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Reviews > Clothing > Jackets and Vests > ExOfficio Storm Logic Jacket > Test Report by Andrea MurlandExOfficio Women's Storm
Logic Jacket Tester Information
I began hiking frequently in 2006 and have since hiked in Western Canada, Australia, and spent 2 months backpacking in the Alps. I spend most weekends either day-hiking or on 2-3 day backpacking trips, with some longer trips when I can manage them. I also snowshoe and ski in the winter, but don’t have a lot of experience with winter in the backcountry yet. Elevation is typically 500-3,000 m (1,600-10,000 ft), in the Canadian Rockies and the Selkirk, Purcell, and Monashee ranges. I try for a light pack, but I don’t consider myself a lightweight backpacker. Initial Report – September 26, 2011
Product Information
Description & Initial Impressions The ExOfficio Storm Logic is a lightly insulated backpacking jacket. I’ve always associated ExOfficio with travel-oriented products, and this jacket doesn’t disappoint in that department either.The jacket shell is 20 denier ripstop polyester, and insulated with PrimaLoft ONE synthetic insulation. The website tells me that it has more insulation in the chest area and less in the arms. The jacket is advertised to be wind and water resistant. The exterior of the jacket has some stitching on the body and arms that doesn’t go all the way through the jacket. The exterior fabric is soft and slippery to the touch. The lining fabric, though also soft and a bit slippery, has a less silky feel than the exterior. The Wine colour is somewhere in the burgundy family, a deep red. The jacket has a reflective ExOfficio logo on the back of the collar and text on the left hemline. The jacket has a full front zipper and two handwarmer pockets that also zip closed. The zippers are plastic with metal zipper pulls. The handwarmer pockets are lined on the front with a soft fleecy material. There is also a small zippered pocket on the lower left sleeve. The collar on the jacket stands 5 cm (2 in) high and is lined with the same fleecy material as the handwarmer pockets. The zipper seats into a zipper garage at the top, also of the fleecy material, and has a full-length storm flap inside the jacket to keep out drafts. The jacket has a 4 cm (1.6 in) dropped hemline, and has a total length at the back of 70 cm (27.6 in). The bottom edge of the jacket has a drawcord in it which can be tightened from either side of the zipper on the inside of the jacket and held in place with cord-locks. The drawcord can also be tightened from inside the handwarmer pockets. The cuffs of the jacket are elastic. The additional pockets on the Storm Logic jacket set it apart as a jacket designed for travel. On the inside of the jacket are four additional pockets. On the left side is a pocket for electronics with a vertical zipper and a pocket for a passport with a horizontal zipper. The passport pocket also contains a sewn-in lanyard with a clip on the end for keys. On the right side is a pocket for sunglasses, which is lined with the same material as the handwarmer pockets, and a pocket for boarding passes. Neither of those pockets are zippered. In case I ever forget which pocket is for what, there are embroidered symbols next to each pocket to tell me what they’re for.
Trying It Out Step 1: try it on. The Storm Logic fits me well. It’s roomy enough to fit some base and mid layers underneath, but fitted enough to have a bit of shape. The size chart on the ExOfficio website put me firmly into a size small, and that’s the correct size. It could be slightly more fitted through the waist but fits fine in the hips and bust. The sleeves are slightly long on me, but not enough to worry about. I tried the jacket under my winter shell, and it fit snugly underneath without making me look too much like a snowman. The jacket is comfortable and I can feel the warmth sitting here in my living room.Step 2: try the pillow. My first attempt to create a pillow was entertaining. I rapidly identified the pouch and how it was supposed to work, but stuffing a slippery jacket into a 26 cm (10.2 in) opening proved to be a bit more challenging. My first attempts yielded a somewhat lumpy pillow. However, it was still comfortable, if a bit slippery, when I laid down with it wrapped around my neck. Summary The ExOfficio Storm Logic jacket is a feature-loaded jacket ready for the outdoors or travel adventures (or both!). I can’t see a single thing I don’t like so far, and I’m really looking forward to exploring how this jacket functions through autumn and winter.
Field Report – December 21, 2011 Field Conditions During the Field Testing stage, I have worn the Storm Logic for general around-town use, for travelling, and in the outdoors and backcountry. A brief summary follows:
Observations I have really enjoyed using the Storm Logic over the past few months. It has been a great layer through the fall and early winter.First of all, the jacket is very comfortable and fits well. I like the elasticized cuffs. They prevent the sleeves from dragging but are not so tight that they’re uncomfortable. I like the smooth fabric, since it slides over layers that I’m wearing underneath very well, and is very comfortable if I’m wearing short sleeves under the jacket. The warmth of the jacket is about what I was expecting from a “lightly insulated” jacket. I am comfortable with a baselayer underneath the jacket, doing mild activity, down to just below freezing. On my ski touring trip, I added a midlayer when in the shade, stationary, and as the temperature (and my travel speed) dropped in the evening. At the end of that trip I was chilled enough that if I’d had much further to go or the energy left to think about it, I’d have put on another layer. While downhill skiing at a resort, and taking the chairlift up, I found that I was generally cold, except for a few runs where I was really working hard. The wind resistance of the jacket seems to be good. I can feel a chill from the wind, but can’t actually feel the wind going through the jacket. I haven’t experienced much precipitation while wearing the jacket yet, but what little I have encountered wetted out the exterior fabric fairly quickly, but also dried quickly. I hope to see how the jacket does in more snow through the Long Term testing stage. The breathability of the jacket is also about what I would have expected from an insulated jacket. When I’m doing a lot of activity and sweating, I rapidly become completely soaked under the jacket. While cross-country skiing I found myself wishing for more ventilation, as I had the jacket almost completely unzipped and flapping behind me as I skied. I may just have been overdressed…  I have had quite a bit of
opportunity to use the jacket while
travelling during this testing stage. I like to sleep on planes, so I
was excited to turn my jacket into a pillow! On my first set of
flights, I discovered that rolling the jacket into the pillow pouch is
much more effective than trying to stuff it. I’m now a rolling expert.
I also discovered that it really is helpful (and more comfortable) to
take things out of the pockets first. I sleep with my head forward or,
if I have a window seat (which I did), resting against the side of the
plane, so I chose to use the pillow against the wall rather than
attached around my neck. I found it very comfortable, much better than
usual on a plane. However, I am also always cold on planes, so I
mourned the loss of ability to use my jacket as a blanket. On my next
set of flights, I had a shawl with me to use as a blanket, and I slept
comfortably for several hours with my head against the side of the
plane. The nights that I used the jacket as a pillow on the floor at
home I also just used it loose instead of attaching it around my neck.
I seem to like to cushion my head more than fill in the spaces around
my neck.
This jacket almost has too many pockets! I keep losing stuff into them. With so many options, I’m always patting myself down to find my keys, handkerchief, and lip balm. While travelling I did enjoy the large pockets for passport and boarding pass, though I found I used the boarding pass pocket for both, as I like to keep them together and the boarding pass didn’t fit in the passport pocket. It was convenient to have them there instead of having to dig in my bag for them. The durability of the jacket seems good. It looks like it’s brand new. I haven’t had a reason to wash the jacket yet, but will definitely do that and report back during the Long Term stage. Summary I am really enjoying my test of the Storm Logic. It is a very functional jacket in both the backcountry and while travelling. I found the ability to turn it into a pillow awesome while flying. I am excited to use the jacket in more cool temperatures and snow over the next couple of months!Long Term Report – February 12, 2012 Field Conditions During the Long Term Testing stage, I have continued to wear the Storm Logic around town and in the backcountry. It’s also seen a bit more travel use. A brief summary follows:
Observations I have continued to find the Storm Logic to be a very functional and comfortable jacket through the milder weather this winter.Regarding fit & comfort: the jacket is comfortable over a baselayer alone or with a light midlayer underneath as well, and slides smoothly under my shell, so it’s a great mid or top layer that way. I should mention that it also fits comfortably over my avalanche transceiver, which is important. The fabric is soft and cool against skin, but warms up quickly once the jacket’s on. The collar, when zipped all the way, keeps wind off my neck, but is a little short to really tuck my face into. About the most I can get inside the collar is my chin. The jacket is comfortable under a pack; it doesn’t bunch up around the shoulders, and the smooth fabric keeps it from bunching up in the back as well. My pack slides easily across the fabric, making it easy to get the pack on and off.  The warmth of the jacket is excellent for temperatures around freezing. With little activity, I’m a bit cold, but with strenuous activity I’m absolutely sweating. I found that while ski touring I would start in a baselayer and the Storm Logic and then have to switch to a lighter, more breathable mid-layer shortly into the tour. I’d throw the Storm Logic back on at lunch and for the ski down, as an extra layer of warmth while sitting around and for wind & snow resistance on the way down. I did a lot of digging snow pits for a 5-day avalanche course and the Storm Logic was a great outer layer for that, since it shed snow. Speaking of water resistance, I found that the jacket shed dry snow, but wet snow wetted the outer fabric out. I wouldn’t wear it in a rainstorm, and in wet snow I’d rapidly consider putting a shell on top. The wind resistance of the jacket is good. I mentioned the breathability; for an insulated jacket it’s pretty breathable, but definitely not breathable enough for when I’m working hard. Especially with a pack on, I’d find myself starting to sweat shortly into any fairly strenuous activity (ski touring or cross-country skiing), which is something I try to avoid if I’m heading into the backcountry in the winter. I only took two flights with this jacket in the Long Term testing stage, and I used the pillow against the wall of the plane as I described in the Field Report. I really like being able to turn my jacket into a pillow on the plane, but found that it was a bit inconvenient to find myself wanting another cover, and it was also a bit inconvenient to have to empty the pockets. While ski touring I enjoyed the variety of pockets. With a pack on, the two lower inside pockets and the two handwarmer pockets become relatively useless for me because my waist strap sits across them. However, I often had gloves or a hat stuffed into the upper zippered pocket. I also used the arm pocket for lip balm and my inclinometer. The durability of the jacket seems reasonable. There are a few loose threads starting to show up, and the reflective logos are starting to peel off on the collar and on the hemline. Some of the insulation feels a bit packed down at the bottom of the jacket, at the back, probably from sitting against my pack. I washed the jacket once using a technical wash and hung it to dry, and found that a few stains (dark spots) didn’t come out. 
Summary I really enjoyed testing the Storm Logic. It’s a great, versatile jacket, and I can definitely see myself using it a lot in spring and autumn. Since I found it to be functional over a range of temperatures and activities, it’s a great jacket to take travelling, in addition to the excellent travel-specific features.Thumbs Up: Turns into a pillow! Lots of pockets Reasonable warmth, breathability, and wind resistance Thumbs Down: Outer fabric wets out Staining of fabric Logos starting to peel off Thanks to ExOfficio and BackpackGearTest.org for the chance to test the Storm Logic Jacket! Read more gear reviews by Andrea Murland Reviews > Clothing > Jackets and Vests > ExOfficio Storm Logic Jacket > Test Report by Andrea Murland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
