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Reviews > Rain Gear > Jackets and Pants > REI Telus Jacket > Test Report by Ryan Lane Christensen

REI
courtesy of rei.com

REI
Telus Rain Jacket

Test Series by
Ryan Christensen

Last Update - January 30, 2014

Telus Black Telus Squash Telus Sky Dive
images courtesy of rei.com

ACCESS MAIN REPORT SECTIONS VIA THESE LINKS:

INITIAL REPORT
January 30, 2014
FIELD REPORT
March 2014
LONG-TERM REPORT
May 2014

INITIAL REPORT
January 30, 2014

Reviewer Information Backpacking Background
Name:  Ryan L. Christensen
Age:  49
Gender:  Male
Height:  6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:  235 lb (107 kg)
Email:  bigdawgryan(at)yahoo(dot)com
City, State, Country:   Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA

I began backpacking at twelve, continuing until 25. After an extended hiatus, due in part to a bad back, I resumed cycling, hiking, and backpacking several years ago. I also snowshoe and cross-country ski. I am a midweight backpacker, but carry a full array of necessary gear.
 

Product Information:

The information below came from the REI website and product tags.

Men's Telus Rain Jacket
Manufacturer: Recreational Equipment, Inc. (a.k.a. REI)
Manufacturer website: http://www.rei.com
Place of Manufacture: China
Year Manufactured: 2013
Materials: Shell: 100% polyester w\nylon backing; 100% polyester trim panels
Lining: nylon tricot
Waterproof Membrane: eVent waterproof breathable membrane
Sizes Available: Men's Small, Medium, Large, XL, and XXL
Colors Available: Black\Black; Cast Iron\Squash (brown\yellow); Sky Dive\Shale (light blue\gray)
Warranty:

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
"We stand behind everything we sell. If you are not satisfied with your REI purchase, you can return it for a replacement or refund. Items must be returned within a year of purchase, except items purchased from REI-OUTLET which must be returned within 30 days of purchase.

REI’s guarantee doesn’t cover ordinary wear and tear or damage caused by improper use or accidents.

If your item has a manufacturing defect in its materials or workmanship, you can return it at any time. See our limited warranty.

You can return or exchange purchases from REI or REI-OUTLET by mail or at any of our retail locations, regardless of whether you made your purchase online, by phone or in an REI store."

MSRP:
$249 US

Product Specifications
Manufacturer's Specifications  

Weight:

Listed Average Weight: 1 lb 7 oz (652 g)
Tester's Actual Measurements  

Weight:

1 lb 9.2 oz (715 g) [Men's XXL]

Product Description:

The Telus jacket, hereafter referred to as the "Telus" or "jacket," is a waterproof, breathable, and windproof rain jacket or shell. The Telus has eVent waterproof breathable membrane in the hood, shoulders, and outer arms. The torso and inner arms of the Telus are waterproof, breathable, and windproof 4-way stretch fabric. In fact, REI claims the Telus is windproof up to 60 mph (96.6 kph).

The jacket has a full-length water resistant front zipper with a zipper garage at the top. There is a full-length storm flap behind the zipper. There is a Napoleon pocket on the left breast and two zippered hand-warmer pockets, one on each side. Like the full-length zipper, the three exterior pocket zippers are water resistant and have zipper garages. All exterior zippers have zipper pulls.

The brimmed hood has elastic drawcord and a captive cordlock on each side of the hood opening. In addition, there is drawcord and a captive cord adjuster in the back of the hood. These three adjusters are intended to provide means for the wearer to fully adjust the hood.

The sleeves have angled cuffs which extend coverage over the tops of the hands. Each sleeve has an adjustable hook-and-loop closure at the cuff. There is a pit zip under each sleeve. The pit zips have adjustable double sliders arranged in a bottom-to-bottom relationship.

Under the left handwarmer pocket, there is a small discrete REI logo. On the right sleeve, near the cuff just above the hook-and-loop closure, there is an eVent logo.

Inside the jacket there is a zippered mesh pocket over the right breast. On the inside of the Napoleon pocket over the left breast, there is an e-cord port for headphones and the like. The hem has a drawcord with two captive cordlock, one on each side. REI calls these 1-hand adjusters. I will test how easy these adjusters are to operate and snug the jacket around my waist with one hand. The intent of these adjusters is to enable the wearer means to cinch the bottom of the jacket tight around the waist to prevent drafts, etc.

Inside the jacket there are three tags sewn in the seam along the left side, near the hem. One is an eVent tag and lists care instructions. Another lists the materials and the third lists place and date of manufacture. Also inside, on the upper back, below the hood is a a tag with the REI logo and Men's XXL shown.

eVent Fabric Care Instructions:

"For optimum performance, frequent washing and drying is recommended."

  • Before washing, secure all zippers and closures
  • Wash separately
  • Machine wash warm with detergent
  • Rinse at least twice to remove detergent from fabric surface
  • Do not bleach
  • Do not use fabric softener
  • Tumble dry low or use warm steam iron to rejuvenate water repellent finish
  • Do not dry clean

The Telus jacket came with three product tags attached to the main zipper. One of these is an eVent tag, the other two list the featurs of the Telus jacket, state the REI 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, and also shows the size and price.

Initial Impression:

Initially I was impressed with the feel of the fabric; it is not your slick, crunchy rain jacket. As I examined the Telus, I was further impressed with all of its features. The attention to detail is quite noticeable in everything from the various adjustments, pit zips, to zipper pulls, angled cuffs, to the e-port in the inside chest pocket.

Initial Testing:

After removing the jacket from the box it arrived in, I examined it for noticeable flaws. The jacket appears to be well constructed of high-quality materials and workmanship. I did find a couple of loose threads. However, I did not find any loose seams, fraying material or other noticeable defects in materials or workmanship. Next, I donned the jacket to check sizing--it fit quite nicely. Finally, I checked all zippers and drawcords; they worked smoothly. I can't wait to get the Telus out into the Idaho winter for some real testing.

Initial Pros:

Initial Potential Cons:

  • stylish look
  • lightweight
  • angled cuffs
  • number of pockets
  • size of pockets
  • adjustability
  • nothing at this time

This concludes my Initial Report on the REI Telus jacket. Thanks to REI and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to participate in this test series.
Please check back in approximately two months for some real test results.

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