbing, cycling, snow sports and probably the Grenadier Guards.

Adjustment.
Nothing unusal about the adjustment. It has one rear shock cord volume adjuster and separate shock cord adjusters either side of the face which close the hood off around the face. They use the small ellipse cord grips to retain tension.
The rear adjuster worked well and where the shock cord enters the hood the hole is protected by a flap on the outer fabric.
I have always found that shock cord wicks water which enviably creeps into the lining. I am amazed after all these years of design that a better way of adjusting the volume has never come onto the market. It’s as though everybody are waiting for someone else to develop it instead of themselves and then jump on the bandwagon.

The side adjusters are quite poor. The amount of adjustment is limited to around 50mm each side and once you reach that limit, if it doesn’t suit your face then it’s no good pulling any harder because that is the full adjustment.
The chord does not go across the front of the hood but is restrained adjacent to the peak on each side. I have found that i could not secure the front tight enough to make what i want, and that’s as near to a watertight seal as i can get. I still have tiny gaps where the material bunches up at the sides.
The shock cord is 2mm diameter and has far too much stretch for my liking. I can adjust each side single handedly by just pulling the two cords simultaneously downwards. I am fearful of pulling the cord out if i try to hard. Trying to squeeze open the chord grips is impossible with gloves on and not too easy without.

The peak on the hood is firm and wired. It does not flap around in the wind. I am in two minds about the angle of the peak. Some people may like it or like me some may think it is a little too steep.
Yes, the peak should keep rain and wind out of the eyes and it certainly does this well but i have found it can cover my eyes to the point where i have to keep moving it up or pulling on the back of the hood to see out front.
The easiest way to describe it is to say look at a Household cavalry hat peak. The angle is very similar to this and not at all like the peak on a baseball cap. This angle of peak is there to ensure soldiers hold their heads up, backpackers get a stiff neck.

Household cavalry hat peak.

Baseball cap peak.

In my opinion the right angle for a peak is in between the two.

The hood can be folded up and secured in place at the collar. To comfortably wear it with the hood folded you need to fully release the 3 hood shock cords. It does sit neatly when you do this.
The hood does move with the head when in full adjustment and the height and cut of the front of the jacket sits just under the nose and so provides maximum protection.

ME Arclight Jacket. OS map outline can be seen in the pocket.

Fold down hood

Zips.
The front main zip is a 2 way moulded YKK Aquaguard.
The 2 pocket zips are single way moulded YKK Aquaguard.
The pit zips are 2 way water resistant YKK Aquaguard with laminated and bonded entry.
The inside pocket is single way non water resistant YKK zip.

With the exception of the inner zip they all have zip pull toggles. I found the inner zip to be awkward to grip with gloves on and so fitted my own pull toggle.
I found the main zip and the two pocket zips to be very notchy and i don’t particularly like them, the pit zip and inner zip run smooth.

"A" line pocket zip and main zip

Behind the main zip is a flap to allow water run off if any rain does penetrate the zip. It stays closed at the bottom with a press stud. I must admit that i do hate this concept. Manufacturers now use the zip as a fashion feature, a colour mix. To me fashion is a secondary consideration, i prefer a storm flap over the zip, just like the Bergen from Rab. But i think i am losing the battle.
There is a good chin or nose guard on the top of the main zip.
There is no inner protection to the pocket zips or drain if water gets in.

Pit Zips. 
Now when i see or read Pit Zips i straight away think this jacket doesn’t breathe too well. I can 100% dash any concept of that thought. This is very breathable material. The under arm venting offers additional air movement if required. I have kept the zips half open for most of the time and so far i havn’t had any water ingress through them.

Pit Zip

Pockets.
There are 2 well positioned outer “A" line pockets  and they do not interfere with the rucksack straps. A rucksack hip belt also does not interfere.
They are a very good size pocket with excellent depth and take an OS map with ease. (See photo above showing folded OS map in situ.)
The 2 pockets are outside of the ‘Membrane” and so any water that gets through the zip should not get through to the body.
 The inner pocket measures 12 x 20.5 cm of useable space and is mesh.

Inner mesh pocket with pull tab.

I was a little surprised to see Mountain Equipment’s honesty (I’m not saying they are dis-honest btw) in that they put a notice in the pockets to say that although the zips are water resistant it is possible for water to get through and not to put sensitive items in them in bad weather. I appreciated that, a refreshing change.

Cuffs. Hems and toggles.

I am really impressed with the cuffs. The cut of the cuff is such that the top side is longer than the underside. This allows good water run off and reduces the amount of water ingress that can creep under the hem.
The sleeves also have a pre-shaped triangular opening which i have found excellent for getting over the top of my glove cuff. I have never seen this before on a jacket.

Cuff shape.

The length of the articulated sleeve is just right for me and long enough to cover my outstretched hand. The cuff can be fastened over my clenched hand which i like to do instead of wearing gloves  and the cuff is secured with an adjust to fit velcro tab.
I find the velcro on the sleeve a little to narrow and numerous times i have not secured it right first time. I would prefer a 25mm wide strip here rather than the 15mm.

The bottom hem has a draw cord. In fact it has two. I really liked this idea and again this is the first time i have come across this configuration. The front and back hems can be tightened or loosened independently of each other. The cords located at the sides are also separate outside of the jacket so there are no side loops that can and do easily snag.
The cord and cord grips are the same type as the hood.
The rear hem drops lower than the front and covers the bottom well.

Lower hem individual draw cords for front and rear hems.

Drop down rear tail.

Inside.
All seams are taped sealed. As can be seen on the image of the roll down hood.

Cut.
Not overly athletic but not baggy either. Slightly longer than some lightweight jackets.

The above photograph was taken after i returned home from a walk in the rain and wearing a rucksack. For some reason the area where the rucksack straps had put pressure on the shoulders and across the back showed signs of wetting. Maybe the area under the rucksack didn’t have chance to allow water run off but its something i will keep my eye on. No wetting through the fabric took place i add, just the outer shell material.

Likes.
Breathability
Waterproof
DWR (from new)
Feel of the fabric.
Small pack size.

Dislikes.
Notchy zippers.
Overly large hood. (Unless you regularly wear a helmet and then it will be perfect)

Conclusion.
This is one of the best materials i have ever tried so far. The breathability and waterproofing are both excellent, exactly what waterproof and breathable should be. I found that if i put items in the pockets like the OS map or my phone then i got condensation on the items. The movement of hot body vapour is so good.
With a material so good at transferring heat to the outside why block the route by clogging up pockets, it doesn’t make sense. For me the pockets could be eliminated. I certainly will not be putting anything in them from now on.
It does have an initial cold feel for about 20 minutes. Combine it with an insulating layer in really cold temps.
An excellent mountain jacket for all typical UK weathers.
Longer term review to come.

Similar products worth considering.
Rab Myriad.
66º North Snaefell
Montane Further Faster Neo.

Or if you have lots of Christmas money left then:-
Jottnar Bergelmir

Montane Minimus Mountain shell jacket review.

The Montane Minimus Mountain jacket is a lightweight waterproof. Its only difference between this one and its brother the Minimus jacket is that the mountain version has two cavernous and extremely well designed midriff pockets. There are other reviews on this product and are generally positive ones.

I did what I have always said I wouldn't do and that was to buy a mountain jacket with an exposed zip. My opposition to this design was mainly to do with the trouble I had with my leaking OMM Cypher smock zip. However my opinion has been swayed with the success i had with my smock used on this years TGO Challenge made by Brenig but now available from Aclimatise. Also, the OMM problem was caused by the absolutely stupid 2 way zip design on the smock which eventually allowed water to permeate.

Cost of the Montane Minimus Mountain Jacket is:-. RRP £160. I paid £112 from Webtogs. The carriage was free and the service excellent.

The material  of the Montane jacket is Pertex shield+, a newish 2.5 layer fabric. 53gr/m sq. 15 denier plus 40 denier rip stop nylon with microporous coating and mesh pattern print to the inner.
Zips- Main, YKK aquagurd. 3 Pockets YKK reverse coil.
All the seams are micro taped. Supposedly to aid breathability.

Montane market this jacket in the following way.

• Ultra light weight mountain rain wear.
• Exceptional breathability statistics on par with a technical mountaineering shell. 25,000 mvtr and a 20,000 hydrostatic head.
• Essential rain wear for any mountaineering activity in warm weather where short sharp downpours are expected.
• Micro packability.
• Activities - Mountain walking, high trekking, backpacking and mountain marathons.

Weight. Measured on my scales. Size Large 281 grams.

So having read all the above, how did it perform, you may well be asking?

The recent wet weather has given me the perfect opportunity to get to know it. And as with any product there are good and bad points.

I really like the style and cut. I chose a large size rather than my usual medium size because if it has been designed for racing snakes then it might not have fitted. I was correct the large was perfect for me.

The hood is very pleasing. Almost perfect. Almost as good as the OMM Cypher. Good adjustment at the back and the sides and has a wired peak. Easy to adjust on the go. It's also helmet compatible.

Jacket length, excellent, covers the bottom and with hem tensioners on both sides.
Sleeves are long enough to cover the hands so that the need for gloves can be delayed. The cuff is quite wide and velco closures work well.

Pockets, 1 chest pocket, not huge but good enough for a phone, gps, music player or keys etc. 2 midriff pockets and as I have already said above they are cavernous, well designed and don't interfere with my rucksack straps. Well done for this feature Montane.

On the outside of the shell at the back of the neck is a hanging loop as well as one on the inside. A number of reflective patches are located on the sleeves and body.

The fabric has been treated with a DWR coating.

So what is there not to like about this jacket from a well know and respected company like Montane.

The hood's wired peak is not great and is a little short in my opinion. It deflects quite easily.
Even worse the jacket leaks like a sieve. Disappointingly after only one and a half hours walking without a rucksack in light rain I felt water run down my back. I thought I was dreaming. It couldn't be leaking could it. I went home and when I took the jacket off my hair was wet through and water was running off my head and down my back. My shoulders were wet as were my sleeves. Checking the inside of the jacket it too was wet through. All the dark spotty patches on the inner (see image below), is where water came through the fabric and also which is not quite clear was the sweaty patches on the back, so breathability is questionable from my experience, considering my walk was far from being strenuous.

So looking back at the marketing blurb above and noting how many times the word "mountain" is referred to, I'm at a loss to see where Montane are coming from. If I had gone for a mountain walk today instead of a local walk I could have been in trouble.
Its such a shame because there is so much to like about the jacket but at the end of the day being dry is the most important feature required from a mountain jacket and this does not deliver what Montane say.

I have now sent it back for a refund.

During this test I also wore a pair of Outdoor Research Helium 2 over trousers which are also Pertex Shield + 2.5 layer. Not a drop of water came through the fabric.

Aclimatise Merlin Smock

It seems an awful long time ago that i was initially involved in this new waterproof smock.

This post is not a review as i did reviews on the prototype some time ago and i took a version on the 2014 TGO Challenge with great success. In fact i thought that it would have been released in May but it didn’t happen due to further trials.
The only noticeable difference from the prototype is the addition of the 2 Napoleon pockets and the coloured zips.

A link to the web site is here LINK which gives all the details for any readers interested and going off the comments on the earlier review i guess there are quite a few.

Merlin smock (photograph from official webpage)

A discount of £40 is offered to purchasers for a limited time. Just put itsmagic14 into the relevant box when ordering.

Over Trousers - Outdoor Research Helium. 1st Look

 The rainy season is getting closer so I chose the Outdoor Research Helium Over trousers after much deliberation. And “ Yes", i bought them myself with my own money and had great service from Ultralightoudoorgear. They kept me informed of stock arrivals and checked the leg lengths for me prior to ordering and delivered them speedily and free.

My current pair of Rab Bergans have been letting water through for quite sometime and although i have Nikwax reproofed them often, they are still wetting through and enough is enough, its time for a change.

My initial choice was to go for the Berghaus Paclite due to the high regard that numerous TGO Challengers i spoke to, have for them. The trouble was i struggled to find a pair that fit me well.

There were no reviews of the Helium trousers on the tintaweb that i could find and that surprised me a bit. I own a number of pieces of gear made by OR and have been pleased with what i have and so i decided to take a chance with them.

Outdoor Research Helium Over trousers.

1st Impression.
They say that first impressions can be entirely wrong and i hoped this was going to be the case here.
When i took them from the plastic bag i thought “They look and feel cheap” but at £90 they are not cheap. In fact the bag felt as strong as the trousers.

In direct comparison to my Bergans the difference is quite huge. When you look at and feel the Bergans they shout out quality, durability and good design. Whereas the Helium’s shouted shiney, flimsy, little design and a tad odorous.

2nd Impression.
Everything deserves a second chance. So i looked at them a little more closely. Material is 2.5 layer Pertex Shield +. That’s 30D Ripstop, 100% Nylon. 13,000mm Hydrostatic head, 20,000 MVTR Breathability.

Weight is 160 grams specified for a Large size, regular leg length. Very light. (Actual 158grams).

Unusual for over trousers they have a zipped rear wallet pocket. This zip is not a waterproof one but in reality a waterproof zip is not required as the pocket will be underneath your shell jacket. The pocket also doubles as a pack away which is quite handy and the packed size is around 0.4L

The waist band is half elasticated and has a shock cord adjuster at the front. The elastication is excellent and strong. It has a finish that has been siliconised. This is supposed to stop the trousers from working down. Time will tell.

The waist band also has loops which can be used to fit braces. Strange! If the siliconised waistband is supposed to stop downwards movement why do you need to provide braces loops? I guess I will just use the loops for hanging them up to dry.

The legs are quite a loose fit. Probably for a couple of reasons.
1. To overcome the fact that there is very little built in knee articulation.
2. To ensure that you can get the trousers on without taking your boots off considering that the leg zips are only calf length.(Full length waterproof zips are very expensive parts).

The leg zips are YKK water resistant and the seams are all taped. 
Strangely, there is a seam directly behind the knee. At first i thought this could be for production reasons where the top half of the trousers would be used with a varying bottom half to give the different leg lengths and keeping parts lean in numbers. But i discounted this as the front of the trouser is one piece and therefore compromises my argument. 
So why the seam at the back? My suggestion is that this is a the weak point. Constantly bending as you walk and therefore a horizontal seam would give added strength to the area. Of course i could be completely wrong. Maybe OR could put me right.

Around the bottom of the leg the hem is also 1/2 elasticated and siliconised and intended to stop the trousers working up. There are 2 internal grosgrain loops on the hem and at this time their purpose is a mystery.

With the trousers being 30 denier material I will have to take greater care of them to ensure they stay waterproof. For example no more sitting on them at brew stops, use a plastic bag over my boots when i put them on and when I take them off pull the outside material over the boots to ensure I don't scratch the inner surface.

Considering that the design is a simple one and the zips are as short as is practical, i think they are a bit pricey at £90. RRP £99.99p (This is UOG price and you can get them cheaper at other internet suppliers).
But as there are less places to leak and if they keep me dry then its money well spent.

Likes.
1. The weight.
2. The siliconised waistband.
3. The rear pocket.

Dislikes.
The shiny material finish. (I prefer the understated mat finish.)
The rather short ankle zips. (Although i will report back on this)
The very loose cut. (Easy to snag on the undergrowth)
No instep wear protection.

I will do a field report after a couple of months use.

Paramo the Enigma

About 3 years ago, maybe 4,  i went out of my way to track down a Paramo Adventure light smock in bottle green. I phoned around and eventually found one at Whalley Lancashire. When i got there i was told that the one in store had actually been sold but the assistant hadn’t realised it at the time.
However, after a bit of pleading i managed to buy it. I was over the moon.

My joy didn’t last long, maybe 6 months, when on a particularly wet day the left sleeve area started to leak, slowly at first until within a couple of hours my left arm base layer was wet through.

I was disappointed especially after the trouble i went to get the thing and at a cost of £180.

What was needed i thought was a reproofing. Which i did using the washing machine and low heat tumble dry method. It didn’t work. The left sleeve still leaked just as badly as if i hadn’t made any effort. Weird.

Now i have since read numerous accounts of Paramo leaking to the point of saturation and folk being highly disgruntled to say the least. And quite right i think.
One of the main points to come out of all this reading was that your washing machine must bear no trace of soap from previous washes and the garment must be cleaned with tech wash etc etc.

So not one to give up i decided to do it all by the book. I bought washing machine cleaner, tech wash, new TX direct  and set about carefully cleaning the soap box and the inlet pipe and rinsed it all thoroughly a couple of times. Then i cleaned the jacket with Tech wash and rinsed it twice. Then reproofed it and dried it with low heat tumbling.

Yep you have guessed. The left sleeve still leaked. Why just the left sleeve you may well ask. And the answer is ineffable.

I gave up with Paramo. It was unreliable and also seems to have quite an early wetting out time in comparison to other jackets i possess. It stayed in the wardrobe most months and only came out if it was a bitterly cold day with no rain forecast. I thought it a real shame as i do like the feel of Paramo and enjoy wearing it and praise it’s breathability.
What annoy's me more than anything is that some people absolutely swear by it. So why do some people find it fantastic and others find it poor? I just don’t get it and wish i had an answer because it’s £180 almost wasted.

About Mid November 2013 Sheila and i had been out for a day hike and our overtrousers were very muddy, so when i got home i soaked them in the car cleaning bucket in just warm water and left them there until the next day. After a couple of quick swills under the tap i thought it prudent to re-proof them while they were clean and wet.
I still had plenty of TX direct left and put about 50% more TX direct into the bucket of water than was instructed on the container. Well overtrousers take a bit of a bashing so i thought it would be ok.
I left them soaking for about 1/2 hr and then put them up on the line and let them dry.

The bucket was still half full of the mix and so chucked in a pair of gloves. I then thought “what about that Paramo jacket”, so i chucked that in as well. Giving it a good soaking and leaving it to sit for about 10 minutes, i then just hung it on the line.

Moving on a month or so….
The last couple of days have been very wet as all of you who read this will be aware. The UK being battered at the moment with heavy rain and high winds. Time to get the Paramo out and go for a local walk where it doesn’t matter if i get soaked or not because at worst i would only be an hour away from home. Well it rained and it battered the trees and the noise was quite deafening at times.

I was waiting for that tell tale cold arm as the jacket wetted out and water started to fill up my gloves but it never happened. Water just beaded off, except for one part of the flap which covers the chest pocket zip. I was amazed. I just couldn’t believe it, i kept checking my left sleeve for wet patches and nothing, so i stayed out longer just to see at what point it soaked through. It never did and the rain came down even harder as i walked home.

I didn’t wash the bucket out, i didn’t clean the jacket, i put too much mix into the water, i didn’t tumble dry it and it all seems to have worked.
Paramo is an enigma. I wish i understood it. Anyway lets hope all is ok on its next outing which will be another day hike, i still don’t trust it enough yet for anything longer.

Outerwear zip info. FYI

By far the two most used zips in the latest outdoors shell jackets are from RiRi and YKK. If like me you have had some problems with water ingress through the zip then this info should show you why it happens. Or, even if you have experienced no problems, its still good to know the difference between them.
I came across the information months ago when i was testing the Brenig Aran smock and i added a link to the Crux site where the explanation is easy to understand.
However, i thought i should share it as a post.

Crux make high quality outdoor equipment btw and the site is worth a visit in its own right.

Brenig's New Waterproof shell - The Aran Smock.

 We may have just had the warmest day of the year and waterproofs are probably the last thing on peoples mind at the moment so you may wonder why i’m posting about a new one.

 Background

 Last year whilst walking Cadair Idris, we got talking about routes in North Wales that would be fun to do. When i got back home i started a google search and came across the Brenig Trail. Considering i’m not that far from North Wales i had never heard of it. Searching for further info then brought me in a roundabout way to specialist gear manufacturer, Brenig.

 “Who"? I can hear some say, and yes i admit that was my reaction too. Well i had to find out more.

 Brenig are not too well known in mainstream outdoor gear and you won’t find them hanging up in The Cotswold Shop for example. But make no mistake this very small company based in Holywell Wales make some superb outdoor equipment and there is more to come, imminently.

 Brenig owner Graham Ogle has his roots in the mountains but also has an interest in cycling, walking, sailing and also amateur radio, GW8RAK.

 The company started 18 yrs ago after Graham got soaked on Tryfan and decided a new waterproof was needed. Having checked out the outdoor shops he decided not to pay the £400 but to have a go at making his own.

 Since those very early days Graham and his two seamstress have supplied Polar expeditions, numerous outdoor pursuit centres in this country and New Zealand, dog sled mushers in the USA, forestry workers, farmers, canoeists and now of course, Me.

 I fancied the smock rather than a jacket, it is a very simple, honest, no frills performance bit of kit. It was exactly what i wanted but looked a bit heavy.

 I like smocks and although i have heard all sorts of reasons why people don’t like them, i usually disagree. For example, “they are awkward to put on and take off”. Nonsense. I can put on and remove a smock faster than i can locate the zip ends and zip up a conventional jacket. Fact.

 I telephoned Graham about sizing and materials.

 "The lightweight fabric cannot be classed as a truly lightweight fabric" i was told, but it is in line with jacket weights which will be used in our sport/hobby in the demanding wet and cold UK conditions.

The fabric is polyester microfibre. I purchased one.

 We had a good chat about the products and it resulted in Graham asking me if i would be interested in trying out some new materials that he was planning on using in his 2013 range and giving some user feedback. I was more than delighted to help.

In due course, I received 2 pre-production smocks. Both completely different weights and materials, and usage of course. 

 I have now been using them over the winter and into spring/summer, walking in temperatures down to minus 3.5 deg C, in snow conditions, in torrential downpours, in longer spells of rain and in particularly cold high winds and more recently, decent temperatures. I have even tried my hand at Mountain Biking in the rain.
 I have given them a thorough testing in numerous areas of England and Scotland and the lightweight smock in particular has been a constant companion and a topic of conversation with my walking companions.

The current web site can be found here. But note there is an new site under development and almost ready to go live as i type. The new products i have posted about below will become active to customers on this new site Here but please bear in mind that this website is still under development. You should still be able to use the site if required or phone Brenig direct on Tel: +44 (0)1352 719603 or 
email: info@brenig.co.uk

There is a Facebook page too. 

 I will start with the lightweight smock for reasons which will become clear later.

 The lightweight smock will be found on the new website named the Aran smock.

I have tested a medium size which would suit people with chest sizes up to 40”. It has been designed for people who want to stay dry and move light and fast during multiple activities.

The weight of it is 390 grams as can be seen below. (SizeM)

 There are no frills to the smock, it just functions and does it superbly well, where it matters, ie the hood, breathability and shedding water is excellent. There are lighter shells around but this is certainly what i call a functioning lightweight shell for all weathers.

 The Storm Hood.
 Has been designed so that it is compatible with a climbing or cycling helmet, although it doesn’t suit the cycling helmet with the pointed rear. There are 3 adjusters for when no helmet is worn. One at the back to reduce volume and one each side to fully enclose it around the face. The chin level is quite high, which i like, and therefore provides excellent weather protection.

 I found the hood worked well and moves with the head. The wired peak is very effective and can be easily reset to suit conditions. You can see from the photo below what a good peak the hood has. Rain ran down the sides of the hood and not once have i suffered water ingress.
 The shock chords are held with standard industry chord grips. They can be adjusted single handed due to the restraint put on the chord grip but i found it better to adjust them separately.

 The Main zip. 
 In the past i have made it clear that my experience with water resistant zips has not been good. My OMM Cyphur smock YKK zip leaked and even though the garment went back for tests it came back with no fault found. I tend to believe that the main problem with the Cyphur is having a 2 way zip. It is going to leak for sure. Why would you want a 2 way zip on a smock?

 The Aran, thankfully will have a Riri, a one way Riri Aquazip with a baffle behind it. The Riri zip is made with interlocking plastic teeth that form a hydrostatic seal and are completely waterproof. I am pleased to say it has performed perfectly throughout and has made me re-think my opinion on zips.
 I did add a 40mm zip pull as my smock only had a small zip pull. I found it difficult to grasp when wearing gloves. Maybe the production units will have a longer or extra Brenig pull.

This LINK will explain better than i can the subtle differences of the Riri and YKK and why the Riri is best suited to outdoor jackets.

 Sleeves.
 Raglan style cut and the cuff closure is by a rubber hook and loop system. If anything i would have preferred an inch longer sleeve so that i could pull my clenched hand up into the sleeve when i didn’t want to wear gloves. But that’s personal preference and may not suit everyone except maybe bikers and climbers for instance.

 Hem.
 Closure is again shock chorded with chord tensioners on both sides. The smock length is slightly longer than current lightweight fashionable trends and for me i found it much better dealing with the elements. After all that is what we want. It keeps the derriere covered and is well below my rucksack hip belt. Other lightweight jackets sacrifice this length to reduce the weight spec.

 Materials. 
AtmosAktive is how the material will be known.

 Breathability is specified as 10,000 gsm/24hr MVTR (RET factor of 4) but i must say that this jacket has performed better than my Cyphur jacket*, which is specified as 17000 gsm/24hr MVTR. So forget about figures because our bodies tell us how a jacket performs.
 I actually found that i could wear this smock as a windproof in all temperatures up to about 10 degrees C without feeling clammy. Therefore i could leave my windproof at home. I couldn’t do that with the Cyphur.
 After 10 degrees C i wanted to wear my Montane litespeed purely from a weight point of view.
 Even when pushing the pace and i knew i was hot, there was no sign of any moisture vapour on the inside. At one point during a walking trip in the Lammermuirs i was asked, "was i not sweating cobs wearing my waterproof”, so i had to prove the inner was still dry.

 Breathability is always subjective. Its absolutely paramount that you wear a good wicking baselayer with any waterprooof. If you don’t, then your warm body heat cannot be transported through the layers. You will end up wet and cold and then blame the waterproof for not working. Also important is your rucksack. If it sits directly onto your waterproof then it doesn’t matter how breathable the material is you are not going to transmit your body heat through the sack. It will condensate and stay wet. You need to have a gap between your waterproof and sack.

 Waterproofing. Again specified as 10M hydrostatic head. Throughout my walks in driven rain and snow i have been perfectly dry. The membrane material is hydrophylic and it doesn’t have any holes to get clogged and reduce efficiency like other membranes do. Therefore it doesn’t need washing every few months.
 All the seams are tape sealed and i found it worked perfectly well.

Inner face layer is a wicking knitted scrim that provides the dry feel. Just like when you wear a good wicking base layer, without one the difference is soon noticeable. It is very comfortable and warm to touch.

 The outer material is made from a re-cyclable Polyester, made in the UK, which is then laminated to the inner fabric in Austria. The cut and manufacture is then completed in Wales. The outer fabric has been treated with a DWR treatment that contains no flourocarbons. This gives good rain beading and helps prevent dirt and stains.

 Aftercare. The smock can be washed at either 30 degrees C or 40 degrees C depending on needs but the DWR treatment will last longer the lower the wash temperature. The usual 3rd party proofers like Grangers or Nikwax can be used if or when necessary but the DWR treatment should last a good half dozen washes. In my case thats quite a long time.

 Cost. What i understand at this pre-launch status is that the RRP for the smock will be £145 and as an initial internet launch there will be a special price of £120.

 The material the Aran smock is made from will also bring to the market a shell jacket called the Berwyn and also a pair of over trousers. More news on these items to follow.
Costs will be RRP £170 for the Berwyn jacket and £90 for the OT’s. Again a special launch price will be £140 for the jacket and £70 for the OT’s. So keep an eye to the website or i will do a separate post when this happens. 

Release date for the new waterproofs is Mid September.

The New Aran Smock and Berwyn Jacket

*(I have mentioned the OMM Cyphur smock as a comparison garment simply because it is the only other smock i possess. I am not saying the Cyphur is poor.)

Verdict on the Aran Smock.
 Smocks are not everyone’s cup of tea but for me the fewer the places that water can get in the better. Having a short zip and no pockets provides a superb pure and simple waterproof. It’s comfortable to wear, lightweight and small to pack. It's extremely breathable with a superb hood and dries very quickly. All at a cost that won’t break the bank. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed testing it and can recommend it with confidence.

Similar products, OMM Cyphur smock £180.00 and PHD Alpamayo. £247.00
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 The 2nd of the 2 smocks.
The material is known as Aclimatise.
 It looks and feels exactly the same as the Aran smock, therefore no need for further photographs, except that it has a different membrane that includes 30% aluminium.

 It is said to be thermoregulating, which in short means when the temperature inside and outside changes, the material modifies to either cool you down or warm you up.**

 I tried it a couple of times backpacking but quickly came to realise that it is far from perfect for this activity within the majority of temperatures we encounter in the UK. I felt clammy very quickly and worse at temperatures above 8 degrees C.
At temperatures down to -3.5C ambient with a strong cold easterly wind making it feel much colder, i was still able to wear just a 150 grade Merino baselayer without feeling cold. Quite amazing really and i think this coat is best suited to very cold conditions where it would be an asset.

 It’s a lovely jacket if your outdoor activity is less active and i will certainly be using it for my fell race marshalling duties where i am static in exposed positions on summits. It may possibly work in Scottish or Scandinavian winter conditions when temperatures are well below 0 C. But i havn’t proven this one way or the other.

 I see this product best suited for people who take on duties like, Climbing instructors, marshall’s at events like orienteering, cycling, marathons, cross country, fell racing. I can also see it being perfect for farmers, dog mushers, county council workers, forestry or walkers who walk more sedately or who get cold quickly.
 But not hiking and backpacking in the majority of UK conditions. The RET factor is 6.

 **If this type of jacket or smock is of interest to you then you may wish to read more about it's technicalities. Click on the link here to read more.

 The weight is also higher due to the additional membrane material but still very reasonable considering how the jacket performs in the cold and wet.

Weight of the Aclimatise smock.  539 grams for a medium size.

 I would like to thank Brenig and Graham in particular for allowing me the privilege to assist in the testing of these products. It’s been quite challenging and has got Sheila and I out on the hills in some foul weather when i otherwise would have waited for the weather to abate. 

OMM Cypher smock.

 I wrote a post a few weeks ago, here. It was referring to the latest expensive waterproofs that have exposed weather resistant zips and no storm flaps. It generated quite a few comments which was very pleasing and i thank you all for them.

 Ironically, a few days later and whilst the comments were still being passed, my OMM Cyphur Jacket started leaking in the zip area. My inner layers were wet, in a circle shape about the size of a saucer.
I checked the jacket and i found 2 areas where there was no stitching and i wondered if this was the cause rather than the obvious zip.

 I emailed Pete Bland Sports , a fantastic retailer btw, and sent a photograph to see what they thought.

By return they asked me to send them the jacket and they would look into the leak problem.

 As it turned out the missed stitching shown in the photo above is part of the design of the jacket. It is on both RH and LH sides of the zip. It is there to allow water out that has ingressed by the hood pull chords.
There is a double layer of eVent here and water cannot get into the jacket.
 I accept this. So that only leaves the zip to allow water inside.

I spoke to Jon Broxap at PBS and he suggested that the jacket should go back to OMM to be checked out.
 Today i received the jacket back from them with the following report:-
Pete Bland Sports - They (OMM) did not find it faulty. Maybe a heavier duty top is needed for fell race marshalling.

OMM - There is no evidence of any damage or fault. You (PBS), described your customer was marshalling at the time of the issue. One possible explanation is that the YKK weather resistant zip is not a totally waterproof solution and water can travel down the zip to collect at the bottom.
The “well” at the bottom of the zip can be overwhelmed if too much water is travelling down the zip.

Me - So there you have it. These weather proof zips are not a totally waterproof solution. If the rain is too heavy you are going to get wet.

  Does this mean the jacket is not fit for purpose?, or does it mean that our purpose is not fit for the jacket? I would be interested to know what readers think.

 You have paid your £150 - £300 for a jacket (depending on manufacturer), that you expect to keep you dry in the mountains and as long as the zip doesn’t get overwhelmed, it will. Unfortunately rain in the mountains is usually very heavy and can be prolonged, so i think the chances of the zip becoming overwhelmed will be great indeed.

 Now this wasn’t the first time i had worn this jacket and also it wasn’t the first time i had been out in the rain with it. But it was a day where the rain was coming horizontal and i was in the rain for about 4 hours. The remainder of the time, a further 3 hours, the day was misty and drizzly.

 The guys and gals at PBS and OMM may be right and that i should have had a heavier duty jacket on.
Take notice of the words "heavier duty”.
 But in fact the jacket, on the day was actually fine, it didn’t leak, so i disagree with this point.
It was the zip that caused the leakage.
Also, we cannot predict how much or how heavy the rain is going to be on any given day, you can’t have 2 jackets just in case the rain gets a bit heavier.

 What’s wrong with putting a flap over the zip to aid protection and actually make the jacket fit for purpose.
On a jacket costing so much and the testing they get from people supposedly in the know, i am at a loss to understand the logic when they have put a double skin of eVent in the area of the hood pull cords. These cords will only allow the minutest bit of water in at best. But they realised the problem and dealt with it correctly.

 But it’s not just OMM that have this design, most outdoor gear manufacturers have gone in this direction. Why compromise a good product for the sake of a few grams or a £1 or 2.
I really might as well wear a £0.25 pence bin bag.

I’m glad to see that Rab have gone back to storm flaps on the Latok and the Bergan/Vidda jackets.

My next jacket will be one of these unless there is a change in design from other eVent manufacturers.

Latest Waterproofs

Have you noticed that waterproof jackets for hiking, backpacking etc are now almost entirely using water resistant zips.
I don’t know what others think but i find this a bit of a worrying trend.

 Jackets are designed as best as possible to be waterproof and breathable but these resistant to water zips are completely exposed to the elements. There is no guard over the zips any more where there used to be a double closure on the best jackets and single closer on others. And in my book the word resistant definitely doesn’t sound as good as PROOF and therefore manufacturers must know that they are not water proof.

 Now i have a jacket with this new zip, the OMM Cyphur smock, in fact it has two, very light weight and a good eVent jacket. It doesn’t matter what manufacturer it happens to be, the zip types are the same. Eventually at some point in the future these zips are going to wear and the material holding the actual zip runner will start to deteriorate. Constant rolling up and stuffing into the rucksack will have a detrimental effect. It’s just a matter of time.

 When that time comes and the first patches of damp start appearing on our mid or base layers i think we will be a bit annoyed considering how much these jackets cost. It isn’t like it’s an easy or cheap job to get one of these zips replaced. In fact, i will go as far as to say that when the damp appears that’s the end of the jacket. Reproofing with good old Nikwax will have no effect.

 When i first saw these zips appearing on the market i thought it was a great step forward but now i’m unconvinced. Some sort of storm guard i believe, is still required on mountain jackets and backpacking jackets.

 If you are in need of a new waterproof jacket, then i think you should consider getting one with storm protection over the zip sooner rather than later. If the trend continues, and i think it will, then you are going to struggle to find one as the older models get sold out.

 We seem to be being gradually and quietly steamrollered into going down this route for some reason.

Waterproof Hiking coat

  I always read fellow blogger Alan Sloman’s posts because they portray quite a lot of what i think about the outdoors but he puts it much more eloquently than me. And his latest post “Being warm and dry” was no exception and can be read HERE..
  I was posting a comment on Alan’s blog when i realised it was far too long and that it was better to put my thoughts as a post and link it.

  We, in the Outdoor Hiking world, i believe, have been hoodwinked for years. I tend to side with the comments made by Gordon Green that the perfect material has been developed but it daren’t be released because that would be the end of us buying new “Waterproofs”.

  The words relating to the jackets themselves defy what they actually mean. I am as guilty as anybody out there when i say, i want a new waterproof jacket but it has to be breathable.  Waterproof and Breathable? Please!


  Well to what degree do we want this phenomenon. 100% Waterproof and 100% breathable, that’s what we require.
Or as near as i can get it we later admit.
And there we have the first contentious point, you cannot get a hiking jacket with those statistics so we succumb to as good as we can get, and i am sure that in some cases we might not even realise what we have. This leaves massive areas of manufacturers graphs on hydrostatic head, breathability, tear strength, seam sealing, etc, etc. that you can look at if you really want to, but not here. This is just an experienced and practical posting.

  Many people buy a waterproof because that's exactly what it says on the tin or label. They have no idea to what degree that waterproof statement relates to.
  What is the material, what is the layering, there are so many different materials to choose, to name a few, Gore-Tex, eVent, Drillite, Aquafoil, Paramo’s Nikwax, but there are many many others to consider. The thing with all of them is that they are not water PROOF only water Resistant to a figure determined by it’s hydrostatic head. The greater the number ie 10,000 mm the better the water resistance to leakage than 1000 mm.

 What is hydrostatic head? It is the pressure of water required to penetrate the said fabric measured in mm. Heavy or wind driven rain has a higher pressure to light rain.
Waterproof jackets with a material head of 1000mm or less can only be regarded as shower resistant.
1500mm suitable for summer walking and so forth until you get to the likes of 10,000mm which is a minimum suitable for winter high altitude walking. 20,000 mm and even 40,000 mm being as good as you could get currently. See HERE for some comparative figures.

  Then there is breathability. This is the ability to transfer warm moisture vapour through the layers of the jacket.
It’s measured in grams per square meter over a 24 hour period. Or g/m/2/d. Typically you want the water resistance say 10,000 mm to equal breathability 10,000g/m/2/d.
But, the practical issue here with breathability is that the fabric allows internal warm moisture vapour through the microscopic holes in the fabric which are such a diameter as they will not allow rain to get through but will allow the warm smaller molecules to exit.
  The problem is we all have different metabolic rates. Some of us can walk at a good pace up hill and hardly break sweat whereas others will be wet through and if it’s raining as well then the jacket gets deemed not waterproof by the owner.

 Also, it depends on how many layers you like to wear under the waterproof outer. Too many layers will result in the warm vapour loosing it’s heat before it reaches the jacket and therefore it cools and cannot escape, this then condensates on the inner surface and is then transferred back onto your mid and base layers.
 The term bomb proof, i take with scepticism when talking jackets and tents as it depends on so many important scenarios many relating to the individual and again you cannot get 100% waterproof and breathable.

 Another important issue is the strength of the outer fabric. If your backpacking or daypacking the jacket outer material must be able to withstand the riggers, the abrasion of carrying the weight you take. Many jackets mix materials in high stress areas when a jacket has been made for backpacking but others don’t, especially the lightweights. Once the outer material starts to show signs of wear in these areas, ie shoulders, back and hipbelt, the chance of it staying waterproof are nil.

 Now, hiking gear has seen a transformation of late and gear has moved into the realm of the fell runner. If he can wear trainers, windproofs and lightweight waterproofs on exposed runs in adverse weather so can we.
But the trouble is he doesn’t carry a hikers backpack, he’s constantly on the move/run and therefore he/she stays warm and more often than not the exercise only lasts for short periods of time. So you must take this into consideration when buying lightweight backpacking gear if you want it to last more than one outing or at worse fail on a trip.
 Of course you get the multi day challenges like the OMM and similar and also overnight orienteering where this light gear is used but it isn’t anywhere near used or abused as it would get on a long backpacking trip.

  Another important issue not to be forgotten is the actual design of the jacket. How well it fits you, how good the hood is, if you don’t climb in it then don’t buy one that says hood compatible. It will fit like a sack and leak like a sieve.
 The hood is extremely important and it is surprising how often this gets overlooked.
 Check accessibility of the pockets and pull chords against what you will be carrying.
Make sure that the cords don’t wick water back between the layering of the jacket and make sure rucksack harness’s don’t rub the zip material.
Don’t buy one with masses of stitching which then has to be sealed with tape which with time will deteriorate and start to come apart.
Look at the zips! There are more and more water resistant zips on outer gear now. This has lead to the elimination of rain gutters and wind deflectors that used to be present behind the zips. A big mistake in my view as any water ingress in these resistant zips is transferred onto your inner clothing directly.

 Unfortunately cleaning your jacket is important to it maintaing whatever standard of waterproofing and breathability it started life with.

  There is so much to take into consideration when talking waterproof jackets there isn’t a definite answer that will suit everybody but hopefully my post will at least give others food for thought and realise that being waterproof is not entirely what it seems..

  The only thing that is waterproof and breathable is an umbrella.

More very interesting reading on the subject can be found Here.

  

Lightweight down jacket, Uniqlo

Thanks to Richard @ blog Sheila has now received her new lightweight down jacket from Uniqlo.
She is over the moon with it and the weight is fantastic. 230gr. So thank you Richard for sharing it on your blog.

Windshirts

Over the last few weeks we have had numerous discussions on windshirts. Whats good, whats not. What we like etc etc.
Some of the prices are quite expensive but we pay for them because we like them. They are light, pack small, are showerproof and do what we want, be windproof.

Well let me throw this one in the pot. It does the same as the rest but costs a fraction of the price. IE £25. Its Pertex Quantum so thats good. It hasn't got a full zip but to me thats not a problem. Weight 80gr.

If you are in the market for a windshirt and are scouring the web for a good deal then have a look at it. You can find it here.

Gear from Bygone times.

While is was reading the excellent post from Mac E's blog. (Hope he doesn't mind me putting in the link.)

 I thought about the old gear that i had, and i have lots. One of my favourite pieces of gear from bygone times was the Sprayway Yeti. (I think thats what it was called) but i could be mistaken.

It is a full winter jacket that i purchased roughly in the early to mid seventies.

 I cannot remember how much it cost then, but i expect that it wasn't cheap.

                              Here is a photographs i have just taken.
It's basically a 3/4 length jacket, made of Nylon with a Polyurethane coating. Then it has a fleece lining which is unattached at the base for air circulation.
It has 4 very large outer pockets and 2 hand warmer pockets. On the inside there is one pocket.
It has a waist drawcord and an Opti heavy duty nylon zip.
All the fastenings are heavy duty studs.
Nothing has ever failed on this jacket. Even the coating is still A1 and the fleece looks new.

On the inside it says this jacket is made by Chris Barnett. So well done to him and to Sprayway.

                      Photo of me wearing it when i was backpacking in Iceland.
            Sorry the quality of the Iceland picture is not that great. Old photo's don't keep well.

It weighs 1.4kg. I can't believe that i used to wear or carry this on long backpacking trips.
However at the time it was fit for purpose and i must have thought a lot of it because i still have it.
It never let me down and i cannot remember ever being cold or soaked through when wearing it.