Usage:
- Day snowshoeing - North Fork Tieton, Eastern Cascades, Washington
- Fresh and compact snow, temperatures a little below freezing, overcast, calm winds
- Solo snowshoeing (one night) – Pacific Crest Trail Central Washington State
- Packed trail and fresh snow, temperatures hovering around freezing, light to moderate wind, snowing
- Daily “urban” use – Central Washington State & Central Oregon
- Conditions ranging from just above freezing to well below freezing. Light rain, light to moderate snow, winds moderate to none.
- 2 night “Yurt” camping (Ski Patrol pig roast) White Pass ski area, Central Washington Cascades.
- Temperatures around freezing, some light rain & snow.
This
is a difficult report to write. I would say first and foremost that
there is really nothing “wrong” with this garment, only that it is not
really suited to what I mostly do in regards to backpacking type of
gear. So I will do my best to explain what I find is not suitable for
me vs what I think may be lacking or could be better with this garment.
To
start I will say this jacket is warm and comfortable. I would liken
this jacket to what I would refer to as a “parka”. That is a very warm
heavy coat that feels like a big hug. When I wear the shell and fleece
liner I feel like I am comfortably wrapped in warmth. It is snug
without being constricting. It fits well, allows me full
maneuverability, and does not ride up at the hem or sleeves. The long
cut of the jacket means I don’t get drafts up my back even when moving
around or bending. The hood fits well and I can adjust the volume by
way of the hook-n-loop tab on the back of the hood. While the hood is
not articulated, it does allow me some range of movement to look around
before obscuring my view. While the hood does not really have a visor,
it does extend far enough forward that it helps prevent snow/rain from
getting into my eyes or glasses. Since the hood is removable, I was
able to remove it on one occasion when I knew I would not use it but
was going to be out while it was snowing. This way I did not have the
hood flapping around on my back just filling up with snow.
The
fleece is fairly unremarkable in design. That is, it is almost
identical to other mid weight fleece full zip jackets I have. The
plastic, reversible zipper is easy to operate and I have had no
problems with it snagging, sticking, or separating. The sleeves are a
good length, they don’t ride up nor are they so long that they extend
past my wrists. The elastic cuffs help to ensure they stay in place. As
mentioned in my initial report, the liner attaches to the shell by way
of 3 elastic loops sewn into the liner, two on the sleeves just above
the cuff and one at the back of the neck just below the collar. The
shell has 3 fabric loops with snaps that match these attachment points.
These attachments combined with the front zippers keep the fleece liner
securely in place. On its own the fleece liner is comfortable,
moderately warm, and somewhat wind and moisture resistant. It is also
breathable and seems to do a good job at wicking moisture away from my
body. I often wear fleece jackets like this at home, to work, around
town, and for things like camping. Basically any time I want a warm
comfortable layer, and this one is on par with all my others. It fits
as well and keeps me as comfortable as I would expect from this sort of
garment. I don’t normally use fleece for acclivities like backpacking,
I find it too bulky and prefer down or down-like insulation.
The
shell seems tough and durable. This is the type of garment I preferred
when I did activities like snowmobiling and when I would spend extended
periods working on mountaintops and needed something that would keep me
warm and dry while mostly inactive and also durable enough to withstand
some abuse (brush, tools, dirt, etc). For what I do now, this jacket is
too bulky, the combination of warm insulation but no venting options
makes it unsuitable for anything above low activity levels. When
inactive this jacket keeps me warm and sheds snow and light rain quite
well, however when I was snowshoeing I quickly became overheated, even
without the fleece liner. Without ventilation features the only option
would be to remove the jacket, but it is far too bulky to easily stash
in my pack really limiting this to low activity level outings.
OK,
I think I beat the bulk and lack of ventilation to death. I will move
on to more positive aspects of the testing so far. The first few
wearings of the jacket was for more urban activities like going to/from
work, walking the dog, running errands and trip to central Oregon with
my wife and some friends where we did a bit of walking. I used the
jacket on mornings well below freezing. My truck takes longer than the
drive to my office to warm up, so I need something warm to wear on
those extra cold mornings. And a few days I found my truck buried in
snow or coated in a thick layer of ice. A warm, durable, jacket that is
at least somewhat water resistant is important for these days. This
jacket did not disappoint. It provided me with full coverage, while not
restricting my movements. I was able to reach up to the truck roof,
where I occasionally would dump snow on myself and lean out over the
hood to reach the far side. The ice, dirt and maybe a few sharp edges
could be death to a lightweight jacket, but the Alta Interchange jacket
is more than equal to the task. It kept me warm and dry, and received
no damage from things like sharp ice and even the occasional
interaction with the sharp edges of my ice scraper.
I
did manage to use this jacket on an overnight snowshoeing trip. I went
for a quick outing to test a new hammock system. The temperatures
hovered right around the freezing mark the entire time and it was
snowing most of the time. The result was a mix of snow and water
dripping off the trees. While the hike in resulted in my getting rather
overheated, it was not a problem since I went only a short distance.
While setting up and breaking camp I had no choice but to be working
under the trees and even up against the wet brush. The jacket protected
me from the water and snow keeping me warm and dry. While sleeping I
zipped the jacket over the foot end of my hammock allowing me to shift
my tarp further above my head and there by extending the effective
coverage area of my tarp.
For casual outings like walking the
dog and/or around town in snow and light rain the jacket is great. It
sheds snow and light rain well (I have not had it in heavy rain so
can’t comment on that), blocks wind, and is comfortable to wear.
As
the winter season has been coming to a close I have been finding fewer
and fewer occasions to wear the shell but have been wearing the fleece
liner often. The exception was our annual Ski Patrol Pig Roast. I was
asked to prepare the pig this year. I had to dress and package a 100 lb
(45 kg) whole pig in wire mesh, start the fire in the roaster (a home
made brick roasting pit we assemble every year), then tend the fire and
pig every hour, for 24hrs leading up to the event. Then attend the
event, and clean up afterwards. Needless to say it is a lot of work and
not suitable for delicate garments. This jacket withstood brushes
against the sharp wire mesh, scratches from the bricks and sticks of
fruit wood (used for smoke), as well as some mud, pig fat and more (it
took me two showers before I finally got the smell of smoke out of my
skin and hair). I was able to simply wipe most of the grime off of the
jacket and found no signs of visible damage despite the abuse. I wish
my body performed as well, I was sore for a few days.
Overall
this is a really warm and durable garment. Very suitable for low
exertion activities and/or very cold conditions. While I don’t see me
using it for activities like hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, etc., I
do look forward to using it for sitting around the camp fire, and
casual use such as walking the dog in bad weather.
Likes:
* Warm
* Comfortable
* Versatile
* Appears durable
Dislikes:
* Heavy and bulky
* No venting options
The
grey fleece inner jacket includes two hand warmer pockets on the
outside and a heavy-duty reversible zipper and elastic cuffs. There are
3 elastic loops for securing the fleece liner into the shell, one on
each sleeve and one at the back of the neck.
I
would make one final observation about the color. It is green...very,
very green, I would go as far as saying shocking green. I am not really
fond of the color but I will say that as I look at it more it is
growing on me. A few people who I have shown it to have all had similar
comments along the lines of “well, at least you will be visible” and I
have to agree that in this jacket I will be easy to see, which can be a
good thing.