Reviews > Clothing > Jackets and Vests > Mishmi Takin Misti Softshell > Test Report by Nancy Griffith

MISHMI TAKIN MISTI JACKET
TEST SERIES BY NANCY GRIFFITH
LONG-TERM REPORT
September 11, 2018

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
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TESTER INFORMATION

My outdoor experience began in high school with a canoeing/camping group which made a 10-day voyage through the Quebec wilds. I've been backpacking since my college days in Pennsylvania. I have hiked all of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. My typical trip now is in the Sierra Nevada in California and is from a few days to a few weeks long. Over the past few years I have lowered my pack weight to a lightweight base weight of 15 lb (6.8 kg) while still using a tent, stove and quilt.

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer: Mishmi Takin
Year of Manufacture: 2018

Manufacturer's Website: http://www.mishmitakin.com
MSRP: $90 US

Listed Weight: 22.7 oz (645 g)
Measured Weight: 22.4 oz (635 g)

Sizes Available: S, M, L, XL
Size Tested: M

Color Tested: Teal/Lime
Color Also Available: Purple/Peach

Made in Vietnam

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The Mishmi Takin Misti Jacket is a wind-resistant, water-resistant, fleece-lined jacket. The jacket outer is 86% polyester and 14% spandex for a stretch fabric. There is a DWR (durable water repellent) finish that is claimed to pass a rain test to AATCC 35 level. Well, what the heck does that mean? I had to look it up and found that the item is sprayed with water for 5 minutes and then the amount of water that has leaked through is measured.

The jacket has a 165 gsm (4.9 oz/sq yd) fleece lining that puts it in the lightweight category. The fleece is 100% polyester. The jacket overall is claimed to be wind-resistant but also highly breathable with an air permeability rating of less than 10 CFM with zero being no wind getting through and 200 being what a fleece alone would allow through.

The jacket has a full-length front zipper with a storm flap along the length and a zipper garage at the top to keep the zipper from touching my face. There are two zippered hand-warmer pockets and two interior open-topped glove pockets inside the front.

The hood is adjustable with a cord that tightens around the face and one at the back. There are double pit zippers that open in either direction for extra ventilation. The sleeves are tapered at the wrist to provide extra coverage over the back of the hand and the cuffs have a Velcro closure for adjustment. There is a cord at the hem of the jacket to cinch it if needed.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS & TRYING IT OUT

My initial impression was that the jacket is attractive in the teal color with lime trim. It is well-made and seems as-advertised on the website.

I tried the jacket on and found it to be a little large. In fact, I had determined my size to be a Medium based on their fit guide. However, this jacket is a size Large so that makes sense that it would be a big fit. I will certainly be able to wear multiple layers underneath!

The fleece lining is light and provides a nice cozy interior without a lot of weight or bulk. The outer fabric is soft and smooth and feels thick.

Overall there is a lot of adjustment and extra features with this jacket making it seem like a well-constructed and engineered piece of gear.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

The washing instructions are to machine wash in cold water with like colors using powdered detergent and no bleach or fabric softener. It is to be dried by tumbling on low. It can be ironed on low (if someone was so inclined...not me).

FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

rain beading up

During the Field Testing Period I wore the jacket on one three-day backpacking trip, one three-day boat camping trip, a day hike, a trail run and a fishing outing. I also wore it to town in a late-season rain storm.

Backpacking:
Desolation Wilderness, Sierra Nevada (California): 3 days; 18.6 mi (30 km); 6,560 to 8,020 ft (2,000 to 2,444 m); 55 to 80 F (13 to 27 C); pack weight of 21 lb (9.5 kg); varied trail conditions from dirt, scree, rock

Boat Camping:
Loon Lake, Sierra Nevada, California: 3 days; 6,327 ft (1,928 m) elevation; 52 to 82 F (11 to 28 C); mostly sunny with afternoon breezes

Hike:
Rubicon Trail, Sierra Nevada, California: 4 mi (6 km); 6,327 to 6,500 (1,928 to 1,981 m); 57 F (15 C) dirt and rocky trail

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

I mentioned in the Initial Report that I received a size Large instead of a Medium. It turned out that the manufacturer was doing me a favor since these apparently run small. However, since I was between a Small and Medium, this didn't work out for me. Anyway, I swapped the Large for a Medium and it fits just right. I tried the fit with a light down jacket underneath and it was still comfortable so I'll have options if I encounter particularly cool conditions.

We had some late season rain at the house this spring so I was able to immediately wear the jacket in light rain. It repelled it completely. The water droplets beaded up and rolled right off. I liked the extra-long sleeves for the protection that they provided in the rain.

I wore the jacket for a pre-dawn run on a cool morning. I also wore the jacket even in the house on some cooler days when we didn't want to turn the heat on or light a fire. Otherwise temperatures warmed quickly so my uses after that were in the mountains.

I noticed that when wearing a short-sleeved shirt with this jacket that I could at times feel the underarm zippers on my bare skin. This was a little uncomfortable until I realized that these zippers have a flap to cover them. So, I just have to keep that flap in the right position and then I can't feel the bare zipper. Speaking of the pit zips, they were really useful on that early morning run when I quickly got hot. I opened the zips completely and was able to leave the jacket on with the cooling ventilation that they provided.

On the backpacking and boat-camping trips I wore the jacket in the evenings for protection from the cold and wind. The adjustable hood was great for cinching it down close to my face and head in stronger winds. The Misti really blocks the wind and the hood is nice to provide warmth when needed and even protection from biting mosquitos and flies.

The light fleece lining makes the jacket very comfortable and cozy. For backpacking, I put the fleece lining atop my air pillow for a cozy sleeping experience.

The jacket has performed great and is extremely durable and well-constructed. The only down side that I can find is that it is heavy especially for backpacking. Both my down jacket and waterproof jacket combined don't weigh as much as this one jacket. In fact they weigh just over half of what the Misti weighs.

LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

During the Long-Term Test Period, I wore the Misti jacket on one forty-day backpacking trip.

Backpacking:
Pacific Crest Trail from Etna Summit, California to Cascade Locks, Oregon: 40 nights; 550 mi (886 km); 170 to 7,676 ft (52 to 2,340 m) elevation with most between 5,000 and 6,000 ft (1,524 to 1,829 m); 39 to 95 F (4 to 35 C). I wore the jacket in cold misty fog, light rain, on cool evenings and mornings and during strong winds.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

My Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) hike in Northern California and across Oregon to the Washington border gave great opportunity to wear the Misti jacket. It didn't rain as much as I'd expected but we had several days of misty fog and light rain. The Misti has the perfect name for this type of weather because it performed flawlessly. I noticed after a long period of heavier rain that it started to get saturated but I never got wet through the jacket. However, in any heavy rain I would wear a waterproof shell atop to be sure to keep dry.

The Misti was also ideal for windy conditions. One morning we had howling winds funneling across a pass where we had to fight to keep our footing while being blown around. I had the hood up and pulled tight around my head and face to keep the wind from whipping it off of my head. The jacket was great for blocking the wind and provided warmth for the wind chill.

I often wore the Misti in the chilly evenings in camp and in the mornings until it got too warm. I'd start out with the cuffs cinched down tight and the zippers all completely zipped. I was able to access the hand-warmer pockets while wearing my pack, so if I was too cold in the morning, I'd stash my trekking poles and hike with my hands in the pockets. Then as it warmed, I would loosen the cuffs, take off the hood and unzip the front and pit zippers. All of this adjustment could be done while hiking and bought me a lot of time before I needed to stop and remove the jacket. I found the jacket to be the most comfortable in the 40s F (4 to 10 C) range. Once temperatures hit 50 F (10 C), I would begin my cooling procedures noted above and by 55 to 60 F (13 to 16 C) then I found myself to be too hot especially if I was climbing in elevation. In camp while doing nothing, I would wear the jacket in temperatures below 70 F (21 C). By the end of the trip near Mount Hood, the temperatures stayed low all day and I ended up not taking the Misti off on those days.

I found the jacket to be very comfortable with the fleece lining and was always happy to put it on when the temperatures were low enough. When I wasn't wearing it I stuffed it inside my pack either loosely or in my waterproof stuff sack on days that I wouldn't need a jacket at all. The Misti is fairly bulky and heavy and doesn't compress like a down jacket, of course, so it takes up a lot more space in my pack than I'm used to. Fortunately I had plenty of room in my pack so it didn't cause a problem.

In camp I would dig out the Misti and wear it if needed. Either way, by bedtime I would use it as a pillow case every night. I'd wrap my pillow with the Misti fleece interior on top of my pillow. It made for a really comfy sleep and also kept my pillow clean when my head and hair weren't so clean.

Despite being worn, stashed and carried for forty days and nights the Misti still looks to be in very good condition. The fabric seems to repel dirt and stains although I managed to get a few stains over the trip. I machine washed the jacket twice during the trip when we were able to find laundry facilities. It cleaned up great with no special stain treatment. Then I machine washed it once more at home. The durability has been outstanding with no snags, pilling or damage of any kind despite some bushwhacking.

SUMMARY

The Mishmi Takin Misti Jacket is a water and wind-resistant jacket with a comfortable fleece lining.

Pros:
Water resistant
Wind resistant
Lots of adjustment available
Cozy interior

Cons:
Heavy and bulky for backpacking

This concludes my Long-Term Test Report and this test series. Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Mishmi Takin for the opportunity to test out this jacket.

Reviews > Clothing > Jackets and Vests > Mishmi Takin Misti Softshell > Test Report by Nancy Griffith