TESTING LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Sunset Peak, San Gabriel Mts, Southern California
Trip Duration:  Day hike
Distance:  7 mi (11 km)
Elevation:  4,600 ft (1,400 m) to 5,800 ft (1,800 m)
Temperature:  38 F (3 C) to 50 F (10 C)
Conditions:  Clear, calm winds but hiked mostly on a shaded trail

Icehouse Canyon, San Gabriel Mts, Southern California
Trip Duration:  Day snow hike
Distance:  7 mi (11 km)
Elevation:  5,000 ft (1,500 m) to 7,800 ft (2,400 m)
Temperature:  25 F (-4 C) to 37 F (3 C)
Conditions:  Clear skies, occasionally breezy, first half of the hike in shade

Wellman's Divide, San Jacinto Mts, Southern California
Trip Duration:  Day hike snowshoe
Distance:  6.5 mi (10 km)
Elevation:  8,500 ft (2,600 m) to 9,700 ft (3,000 m)
Temperature:  25 F (-4 C) to 46 F (8 C)
Conditions:  Clear skies turning cloudy, winds on and off during the day

Mt. Baldy, San Gabriel Mts, Southern California
Trip Duration:  Day hike snow climb
Distance:  7 mi (11 km)
Elevation:  6,400 ft (1,950 m) to 10,060 ft (3,050 m)
Temperature:  47 F (8 C) to 70 F (21 C)
Conditions:  Sunny, breezy, windy

San Jacinto Mts, Southern California
Trip Duration:  2 day, 1 night backpack
Distance:  4 mi (6 km) backpack, 2 mi (3 km) day hike
Elevation:  8,500 ft (2,600 m) to 9,700 ft (2,950 m)
Temperature:  19 F (-7 C) to 65 F (18 C)
Conditions:  Cold, sunny, breezy

Joshua Tree National Park, Southern California
Trip Duration:  2 day car camp
Distance:  8 mi (13 km) day hiking
Elevation:  3,000 ft (900 m)
Temperature:  32 F (0 C) to 50 F (10 C)
Conditions:  Windy, night rain, partly sunny during daytime

BODY HEAT REGULATION AND WICKING

The first hike I went on up to Sunset Peak was forecasted at temperatures around 38 F (3 C) but the bulk of the hike was more near 50 F (10 C).  I used the jacket with a lightweight base layer underneath for about an hour during the 3.5 hr hike mostly at the beginning in the shaded areas.  Although it was acceptable to use if I left the jacket open, it really turned out to be overkill for these conditions unless it got a little breezy which did not happen to often. 

The next hike I took was a snow hike that started out with a temperature of 25 F (-4 C) and was shaded for the first 2.5 mi (4 km).  I used a midweight base layer underneath.  I ended up wearing the jacket all day as it only got up to 37 F (3 C) and had some occasional breezy conditions.  After about 2 mi (3 km) of moderate climbing I vented the jacket by zipping the top zipper down and the lower zipper up and wore it that way most of the day.  I did feel that the jacket worked well keeping me warm enough when the breeze kicked up and cool enough during the steep portions of the trail.  The air conditions changed enough that when I started feeling a little too warm, a breeze would start and immediately bring by body core back to a comfortable temperature.  I had lunch at the saddle with some breezes up there so I put a fleece layer over my baselayer under the jacket and was quite comfortable for the 30 minutes that I sat there.  I took the fleece layer off for the descent, leaving the jacket vented and it worked well the rest of the day. 

Snow hike Icehouse Canyon 36 F (2 C)	On top of Baldy 47 F (8 C) windy

The jacket worked the best so far on the Wellman's Divide trip.  Although the temperatures resembled the previous snow hike, the winds were stronger and colder.  I wore a midweight baselayer underneath and the jacket zipped up most of the day.  The snowshoe route was mostly shaded and the temperature hovered around freezing most of the day.  The day was a constant flux of calm winds, windy, mostly shaded trail and occasional sun.  I had some steep climbing, rolling terrain, and descending.  The jacket kept me warm enough that I never felt the need to add another layer but cool enough that I never felt the need to remove it.  In fact it really excelled in the conditions I had.  I could feel some sweat on my back but it seemed to wick and at no time did the jacket feel damp from sweat on the inside.  I never felt the wind coming through the jacket, however, my arms did feel cool at times when the windchill dropped.  The placement of the down along with the softshell Polartec really seemed to hit the mark on this outing.

I was not planning on using the jacket during the car camp at Joshua Tree but I was very surprised to find that I wore it almost the whole weekend.  When I arrived around noon on Friday, it was sunny and I was sheltered by the wind so the jacket was not needed.  The clouds started rolling in around 5 pm, the winds kick up and it started raining.  I put on a light fleece over my baselayer, the HyBridge jacket over that and then a waterproof shell over that.  Dinner was under some pop-ups that had some tarps for walls so we weren't too exposed but the temperature did drop quite a bit with the wind and rain.  I was able to stay comfortable with that layering system and didn't feel that anything else was needed.  I was up early in the morning to make my breakfast and again it was cold, windy and started to rain.  I was sheltered again under the pop-ups but stayed very comfortable with the layer system I used the night before.  The activity that day was navigation in the desert with little elevation change and the sun was out.  I decided that the jacket was not needed due to the sun but the winds started and the temperature was in the 50's (13 C) so I decided to put it back on and ended up wearing it the rest of the day.  I did regulate my body temperature very well, much to my surprise, even though it really wasn't that cold, however the winds seem to be the secret ingredient.

The backpacking trip was the real test.  I took the jacket as a down/softshell jacket replacement.  The first time I used the jacket on the trip was later in the day in a shaded area filtering water when the temperature dropped to 41 F (5 C) and I immediately put the jacket on.  It went on quickly which was really good and I was able to stay warm in an area that I immediately would have gotten chilled.  As soon as I left to head back to camp, the sun was out in many spots and it was uphill all the way.  It didn't take long to become a little too warm but after unzipping the jacket to ventilate, I was able to keep it on back to camp.  I cleaned up, changed and joined happy hour with a lightweight wool long sleeve baselayer, lightweight fleece and the jacket.  The temperature did drop to 34 F (1 C) by 5 pm but I stayed comfortable.  The temperature dropped down to 19 F (-7 C) by morning when I got up to cook breakfast.  I did sit in my tent vestibule sheltered from the breeze blowing with the same clothing combination as happy hour.  Surprisingly enough, I stayed comfortably warm with the aid of some coffee and had no need for another layer.  I did a short snowshoe in the morning and the winds were blowing pretty good.  Once again, the jacket regulated my body temperature very well whether the wind died down or kicked up, probably due to the shade.  I did remove it for my backpack out as the temperature increased, the sun was shining and the winds died down a bit.

34 F (1 C) cooking in camp

FEATURES

I do feel that the storm flap behind the zipper worked well as I never felt the wind come through at that location. 

I used the two hand pockets to secure a spare pair of glove liners and also snacks that I needed quick access to.  It was nice to have some place to store my food bars to keep them softened for eating when the temperature was at the freezing point.  If I needed to keep the food warm, the inner pocket came in handy for that.  I always kept the hand pockets zipped so I didn't lose any items out of them.

At one point on the hike to Wellman's Divide when I was sitting having lunch, I was too lazy to put on a fleece layer under the jacket but was starting to feel a little chill at a temperature of 46 F (7 C) in the sun with occasional breezes so I cinched down the adjustable hem and that seemed to do the trick until I was ready to leave. The cuffs also kept any wind from entering the sleeve area.

I never felt the jacket bind in any way and felt that I was able to move freely even on the steep uphills with trekking poles.

EASE OF USE AND STORAGE

The jacket is really easy to put on and take off.  The zippers move so easy that I can zip and unzip with just one hand.  The only addition I would add is to put a zipper pull on the front lower zipper to make it easier to grab.  Although the jacket takes up more room than I'm used to for one jacket, so far it has taken the place of two jackets so I think it evens out in the storage category.

WASHING AND DURABILITY

I washed the jacket after getting home from the Wellman's Divide trip since I was beginning to detect an odor  That was probably due to the fact that I only used a baselayer underneath.  I followed the instructions and washed it in cold water in my front loading washer.  When I took it out, it retained more moisture than I would have liked but that could be in part due to using a lower spin cycle in my washing machine .  Since the manufacturer states that the jacket is to be hung dry and not tumble dried, I hung it in my bathroom in direct aim of the heating vent to speed the process.  I must admit that I thought this would take a few days to dry with a lot of attention to breaking up the feathers inside. but it really wasn't as high maintenance as I thought it would be.  I first turned the jacket inside out and used a towel to pat it down and get as much moisture out as possible.  I went back to flip the jacket as the occasional warm air from the vent was only coming from one direction.  After the inside felt like it was drying I began drying it with the outside of the jacket out.  Over the course of the drying time I did break up the down feathers and shake the jacket occasionally as an attempt to fluff it.  I was really pleasantly surprised to see the jacket completely dried after 20 hrs.  I  put a few drops of water on the jacket to see if it retained it’s water repellency and the water rolled off.

I lost two feathers after the first outing and have only seen a few more come out for the duration of the field test.  There is no visible wear on the jacket given that it has been worn under a pack.

THINGS I LIKE
Very good body temperature regulation in varying conditions and temperatures below 47 F (8 C)
Zippers are easy to use with one hand and the two way front zipper
Inner pocket for storing my MP3 player and food that needs to thaw
Hand pockets for my hands in camp or quick glove and food storage
High neck collar that I can tuck my chin into for warmth
Attractive color and design

THINGS I DISLIKE
I'd like to see the tricot lining in the collar go all the way around to the front
I wish the hand pockets angled down for more hand comfort and more secure storage of items

SUMMARY

So far the temperatures that I have found this jacket to work very well in is a high of 47 F (8 C) with windy conditions wearing a lightweight baselayer underneath and a low down to 19 F (-7 C) with light breezes adding a lightweight fleece jacket under.  It has replaced both a down and soft shell jacket on my outings, is very comfortable to wear and moves freely with my arm and body movements. 

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Trip Duration:  3 day, 2 night snow camp
Distance:  2 mi (3 km) backpack, 10 mi (16 km) snowshoe
Elevation:  8,800 ft (2,700 m) to 9,700 ft (3,000 m)
Temperature:  25 F (-4 C) to 32 F (0 C)
Conditions:   30 mph winds with 45 mph gusts, total of 30 in of snowfall

Mt. Baldy, San Gabriel Mts, Southern California
Trip Duration:  Day snow climb
Distance:  7 mi (11 km)
Elevation:  6,200 ft (1,900 m) to 10,050 ft (3050 m)
Temperature:  45 F (7 C)
Conditions:  35-40 mph winds

Crafts Peak, San Bernardino Mts, Southern California
Trip Duration:  2 day, 1 night snow camp
Distance:  1.5 mi (2.5 km) backpack, 7 mi (11 km) day hike
Elevation:  7,500 ft (2,300 m)
Temperature:  36 F (2 C) to 45 F (7 C)
Conditions:  Breezy

LONG TERM USE

The trip to South Lake was when I used the jacket the most and in fact I never took it off until I was in my sleeping bag and then used it as my pillow.  I set up my camp in the wind but it had not started snowing yet.  I had on my baselayer, light fleece jacket and the HyBridge jacket over that.  After setting up camp I needed to let the snow stakes set up before pulling my tent taut and in the meantime it began to snow lightly.  I noticed that the material of the jacket was becoming damp so I quickly put my hardshell on.  I was a little concerned about the dampness but the down was never affected and it dried very quickly once I was able to get into my tent.  I sat inside my tent with the jacket and hardshell on while I boiled water for my hot water bottles and some hot chocolate.  Once I was able to close up the vestibule I was able to take the hard shell off and by the time I climbed into my sleeping bag, which was only about 15 min later, the jacket seemed dry.  I never felt too warm or cold wearing the jacket up to that point. 

The summary of the activities that weekend consisted of shoveling snow drifts away from my tent in 20 mph (32 kph) winds, snowshoeing uphill and down, frequently breaking trail and heading into 45 mph (72 kph) winds with spin drift and snow hitting me in the face.  I wore the jacket mostly with my baselayer and light fleece hoody underneath and my hardshell over it to keep it from getting wet from the snow.  Once briefly I took off the fleece layer when snowshoeing uphill toward South Lake but had to put it back on as soon as the 45 mph (72 kph) winds hit us.  The jacket was always easy to put back on which made it a nice quick change and kept me from getting too cold.  I did notice that the jacket was damp under my hardshell after a day's activities from sweat but it continued to insulate.  I actually never noticed the dampness until I took my hardshell off.  The only time that I started to feel cold all weekend was when we were sitting in a fire pit for our happy hour.  No fire, only food.  The winds continued to blow and I did start to feel chilled after about 30 min.  Dinner was finished so I headed back to my tent and once I got out of the wind, I was fine.  I feel that the jacket really excelled on this trip.

The only time that I used the jacket on the Mt Baldy trip was at the top of the bowl when we were suddenly exposed to 45 F (7 C) temperatures and 40 mph (64 kph) winds with spin drift coming off of the summit.  I quickly put the jacket on with my baselayer and light fleece hoody underneath.  Although I felt like we were heading into the belly of the beast, I stayed warm during our brief photo shoot at the summit.  We then headed back down the bowl and as soon and the winds stopped, I became too warm with the jacket on.

On the Crafts Peak trip, I only used the jacket in camp during a breezy dinner with a temperature around 45 F (7 C) and in the morning cooking breakfast with no wind and a temperature of 36 F (2 C).  The rest of the trip was too warm to wear the jacket as the sun was shining and I was blocked from most of the winds.

SUMMARY

I have worn this jacket 14 days in temperatures between 19 F (-7 C) and 50 F (10 C) with winds.  I think the design of the softshell and down is a combination that works very well for body heat regulation with cold temperatures or cool temperatures with windy conditions.  The jacket is well made and has shown no wear at all.  All of the seams are intact and the zippers are still working like new.  The down still lofts very well and baffles look great.  The jacket is more versatile than carrying a separate softshell and down jacket and I would say that it fits into that "just right" category for the conditions that I wore it in.  I will continue to confidently use this jacket during my winter outings.

This concludes my test series of the Canada Goose HyBridge Jacket.  I want to thank Canada Goose and BGT for the opportunity to test this jacket.