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Reviews > Clothing > Jackets and Vests > Mishmi Takin Qaras Softshell > Test Report by Brian HartmanMISHMI TAKIN QARAS JACKET TESTER INFORMATION
I have been backpacking for over 20 years throughout Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and most recently in Western USA. In addition to backpacking I enjoy family camping with my wife and kids and being outdoors in general. I would describe myself as a mid weight backpacker. I use fairly light weight equipment and gear but still like to bring more than the bare essentials with me while on the trail. INITIAL REPORT April 28, 2018
PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
Jacket Specifications: Available Colors: Pirate Black, Dirty Yellow Features:
The jacket has two hand warmer pockets that measure 5.5 x 15 in (14 x
38 cm) in length. It also has pit zips for venting to regulate
body temperature during high aerobic activities. The pit zips
measure 14 in (35.5 cm) in length and include two YKK zippers.
The hood is permanently attached to the jacket and has three
cinch cords to adjust its fit. Two additional cinch cords are
provided at the bottom of the jacket, where the hem is located.
These cinch cords should help keep wind and snow out on breezy
days. Finally the cuffs of the jacket are adjustable in diameter
via Velcro straps. INITIAL IMPRESSIONS The Qaras arrived
at my house via USPS Priority Mail and when my wife first handed me the
box I didn't even consider the possibility that a jacket was inside.
It seemed way too small and light weight to contain an
insulated jacket so I assumed it was something else. It wasn't
until I opened the box and reached inside that I realized the Qaras had
arrived.
READING THE INSTRUCTIONS The Qaras had a single small hang tag with the company logo and phrase 'Dare To Explore' on the front. Written on the hang tag was a short statement that described where the name Qaras came from. No specs or product details, just a short statement. I found it to be simple and refreshing, in comparison to the many highly detailed hang tags I see, so I'll share: Qaras was "named after a 19,000 ft snow covered peak in Cordillera Blanca, Peru. Qaras comes into its own when it is cold and wet around. The waterproof, windproof fabric easily handles winter showers or wet snow while the high loft fleece lining keeps you super warm."
use fabric softeners. Tumble dry on low.
TRYING IT OUT I found the Qaras jacket to have a slim, comfortable fit. Based on the sizing chart on Mishmi Takin's website and how the jacket fits me, I recommend choosing one size larger than normal to make sure it's not too small. The Qaras was easy to slip on and I really liked the stretch in the fabric, which made it easy to move around with no restrictions. I wore the jacket on a short walk around my neighborhood with temperatures in the low 50s F (11 C) and it felt very comfortable. I look forward to wearing it on upcoming backpacking trips this spring and summer.
SUMMARY The Qaras jacket is
lightweight, comfortable and it's purported to be waterproof,
windproof and breathable. It is very well designed, meticulously
sewn and I look forward to testing its durability and
effectiveness at keeping me warm and dry while backpacking. August 4, 2018
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
During the past two months I hiked approximately 27 mi (44 km) and wore the Qaras jacket whenever temperatures were cool, or rain was predicted. My trips included two overnight backpacking excursions and several day hikes. I also wore the Qaras around town during heavy rain showers. My first overnight trip was to the Hoosier National Forest where I spent two days hiking on mostly established trails. Temperatures ranged from 66 to 76 F (19 to 24 C) with light winds and cloudy skies. The terrain was hilly, and the usually hard-packed dirt trails were muddy from rain. I hiked 12 miles (19 km) through mature forests and the occasional open area. Elevations ranged from 550 ft (168 m) to 790 ft (241 m). My second overnight trip was to Southeastern Indiana (IN) near Oldenburg where temperatures were 72 F (22 C) during the day and in the mid 60s F (18 C) at night. I hiked approximately 6 mi (9.7 km) on this trip. The day hikes that I went on were all in Central Indiana and I purposefully chose evenings or weekends when heavy rains were predicted so as to further test the jacket. Location:
Hoosier National Forest Location:
SE Indiana Location:
Various parks in Central Indiana
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
Weather Resistance: One of my goals during this test period was to be in as many rain storms as possible to see how this jacket held up to water. I was especially curious to see if it would wet through or if rain would get in through the zippers or seams of the jacket. What I found is that the fabric did a good job of shedding rain and it truly appears to be waterproof. However, after about 25 minutes in light rain or 5 minutes in a downpour, water got in through the jacket seams and wetted the fleece lining.
It was somewhat hard to capture on film, but as seen in the photo to the right, all of the jacket seams, including the back seam, shoulder seams, and hood seams, are saturated with water. I suspect the seams inside the jacket, behind the fleece lining, aren’t taped or sealed because water infiltrated pretty much all the seams including the back, shoulder, and hood seams. Even though water got inside the jacket, it didn’t dampen my spirits or put me in a soggy mood, because I never felt wet or cold. The fleece lining kept me warm and I never felt soggy, which is right on par with my experiences with good quality fleece. Once the rain stopped, the fleece dried within a few hours. At no time did rain enter through the pocket zippers and only a small amount of water entered through the front zipper, but it ran down the wind flap and out the bottom of the jacket without ever touching me. The hood allowed water to enter through its seams, just like the jacket, but once again, because of the fleece lining (and warm weather) I wasn’t bothered at all. Warmth: It wasn’t cold enough for me to test the low
temperature limit of this jacket. However,
the fleece lining performed wonderfully on mornings and nights when temperatures
were in the mid 60s (18 C) and I needed just a little extra warmth. Hopefully I’ll have opportunities during the
next few months to see how well the jacket handles cold weather. Comfort and fit: I really like the soft, smooth feel
of the inner and outer jacket fabric.
The smoothness of the fleece lining, in particular, made it easy to slip
the jacket on and off whenever I wanted.
Regarding fit, the waist is fine, but the chest is snug, and the
underarms are still tight, despite the fact that I upsized the jacket from a
small to medium. Unfortunately, this
means I can’t wear anything more than a thin shirt under the jacket because it is
too tight. That’s a shame because I like
everything else about the jacket.
SUMMARY Mishmi
Takin has a saying on their homepage, “We breathe when others don’t”, and the Qaras
jacket certainly lived up to that claim during the past two months, especially given
the tough testing conditions. The Qaras
is an insulated jacket and this summer, like most in the Midwest has been hot
and humid with just a few cooler days mixed in.
Here’s to hoping for some cooler weather, for my sake, during the next
few months. LONG TERM REPORT October 2, 2018 LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS 
During Long Term Testing, I wore the Mishmi Takin Qaras jacket on three multi-day backpacking trips. The first of my overnight trips was to Southeastern Indiana (IN) near Oldenburg where temperatures were 74 F (23 C) during the day and in the mid 60s F (19 C) at night, with a cool breeze blowing through the forest. I only hiked 4 mi (6.4 km) on this trip as most of my time was spent fishing and lounging around camp. My second overnight trip was to the Hoosier National Forest where I spent two days hiking on mostly established trails. Temperatures during that trip ranged from 72 to 76 F (22 to 24 C) with partly cloudy skies. I hiked 10 miles (16 km) through mature forests, over terrain that was quite hilly, with elevations ranging from 550 ft (168 m) to 790 ft (241 m). My third trip was to Southeastern Ohio and Northern Kentucky, along the Ohio River. While there, I visited the birthplace of Ulysses S Grant and read about the Underground Railroad. I also saw some neat old towns including Maysville, KY that was settled in 1787. In addition to my overnight backpacking trips above, I wore the Qaras on several rainy day hikes in Central Indiana. Location: SE Indiana Location: Hoosier National Forest Location: Southeastern Ohio and
Northern Kentucky PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD The Qaras performed well during Long Term Testing. I wore it over my wool crew top on cool mornings and around camp during the evenings when temperatures dropped, and the jacket always kept me warm. Even when cool breezes invaded camp and lowered the wind chill, the jacket kept me warm. I attribute its wind stopping prowess to the fine weave of its polyester exterior, which blocked even the strongest winds, so I never felt chilled. Unfortunately, the weather never got cold enough for me to test its low temperature limit, but I suspect it would do quite well in temperatures in the mid to upper 40s F (8 C). Below that I would have to test to see exactly how cold it could go and still be comfortable to wear. I also wore the Qaras on several rainy days, fully expecting the seams to leak like they had done during Field Testing, and they did. But despite water coming in through the seams, I never felt cold. I attribute that small miracle to the fleece lining which always felt soft and warm, even when wet, and dried very quickly as soon as the rain stopped. When it rained hard the hood did a good job of keeping rain off my face yet it wasn’t so big that it drooped over my eyes or blocked my vision. The Qaras breathed well, even when it was warm and humid outside. The jacket did a good job of regulating my body temperature so that I never felt sweaty while wearing it. This jacket seemed to do a much better job of letting moisture escape then my 3-layer waterproof jackets. And that’s reasonable to believe given that it’s a softshell. Speaking of softshell jackets, I would be remiss if I didn’t again say how much I liked the stretch fabric. It made it easier to get the jacket on and off, and it made the jacket more comfortable to wear. In addition, the stretch fabric works great in the woods, as it simply shrugs off tree branches and prickly bushes. It also smooth and quiet, and it doesn’t ever look bad, even the next morning, after I rolled it up into a ball and used it for a pillow the night before.
SUMMARY The Qaras is a nearly perfect softshell. It just needs more fabric in the arm pits and upper arms, so they aren’t so tight, and seam sealing so the jacket is truly waterproof. This concludes my Long Term Report. Thanks to Mishmi Takin and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this jacket. Read more reviews of Mishmi Takin gear Read more gear reviews by Brian Hartman Reviews > Clothing > Jackets and Vests > Mishmi Takin Qaras Softshell > Test Report by Brian Hartman | ||||||||||||||||||
The Mishmi Takin Qaras Jacket (hereafter
called Qaras or jacket) is a waterproof, breathable, hooded softshell
jacket, with emphasis on waterproof. While hardshell jackets
often sacrifice breathability for waterproofness, and softshells
typically breathe well but are only water resistant at best, the Qaras
is purported to be both waterproof and highly breathable which allows for a
more comfortable body temperature during high-energy activities or in
temperate climates. The key factor in the performance of the
Qaras jacket, in my mind, is Mishmi Takin's 3 layer design.
The outermost layer of the jacket is made up of
86% Polyester and 14% Spandex, which gives it its soft, stretchy feel.
The middle layer consists of a waterproof / breathable
membrane that's
laminated to the outer layer of fabric. Last, the inner layer of
the jacket is made up of a high loft 100% polyester fleece
lining for moisture wicking and added warmth.
