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Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > Golite Xirtam > David Heyting > Test Report by David HeytingInitial Report - October 31, 2006 Field Report - January 2, 2007 Long Term Report - March 1, 2007 Tester Information: Name: David Heyting Age: 29 Gender: Male Height: 6’ 0”, 1.83 m Weight: 205 lb, 93 kg Email: deheyting@yahoo.com City, State, Country: Snoqualmie, Washington, USA Backpacking Background: I have been hiking and backpacking for over 15 years. A great deal of the backpacking that I do is related to mountaineering and rock climbing in the Pacific Northwest. When not climbing, I’m a hiker that tries to go light in order to push more miles. My main areas of exploration are the Washington Central and North Cascades, but have done lots of hiking in the British Columbia Coastal Range as well as the Oregon Cascades. I am also an avid adventure racer and compete in several races each year ranging from 2 hours up to 24 hours in duration. . Inital Report October 31, 2006 Product Information Manufacturer: GoLite Model: Xirtam Jacket URL: www.golite.com Listed Weight: 15 oz/430 g for a size large Tested Weight: 17 oz/487 g for an XL MSRP: $200.00 US Country of Manufacturer: USA Product Description: The Xirtam Jacket is a lightweight shell that is both waterproof and windproof, that GoLite states on their website, is “revolutionizing the way people dress for the outdoors.” It features a new fabric called Fusion. Per the manufacturer, the Fusion fabric allows the Xirtam to have the stretch, soft feel and breathability of a soft shell, but the waterproof abilities of a standard outer shell. It has an articulated hood for ease of movement. The jacket features a watertight full front zip and articulated sleeves for maximum range of motion. The jacket is also lightweight, weighing just under a pound for a size large. Some of the other key features as noted by GoLite are: Fusion and Alchemy3 Stretch waterproof technologies, welded chest pocket, elasticized cuffs with rubber grip pull tab, aerodynamic fit, and hand warmer pockets.  Front Watertight Zipper Initial Impressions: As a small side note to this test, prior to being selected to test the Xirtam Jacket, I competed in a multi-day adventure race. The race was in Moab, Utah. During the race the area experienced lots of rain, enough for the storm to be declared a 100-year storm and to cause the shortening of the race due to safety issues with flash flooding. Upon reading some fellow racers race reports, I noticed that many teams gave some glowing reviews of the Xirtam Jacket and were very thankful to have them during the rain. I am prepared and very excited to find out if the praise was truly justified! Upon inspection of the jacket, I was impressed by the soft feel of the jacket, it really is soft! Likewise, I like how the Xirtam is fully taped and also provides a watertight front zipper. The Alchemy3 Stretch fabric is used on the hood and across the shoulders, this fabric is very stretchy and soft to the touch. It seems like this fabric should provide for great range of motion. The lower front and back is where the Fusion technology is used. This fabric is not quite as soft nor as stretchy as the Alchemy3 fabric, but still has a soft feel and does expand. The fit is pretty good, however I did notice that if I have too many layers on the Jacket can get a little bit tight through the shoulders. However the jacket does seem to conform well to my body. This makes me think that it will perform well during activities. The hood features two pull strings to tighten the hood around my face. There is also a fabric strap that can be used to roll the hood up and tuck it in, rather than having it hanging out when not on. It seems like this could be useful with certain backpacks. The Xirtam has two hand pockets that are mesh lined that features a flap to keep water from coming through the zipper. The front zipper is watertight, however is still easy to zip up and down. The jacket appears to be very well constructed.  Xirtam Jacket - Front View Test Plan: After reviewing all that the GoLite Xirtam can do, I thought I would focus on the following three main aspects: 1.Comfort 2. Functionality and 3. Durability. 1. Comfort: Does the Xirtam really provide all the comforts of a soft shell? a. Does the jacket move well with the wearer? b. Is the inner lining fabric comfortable? c. Are the pockets easy to access and use? d. Does the articulated hood allow the wearer to maximize visibility? e. Because the jacket is waterproof, does it vent properly via the 2 rear mesh core vents? f. Do the sleeves allow for full range of motion as advertised? 2. Functionality: Does the jacket work as advertised? Does is really shed water? a. Is the Jacket fully waterproof? b. What temperature can I comfortably wear the jacket? c. Is wind a factor while wearing the Xirtam or does the jacket keep it out? d. Does the jacket breathe properly during intense activity? 3. Durability: Since the jacket is made to be an ultra-light, how will it hold up over time? a. How abrasion resistive is the Fusion and Alchemy3 fabrics? b. Are the pockets reinforced? c. Will the Fusion and Alchemy3 fabrics continue to shed water over the lifetime of the jacket? Field Conditions: With the test being conducted in the fall heading into winter, the typical temperatures in the Pacific Northwest will range from the mid 60s F down to the mid to lower 30s F (18 C to 0 C). My main areas of exploration are the Central and North Cascades, where I should be at altitudes ranging from sea level up to 9,000 ft ( 2743 m). There many be some climbing opportunities to travel above 10,000 ft (3,045 m) however that will be based upon weather and glacier conditions. And being the Northwest as always in the fall, rain will be on the forecast! My first trip with the Xirtam will be a multi-day climb of the Sisters in Central Oregon. I will be traveling to elevations of 10,000 ft (3,045 m) and expect to probably encounter rain and snow on the trip. Also on the my schedule for the fall, I also have signed up for two adventure races in which I will be using the Xirtam Jacket (both six hour races) as well as a circumnavigation multi-day hike around Mt. Hood. This will be in conjunction with the typically day-hiking that I do. All in all I hope to put the Xirtam through some pretty wet and challenging conditions! Initial Likes and Dislikes: Likes: The fabric is really soft and stretchy, which makes it comfortable to wear. I like the fact that it is fully taped – which hopefully will reduce the chance of leaks! Dislikes: I am not sure about the hood stowing strap, it seems to sort of get in the way when putting on the jacket. This concludes my initial report. Field Report January 2, 2007  Xirtam Jacket Experienced Field Conditions I have used the Xirtam on several multi-day outings. The most intense was an 18 mile (29 km) trip into the Columbia River Gorge area, where I traveled to elevations of 6,000 ft (1829 m). (This trip was a replacement for Mt. Hood hike which was changed due to trail damage.) During the trip I experienced some light rain. I wore the jacket pretty much the entire time; I used a long sleeve base layer underneath the Xirtam. The temperatures during this trip ranged from the low 50s F to the upper 30s F (10 C to 3 C). I also used the Xirtam extensively on a multi-day trip on the Mackenzie River trail in West Central Oregon. During this trip I covered about 20 miles (32 km). Again I used the same base layer technique. This trip feature many hours of hard rain which provided an excellent test for the Xirtam. I competed in one adventure race that featured mountain biking, trail running and orienteering. My team completed the course in the winning time of just over 5 hours. The temperature were in the low 30s (0 C) and it was a very windy day. I wore the jacket during all biking sections and about 50% of the trekking sections. I found the jacket's cut and range of motion to be very much appreciated during the race. I also have worn the Xirtam for numerous day hikes in the Washington Central Cascades and several cross country ski and snowshoe trips. Test Results 1. Comfort: I have been very impressed with the comfort the Xirtam provides, especially the Alchemy3 fabric that is found on the shoulders and on the arms. The jacket features a tight body conforming fit, which I was a little be leery of at first, however after using the jacket in my adventure racing and training, I have really come to enjoy the tight fit. Because of the jacket’s flexibility I still feel like I have great range of motion, while making me feel more streamlined. During racing conditions or technical outings, the less bulk the better. The pockets are easy to access and get in and out of while in motion. Although the articulated hood does allow for movement, I would say that the performance is average in terms of allowing visibility. I did not think the hood offered much more than the performance of most standard shells. I also wish the hood could be better adjusted to my head. I feel the tightening cords to an OK job of conforming to my head, however there is space between the top of my head and the top of the hood that I could never seem to get rid of. I have actually found the jacket to be much warmer than I expected. I have been using it for lots of snow travel and have found it to be quite warm enough for temperatures ranging from 20 F to 30 F (-7 C to 0 C).  Hood and Back 2. Functionality: So far on a couple of my trips I experienced some pretty heavy rainfall and in all cases I have remained dry. Rain seems to bead up more on the Fusion fabric then the Alchemy3 fabric; however neither fabric has allowed any water penetration. I have also been impressed with the wind resistance that the jacket provides. The biggest test came during my adventure race that featured some windy conditions. I found that the Xirtam kept the wind out. This was also noted during the biking section of my adventure race. 3. Durability: The jacket seems to be pretty tough. During my hike in the Columbia Gorge, I encountered lots of downed trees and debris that had to be navigated. A couple of times I caught the jacket on branches and thought that I might tear it, however the Xirtam held up nicely. The taped seems are also holding up great. Additional Items to Focus On During the next testing phase, I plan on really looking into the breathability of the jacket at colder temperatures. During some of my snow outings, I have felt that the jacket held in too much moisture, leading to my base layer being wetter than I would like. However I did not notice this during any of my longer trips that did not consist of snow travel and during my trips that featured lots of rain. Thus I plan on focusing on this aspect during the final several months of testing. Things I Like and Dislike after the Field Report Likes: I still love the fabric as it is really soft and stretchy, which makes it comfortable to wear. Dislikes: The hood stowing strap is constantly getting in my way as it flops around and the Velcro strap seems to want to adhere itself to anything. Long-Term Report March 1, 2007 Additional Field Conditions Experienced Along with lots of day hiking and snow travel both on snowshoes and skis, I was able to use the Xirtam in two additional adventure races. Both were shorter races. One was a snow course that consisted of travel via snowshoes, and the other one that featured trekking and biking. Both occurred in the Central Cascades with the maximum elevations reaching 3000 ft (915 m). I experienced all types of precipitation from rain to snow to hail. Test Results Based on my Field Report, I focused my attention on the breathability of the Xirtam. In order to do this I looked to two main items: 1. my layering and 2. my pace. I found that by adding a second lightweight non-cotton shirt, I was able to lessen the wet feeling that I had been experiencing. I also found that my pace appeared to have the biggest impact on this issue. Obviously at a higher heart rate, I generate more sweat thus leading to more moisture that can be undesirably trapped in the jacket. Since the Xirtam does not have any venting outlets, I think this “wet feeling” was occurring when I was doing activities at the upper end of my heart rate ability. However I found that when I was moving a little bit slower and added the extra shirt, the “wet feeling” was not an issue. My assumption is that the lack of vents led to this feeling more so than the jacket not breathing. While doing more snow travel with the Xirtam, I still continued to find the jacket to be warmer than it appears it would be or should be. This was a great bonus for my fall and winter travels as I was a little bit nervous that the jacket would not be warm enough without extra layering. Due to tight fit of the jacket, I am somewhat limited on how many extra layers can be added underneath the jacket – thus the warm factor was very welcome. The more adventure racing that I did with the jacket, the more impressed with it I became. The fact that the jacket has very little bulk made it easy to conduct multiple activities at once (like biking and eating!). It was also very comfortable while running with a backpack on. The jacket just seems to allow me the ability to do what I need to do. Summary and Conclusion Report Overall I was very impressed with the performance of the Xirtam. Although a little bit skeptical of the tight fitting cut of the jacket at first, I soon found it to be very comfortable and one of the best features of the jacket while doing more technical activities. The jacket allowed me great range of motion during all of my activities. This was especially when adventure racing, as the Xirtam is not bulky at all and allowed me to easily access my pack for food and supplies while in motion. I had zero issues with water leakage and found the Xirtam to be quite waterproof. Wind was also not an issue when I was wearing the Xirtam (I experienced a couple of days of steady winds of 25-30 MPH 40- 49 KPH). The fabric held up very well during the test. I found the Fusion and Alchemy3 fabrics to be both soft and stretchy just as advertised. The only item that I experienced that was not completely positive was the hood. The cut of the hood did not fit my head very well and it was difficult to adjust the hood with the drawstrings. I did find that I could fold the front rim of the hood up and create much nicer fit. However I am not sure if that is the way the hood is designed to work. Despite the issue with the hood, I view the Xirtam as an excellent waterproof choice especially while participating in a more technical activity. Thank you again to BackpackGearTest and GoLite for the opportunity to test this product. Read more reviews of GoLite gear Read more gear reviews by David Heyting Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > Golite Xirtam > David Heyting > Test Report by David Heyting | |||