I
am a fan of Mountain Equipment, it’s my first stop when I’m checking
out new clothes, their reputation is second to none (in my opinion,
others may vary). First impressions of the jacket were good – long
pocket zips high up for access when wearing a hip belt on a pack or a
harness, mesh inside the pockets for immediate venting, good adjustment
on the hood to get a proper fit and pit zips.
Now,
I have read online that some people question the need for pit zips as
Active Shell is the fabric to improve Gore’s breathability offering. My
opinion - pit zips are to let air in, not to let moisture out, so I
don't personally have a problem with them. I think it’s a good added
feature.
The
hood will take a climbing helmet, I use a Petzl Elios which sits quite
high on the head and was fine. I don’t think I would use it for a lot
for trad climbing though, as the material feels quite thin, I’d be
concerned about abrasion on rocks tearing or scarring the fabric.
The
most important thing for a jacket, over and above the breathability
(I’ll get to that!), is the fit. It turns out my normal size of a medium
didn’t quite fit; I had to go for the large. This is unusual as any
other jacket I’ve owned has been a medium. My assumption is the active
cut of the jacket means the fit is a little sportier, like a super car -
everything inside the cab is a bit more enclosed compared to your
average family estate. The Firefox around the body feels a bit figure
hugging, not too tight but you know it’s there. The arms are a little
different; they allow a lot more freedom of movement. Not baggy, it just
allows you to do what you need to do. The transition from the body to
the arms is seamless and moving in the jacket is comfortable and
unrestrictive. I found I could move whilst scrambling without the jacket
riding up. Which is definitely an added bonus for this jacket as it is
quite short in length. Not a bad thing as this suits me but it stays
where it should be, under the level of the waist belt of my pack and not
halfway up my back when I finish Curved Ridge.
The
fabric, Gore-Tex Active Shell, is the next aspect for testing. I wasn’t
too concerned about the waterproof test – it’s Gore-Tex, if it’s not
waterproof there’s no point! Or so I thought, it isn’t really the fabric
that has the issue, it was the zips. In the pocket of the jacket after I
removed it from its clear plastic bag I found a disclaimer. A little
leaflet to tell me the zips were not 100% water proof. Well, I found
this out on a rainy day on Beinn Narnian, as we came off the summit I
felt something cold on my stomach. The rain was hammering it down at
this point, so, with my back to the rain my hooded skull was stuck
inside the jacket. I found a little damp spot on my base layer.
“Dammit!” It had let water in; the spot coincided with the bottom edge
of the mesh in the pocket. I’ll admit I was a bit gutted, I expected
better. However, giving it some thought and after it being pointed out
to me, we had been in driving rain for about 3 hours. The jacket isn’t
really designed to be in those kinds of conditions for that long.
Further down the path to the car I felt a second spot on the inside,
this time it was the main zip, only on one isolated area but it wasn’t
long before we were back to the car. All in all, the jacket performed
well, I think I pushed it to its limit and only a minor leak showed
through.
I’ve
haven’t used the pit zips yet, I’ve tried to keep the pockets shut to
really test the condensation factor and also the weather hasn’t been
good enough to need them. I did spend a bit of time pushing hard uphill
and would be found with my head stuck inside the jacket and my hand in
feeling about searching for moisture. A test is a test and all aspects
need to be checked. Excluding directly underneath the shoulder straps,
there was no moisture to be found. Including my back area, with help
from the freeflow set-up of my rucksack. There would have been a thin
film of moisture inside my Pro Shell had I worn it.
The
material has a really nice feel, it’s thinner than I’m used to but it
works. How it wears over long periods will be the next test. I’ll keep
an eye on it and let you know. One thing I did notice was when the wind
picked up I wasn’t used to the flutter of the material. Pro Shell
doesn’t budge, it’s strong and I’m not scared to wear it anywhere or in
any condition. I would hesitate to use Active Shell in some more rugged
situations and, as the weather on Narnian proved, some harsher raining
days. I suppose that’s why the different shells exist though. It’s
certainly my excuse when my wife sighs and asks “do you really need
another jacket??”
Really
my next point is more of a question. I hope somebody can answer it as I
have been racking my brain and fiddling with the tags, draw cords and
loops to figure out what it does. What is the loop above the NO HANG tag
do? I can’t figure it out, please help!
I
did have a thought that this material could be used in conjunction with
a down to create a fully water proof version of a jacket like the ME
Fitzroy. I don’t know it this would be allowed in the guidelines of
Gore’s use of the material. On some research the list seems to be
extensive and I hope not restrictive. Just a thought!
In Short –
It’s
a great jacket. The fit took me a bit of time to get used to but it’s
just right. It has an athletic cut so it can be a snug fit. The fabric
keeps the water out, even if the zips don’t, and allows the upper body
to breath. My hope is in the long term the material gets cheaper
allowing the cost of the jackets to come down. Good jackets with a
harder shell aren’t too much more expensive than this one. But if you’re
buying Active Shell it’s for the weight and breathability, which is
what it says on the tin!
