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Reviews > Clothing > Jackets and Vests > Adidas Outdoors Terrex SkyClimb Jacket > Test Report by Theresa LawrenceWOMENS ADIDAS TERREX SKYCLIMB FLEECE JACKET Field Report - January 22, 2018 TESTER INFORMATION
I have more than 20 years of backpacking experience. Day hikes and 2-3 day backpacking trips take place on most weekends throughout the year while longer trips are only occasional. I backpack predominantly in mountain terrain (Coast Range, Cascades and Canadian Rockies) with the goal of summiting peaks. Activities I use my gear with include mountaineering, ski touring, rock climbing, kayaking, biking, trail running, Search and Rescue and overseas travel. I like my gear to be reasonably light, convenient and simple to use though I would not claim to be a lightweight hiker.    PRODUCT INFORMATION
DESCRIPTION The Skyclimb fleece jacket is lightweight fleece, but with some extra features to make it more weather resistant. The front, shoulders and most of the arms have a layer of PERTEX EQUILIBRIUM on the outside, which gives it some wind resistance and some ability to shed snow and light rain. Specifically, the PERTEX EQUILIBRIUM is comprised of a tightly, double woven fabric with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish. The manufacturer also claims the garment is highly breathable based on the lightly woven fleece. The materials are also expected to be moisture-wicking and quick-drying. Other features that make up the overall design of the jacket include a form-fitting hood, two hand-warming pockets with zippers and elastic hem and cuffs. The fabric as a whole has some stretch to it to aid in comfort and fit during activity. TRYING IT OUT & FIRST IMPRESSIONS I have the medium, which fits perfectly, not too roomy and not too tight. I like the length of the arms as mine are long and I find more often than not manufacturers make shorter arms for women. I also like the fit of the hood and the length of the overall garment. The fleece is soft and the stretch allows for good range of motion with my arms. There is nothing of immediate concern for this garment. The craftsmanship looks professional with no loose threads. I'm looking forward to getting it out in the field. SUMMARY
Overall, first
impressions are highly positive. Great fit off the cuff with no obvious
concerns. All that is left to do at this point is to take it out into the
field and put it through its paces. For me this will include hiking
and ski-touring to backcountry huts, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing,
snowmobiling and other Search & Rescue activities. Stay tuned for
my observations after a couple of months.
FIELD CONDITIONS
    COMFORT & FIT
I have found wearing the Adidas Terrex Skyclimb jacket to be very comfortable. The material is soft and it fits well over my base layer. The hood fits well and adds additional warmth to my head and so is highly functional. I found the jacket offered an unrestricted range of motion for the activities I was engaged in. PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD So far the jacket has met with many weather events and activities including wet flurries. What this told me was that it had some pretty decent weather-resistant properties. I was not wetted through to any significant degree. Of course, where the jacket wasn’t weather proof was obviously wet, but it did not soak through. Between the jacket fleece wicking and my base layers wicking, I did not feel wet. The PERTEX equilibrium material with the DWR coating showed beading of water droplets indicating that it was indeed repelling the water. This jacket adds core warmth as a mid-layer thanks to its lightly woven fleece and as reported above, acts as a great outer layer. I found it to be highly functional for snowshoeing up hill in ill weather. During this activity it was breathable, keeping me cool while doing strenuous activity, as well as protecting me from the wet flurries. When the weather got wetter and cooler as I gained elevation, my shell fit nicely over this layer. The overall length of the garment worked well for me, offering good coverage over my hips and back, but not too long. The cuffs and length of arms also provided good coverage and stretch over gloves, which I liked. The hand warming pockets were a little low as I found them difficult to use with a backpack, since the waist belt hid access to them. In this case I just lifted up the jacket, since there’s enough length I was able to manage my hands in the pockets while I had my backpack on, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. The jacket has remained in great condition throughout the testing so far. There were no loose threads, just some minor pilling in areas of friction on the fleece material. I had to look hard to actually notice. SUMMARY Overall, I’m pleased with the performance of the Adidas Terrex Skyclimb jacket. It has been highly functional for my winter activities where I’m needing a breathable layer that also protects me from the weather. It has also proven to be a great mid-layer underneath a shell as it was not bulky. Over the next couple months I plan to do some more winter travel in the Southern Canadian Rocky Mountains, so I will be able to comment further on the garment’s durability and continued performance.
LONG TERM CONDITIONS The final test phase was very much a winter test for the Skyclimb fleece jacket and included more adventures within the Southern Canadian Rockies. Such trips included a two day snowshoe trip to a backcountry hut, as well as a snowshoe and cross country ski trip from base camp. Another six day-trips included more active snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Other uses included search & rescue tasks, events and practices, all on the topic of avalanche awareness, and involved a lot of standing around in sub-freezing temperatures. Temperatures ranged from - 15 C to 2 C (5 to 35 F). Trail conditions included fresh deep powder snow, as well as hard packed snow and ungroomed cross country trails. The distance traveled throughout the test period was about 40 km (25 mi). Weather encountered was a mix of heavy snowfall, sleet, light flurries and at times clear skies. PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD I have found the Skyclimb fleece jacket to be a very useful layer in winter conditions. It fit comfortably and allowed for unrestricted motion of my arms for tasks such as using poles or bending down to adjust snowshoe straps, etc. It has been a valuable layer over my base layer and under my shell or down jacket. It added enough warmth without overheating and offered some protection from wind, snow and rain. I did try to wet the jacket out on purpose when it was sleeting and snowing. Parts that got wet first were on top of my wrists where it wasn't protected by the more weather resistant material. I did find that the wet parts dried quickly with continued use and cessation of the wet weather. The jacket was noticeably not wind resistant in parts, but where the material was intended to be wind resistant it most definitely was. The hood covered my head and neck effectively when I needed it. And even though the hood wasn't wind proof, it did provide the warmth needed to cut the wind chill. The pockets were highly functional fitting my hands and other items needed, living up to my expectations. During strenuous activity the jacket was noticeably breathable and quick drying. The Skyclimb fleece jacket was lightweight, which made it a great packable layer. And after 4 months of use has shown to be durable and no worse for wear. I have only washed the jacket once and hung it to dry. It still looks as good as new. The only thing I might change about this jacket would be to extend the weather proof material on the arms to carry on to the cuff. SUMMARY In summary, I give this jacket two thumbs up. I was most impressed with it being a layer that was fairly light, but still offered warmth and protection and was also highly durable and comfortable. While performing strenuous exercise in the cold, it did well for breathability. It was also a slim layer that fit well under my shell or down jacket, making it a great mid-layer when conditions warranted. I plan to continue using this jacket all year round for my backpacking adventures. Likes - Lightweight & packable - Breathable - Has a hood and functional pockets - Weather protection - Thermal insulation - Comfortable fit - Durable - Easy to wash - Quick to dry Dislikes - Would prefer the weather-resistant material to extend through the cuffs on the arms I'd like to thank Adidas Outdoor and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to take part in this test series. Read more reviews of Adidas gear Read more gear reviews by Theresa Lawrence Reviews > Clothing > Jackets and Vests > Adidas Outdoors Terrex SkyClimb Jacket > Test Report by Theresa Lawrence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
