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Reviews > Clothing > Jackets and Vests > Adidas Terrex Agravic Alpha Windbreaker > Test Report by Nancy Griffith

ADIDAS TERREX AGRAVIC ALPHA WINDBREAKER
TEST SERIES BY NANCY GRIFFITH
LONG-TERM REPORT
August 06, 2017

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Nancy Griffith
EMAIL: bkpkrgirlATyahooDOTcom
AGE: 51
LOCATION: Northern California, USA
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 6" (1.68 m)
WEIGHT: 128 lb (58.10 kg)

My outdoor experience began in high school with a canoeing/camping group which made a 10-day voyage through the Quebec wilds. I've been backpacking since my college days in Pennsylvania. I have hiked all of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. My typical trip now is in the Sierra Nevada in California and is from a few days to a few weeks long. Over the past few years I have lowered my pack weight to a lightweight base weight of 15 lb (6.8 kg) while still using a tent, stove and quilt.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

adidas TerrexbackManufacturer: adidas
Year of Manufacture: 2017
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.adidas.com
MSRP: $159 US

Listed Weight: Not Listed
Measured Weight: 5.7 oz (162 g)

Color Tested: Easy Orange
Other Color Available: Clear Onix

Size Tested: M
Other Sizes Available: S, L

Made in Indonesia

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

front neckThe adidas TERREX Agravic Alpha Hooded Shield Windbreaker is a hybrid jacket with a Pertex Quantum outer fabric for wind protection and a Polartec Alpha lining in the front and shoulders for insulation. It has an adjustable hood which has elastic around the face and can be tightened at the back of the head for a better fit.

The main zipper is full-length with a storm flap, a sturdy zipper pull and a zipper garage at the top. There are two zipped hand-warmer pockets. The right-hand pocket has a 'Pack It' logo inside and a loop at the upper seam. The zipper has a pull on both the inside and outside of the pocket, so the jacket can be stuffed inside this pocket. Then it can be zipped closed as a carrying case with an attachment loop to keep the jacket handy on the outside of my pack.

The hem of the jacket is adjustable by means of a tightening loop on either hip. There is a hang loop at the neck on the inside below the hood. The sleeves have just an elastic band for a cuff which fits right at the wrist.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS & TRYING IT OUT

cuff and hemMy initial impression was that I loved the orange color. It is bright but not obnoxious. I tried it on and found a nice slim fit but it is roomy enough to wear a layer underneath. The cuffs can be pulled to extend past my knuckles and the hem extends down over my hips and nearly covers my behind. I was pleasantly surprised at the good fit based on the fit shown on the website. The model on the website seems to be wearing a much-too-small jacket, so I was concerned that the fit would be similarly small.

Then I noticed how thin the fabric on the arms seems to be while the front torso is much thicker with the insulated lining. And the back does not have any insulation. Neat! This looks like it'd be great for some warmth while still allowing breathability and no sweaty back.

The jacket came with three different hang-tags. One is for the Pertex Quantum windproof fabric which is the outer shell. One is for the Polartec Alpha insulation fabric in the front and shoulder lining. And one tag is for the Terrex Climastorm which is supposed to be lightweight and breathable wind protection.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

The tag inside says to machine wash in cold water on a delicate cycle and to tumble dry on low. Dry cleaning and ironing are not to be done and fabric softener is not to be used.


FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

mount rose
Day Hiking on Mount Rose
loon
Shadow Lake
With cooler-than-normal Spring temperatures, I was able to wear this jacket on nearly a daily basis over the test period. I wore it for three backpacking trips for a total of twelve days. I wore it for snowshoe day hiking, eight morning runs, several softball games, two mountain bike rides, car camping and multiple walks.

Backpacking:
Marble/Cottonwood Canyons, Death Valley National Park, California: 4 days, 34 mi (55 km); 1,167 to 4,680 ft (356 to 1,426 m) elevation; 52 to 90 F (11 to 32 C). Partly cloudy with breezy conditions. This trip also included a car camping overnight on the day after the backpack trip.

Pacific Crest Trail, Section F, Southern California: 6 days; 85.5 mi (138 km); 3,773 to 7,003 ft (1,150 to 2,135 m); 29 to 87 F (-2 to 31 C); clear sunny skies to dense 'raining' fog to snow to howling winds.


Snowshoe Backpacking:
Shadow Lake, Sierra Nevada, California: overnight trip of 10 mi (16 km); 6,327 to 7,264 ft (1,928 to 2,214 m); 28 to 52 F (-2 to 11 C); sunny and clear; 10 to 15 ft (3 to 4.6 m) of snow depth.

Snowshoe Day Hiking:
Mount Rose, Carson Range, Nevada: 1.8 mi (2.9 km); 8,911 to 9,080 ft (2,716 to 2,768 m) elevation; 43 F (6 C); sunny and clear; 20 ft (6.6 m) of great snow conditions.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

death valley
Marble Canyon
mineshaft
Death Valley Mineshaft
I've never owned a jacket strictly for wind protection. I like to keep my pack as light as possible so I have just worn my rain jacket when I need a good wind layer. However, after testing this jacket I can see how valuable a breathable wind jacket can be. My rain jacket is usually hot, not as breathable and heavier than the Agravic windbreaker. I think the Agravic has earned a spot in my pack!

I wore the jacket in some really hostile wind conditions including on Mount Rose (cold, mountain-top conditions), in the Mojave Desert (very cool, wide-open conditions) and for mountain biking in cool temperatures (with the bike speed adding wind chill). In the desert the wind howled all day and I was literally covered from head to toe to protect my skin. I had long sleeves under the jacket but I thought that I was able to feel the wind coming through the sleeves. The underside of the sleeve is a slightly different looking fabric and seems to allow the wind through. The first time that it happened I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt underneath so I attributed it to my arms feeling the cold when the wind would push the jacket sleeves in contact with my skin.

The added insulation at the front of the torso was amazingly warm and welcome on multiple occasions. When running I usually started with the jacket zipped and then ended up unzipping because the insulation warmed me too much. The same happened while backpacking but with the jacket unzipped the body warmth dissipated quickly while still allowing for wind protection. Having the insulation on the front only was perfect when using a pack. This way only my front was warmed while my back didn't have the added warmth which could make me start to sweat under the pack.

I used the hood in the windiest conditions for additional protection even though I was also wearing a hat. And I wore the hood in light rain. It was easy to adjust and comfortable on my head without interfering with my vision. Speaking of rain, the jacket provided only the scarcest protection from the rain with it quickly wetting through and allowing my hair to become damp. However, it was still nice to have some layer for protection until I was able to scurry back home or get a rain layer out of my pack.

I noticed that the zipper pull on the pockets was situated in just the right location to sit atop my hip bone and irritate me while wearing a backpack. I had to remember (although I'd quickly be reminded) to close the pocket prior to donning my pack. This closed pocket position of the zipper pull kept it out of the way from rubbing on my hip.

With all of the wear I washed the jacket multiple times...probably four times always in the machine with cold water and hung it to dry. It dried very quickly even in cool temperatures. After one washing a stain on the sleeve didn't come out so I've been more careful to stain treat prior to washing since then. The durability has been very good with nothing to note as far as wear or even abrasion. Although it is very light weight the fabric seems rugged enough to resist abrasion from my pack straps and snags from bushes.


LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Temperatures rose significantly by the start of this test period, so my spring daily use changed to my rarely needing even a light jacket. I was able to wear this jacket on one eight-day backpacking trip and several early morning runs. But it was too hot for any day hiking even at higher elevations.

Backpacking:
Pacific Crest Trail Section P, Trinity Alps, Castle Crags Wildernesses, Northern California: 8 days; 100 mi (161 km); 2,157 to 7,426 ft (657 to 2,263 m); 52 to 90 F (11 to 32 C); clear to partly cloudy skies with evening thunderstorms and hail

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

ltr mosquito
Mosquito Protection
I wore the jacket on cool mornings and evenings around camp. The lightweight long sleeves were perfect for protecting me from mosquitos. During the worst biting periods, I added the protection of the hood and was amazed that the mosquitos didn't bite through the fabric. They usually are able to bite right through most fabric unless it is quite stiff or thick. It was great to feel protected while still being comfortable. I've worn a rain jacket for mosquito protection before and it is quite hot and clammy on warm summer evenings.

The lightweight insulation just on the front works out just right for providing some warmth without being redundant while wearing a pack. The wind conditions on the backpacking trip were warm so I wasn't wearing the jacket. But it was cool and breezy on some of my morning runs. The jacket blocks the wind and the light insulation provides just enough warmth.

I noticed my open pocket zippers again if/when I wore the jacket with a pack. I want to be clear that the location is good in that they are out of the way when the pocket is closed which makes sense if I'm trying to hold something in my pocket. The issue is only with my tendency to keep the pockets open for hand-warming and then forgetting to close them prior to wearing a pack. I didn't typically store anything in the pockets but occasionally put my phone or wallet in there.

The durability has been outstanding despite the jacket being made of such a light fabric. There is no pilling, no snags, no tears and no abrasions even though the windbreaker was worn through brush, scraped against granite and generally not babied. There were a few stains on the sleeve earlier in the test period that didn't seem to come out in the wash, but they are no longer there so they did come out eventually. I've probably washed the jacket another two times for six washes in total. It always dries very quickly by just hanging it.

SUMMARY

The adidas TERREX Agravic Alpha Hooded Shield Windbreaker is a hybrid jacket designed for wind protection and breathability while providing some insulation at the front.

Likes:
Light weight
Strategic Insulation
Adjustable Hood
Simple sleeves/cuffs
Slim fit
Mosquito Protection
Durable

Concerns:
Some wind gets through on underside of sleeves

This concludes my Long-Term Test Report and this test series. Thanks to adidas and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this jacket.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

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