Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > Ibex Icefall Jacket > Steve Nelson > Initial Report

Initial Report: Ibex Icefall Jacket
October 28, 2004

Reviewer's Information

Name: Steve Nelson
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Weight: 158 lb (72 kg)
Jacket size: US size 39-40 Regular (generally on the border between Small and Medium)
Email address: nazdarovye at earthlink • net
City, State, Country: San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background:

As an interface design and usability consultant by trade, I'm always excited by analyzing and improving designs and processes; backpacking provides a fertile and fun arena for that. I have been backpacking since I was a kid growing up in upstate New York: we backpacked and canoe-camped in all seasons, throughout the Adirondacks and nearby areas, ranging as far as La Verendrye Wildlife Reserve, Quebec. As an adult, I've backpacked and hiked extensively in California, but also have taken trips throughout the West, from New Mexico to British Columbia, and return often to the Adirondacks.

In the past year I made the transition to lightweight and ultralight backpacking. I like moving fast, and lightening the load facilitates that. I also enjoy urban strolls, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and aviation in addition to hiking and backpacking, so my gear gets exposed to a wide variety of uses and conditions.

Product information

Overview

The Ibex Icefall jacket is a fully-zippered, lightweight jacket constructed from Ibex's Climawool® Lite wool-backed softshell fabric. Meant for three-to-four season use for active outdoor pursuits, the jacket has handwarmer pockets and a small chest pocket, a hem drawcord with toggles, and a large, stand-up collar (but no hood).

Here's a picture of me wearing a size Medium Icefall (my height, weight and jacket size are given above for reference, and I have more to say about the fit below):

The information I was able to find about this jacket online is limited; the Ibex site provides very short lists of features and uses, plus the following minimalist overview:

"Climawool® Lite softshell fabric (a little lighter & more breathable than Climawool®) is light enough for crossing summer mountain passes, upgradeable to full-on winter with the addition of our midweight baselayers. Clean in design, the Icefall skis, climbs, hikes. Zippered hand warmer pockets, half-elastic sleeve cuffs. Bottom hem drawcord. Semi fit."

The jacket came with hang tags describing the fabric and the general features of this clothing line. Claims for the fabric, a "stretch woven blend of Merino wool, nylon and Lycra®," include (the following are all direct quotes, and claims vary between tags, so I've combined them here for comparison):

• Wind and water resistant
• Highly breathable
• Soft & quiet
• Athletic stretch
• Serious versatility
• Unmatched temperature regulation that sloughs off water, wind and weather
• Merino interior with a durable nylon exterior
• Our softshells are truly wolves in sheep's clothing

(Yep, it really says that.) Anyway, I look forward to testing these claims. The hang tags also note that the jacket is meant for "Back country [sic], ice climbing, skiing, X-country, hiking" on the one hand, while another sentence says it's for "3-season" use. The slight discrepancies might be due to differences in Climawool and Climawool Lite, they might be accommodated by adding other layers (thus extending the jacket out of the 3 seasons and into skiing territory), or perhaps the marketing materials just need a bit of copy editing and consolidation.

A minor side note on the Ibex web site: I found its organization somewhat cumbersome. For example, to find this jacket, I had to select "Climawool" (not an obvious choice if I weren't familiar with their product line—I might rather select an item of clothing or a sport), then choose "Men's Climawool" from a pop-up menu on an interim page and click a button, then click a picture of the jacket on a menu page. Descriptions and details on the products are also a bit sparse, though there is a good section on Ibex's signature Climawool fabrics.

Finally, I'll note that I'm a big believer in softshell garments, especially for winter use. I own several pants, tops and a jacket made out of various softshell fabrics, and consider them the best current technology for active winter pursuits like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. They're comfortable, they breathe well, they're warm without being hot, they allow perspiration to easily evaporate, and they spill light rain, snow and wind. I've also started using them for hiking and paddling in cooler weather, and have been wearing my previous softshell jacket pretty much everywhere (even in town) when it is cooler out. Therefore, I've really been looking forward to this test.

Initial Impressions and Review of Features

My Icefall jacket was shipped folded in a plastic bag, with two hang tags attached (one about Ibex, Climawool and the company's warranty, one about Climawool Lite). The package also included a printed thank you card (directed at all customers) and a "spread the good word and order a catalog for a friend" postcard.

Seeing as the Climawool Lite fabric the Icefall is constructed of is somewhat unique and a major selling feature, it was one of the first things I examined. A tag on the jacket notes that Climawool Lite is composed of 74% nylon, 20% Merino wool, and 6% Spandex®, and it appears to me that the nylon and Spandex comprise the outer shell of the fabric. The inner surface of the fabric appears to be looped wool, resembling a miniature version of the weave on a towel, and it wasn't quite as soft as I was expecting, though it has a pleasant feel to it. The fabric has a good amount of give and stretch to it; it also appears to wrinkle (I'll keep an eye on this and report whether the fabric relaxes). The body of the jacket is a pleasing dark blue called "Deep Royal" by Ibex, and the inside of the neck is lined with a contrasting dark red color.

The Icefall Jacket has a full-length zipper of standard configuration, backed by a stiff, wind-blocking strip. The fabric pull tabs on this and the other zippers have a little bit of foam or something similar stitched into their tips, giving them bulges that seem to help with getting a grip (and which also happen to be screened with the Ibex logo). The jacket also features a high (3 in/7.6 cm) stand-up collar, raglan sleeves, and half-elasticized cuffs (the bottom half on each wrist). The jacket is cut such that the front is shorter than the back, as shown on the side view picture above.

The jacket has three pockets: two handwarmer pockets that open into good-sized pouches lined with what appears to be a Merino wool mesh, and a chest pocket lined with the same material. There's a "zipper garage" at the top of each pocket's zipper that provides a way to lock the top of the zipper pull out of view.

Interestingly, the top of the inside lining on the hand-warmer pockets is left open, and it appears to me that it will be possible to insert a narrow water bottle (such as the common 16.9 oz (.5 L) bottles sold here in the US) into these two pockets—a nice feature. Here's a picture of the inside of the right hand-warmer pocket, showing the mesh lining, ID label, hem drawcord with toggle, and main jacket zipper and zipper pull:

The chest pocket is lined with the same material, but is a bit on the small size. I'd say it would hold a pair of sunglasses or a small cell phone, but nothing larger.

The above picture also shows one of two plastic toggles that are attached to an elastic hem drawstring. I don't like the way they're attached to the inside face of the hem (they poke my hips), but they are otherwise adequate.

A few other features of note: the Icefall has a hang loop on the inside collar, and a large Ibex logo stitched directly onto the back of the jacket in a (just my opinion) rather garish red thread. I am not against logos on my gear, though I prefer them to be elegant and subtle. This one has already garnered a comment from a bystander ("what's that symbol on the back supposed to mean?"), which may please Ibex but leaves me feeling a bit like a billboard.

A large and legible tag stitched onto the inside lining of the left hand warmer pocket gives fabric information and cleaning instructions. The Icefall is machine washable in 30° F (88° C) water, separately, gentle cycle, with a mild detergent. The jacket can't be tumble-dried, but can be hung or laid flat to dry. It can also be dry cleaned. All in all, the Icefall looks to be easy to care for, and a bit more flexible in cleaning instructions than other softshell clothing I own.

One of the hang tags also lays out the Icefall's warranty: it's "fully warranted against all manufacturing and material defects" for the jacket's lifetime. The warranty doesn't cover accidents, improper use or care, and normal wear and tear. Ibex will replace or repair products "to the best of their ability for covered damages, and will repair uncovered damage for a reasonable fee."

Fit

I initially ordered a size Medium Icefall based on the sizing information given at the Ibex site (it stated size M as chest size 38-40 US, and I generally wear a size 40 suit coat; it gave the neck size as 15.5-16 US, and I generally wear a 16). However, when I initially received the jacket, I was surprised at how large it was. The size M has a lot of extra room in the body and neck, and the length of the sleeves and body is a bit on the long side, though comfortable. (This is the jacket shown in the first pictures above.)

As a result, especially because this jacket is meant to be worn as a relatively close-fitting active layer over a thin base layer, I asked Ibex if I could exchange it for a size S jacket (chest size noted online as 36-37 US, neck 14.5-15). Ibex's customer service folks—responsive and helpful, by the way—quickly sent me a replacement to try out with the understanding that I would return the one that didn't fit.

I received the size S jacket a few days ago...and was dismayed to find that it also wasn't quite right. While the body and neck are a good fit in circumference, the jacket and sleeves are too short for me. The front hem of the jacket rode above my belt buckle, and when I raised my arms, the jacket raised well above my waist and the ends of the sleeves were over a hand's length away from my wrist.

So, two observations: first, obviously I fall in between sizes (it happens). Second, and perhaps more important to our readers, the jackets didn't match the measurements I'd expected based on Ibex's online information, which indicated that, if anything, I was on the upper end of men's size M.

A review of the Ibex site confirmed that their sizing charts are universal—in other words, click to see the sizing chart on the page for the Icefall, or click it on a page for a tight-fitting base layer, and the same chart pops up. The chart says that the chest on Men's size M is 38-40 US, regardless of garment. No information is given on the actual dimensions of the products, and thus there's no way to account for the difference in fit between, say, a base layer t-shirt and an outer layer jacket in the same size category (other than the phrase "semi-fit" provided on the Icefall page—whatever that means).

I think it would be useful for Ibex to update the site with product-specific sizing information, especially since it appears that in the case of the Icefall, the actual size of the garment is a bigger than some of the stated sizes.

For example: the neck on the size M jacket is actually 19 in (48 cm) in circumference rather than the 15.5-16 in (39-41 cm) size indicated in the online size charts. I also measured a single sleeve from the top end of the cuff to the center of the back seam by the neck, and came up with a length of 35 in (89 cm). This at least falls within the "34-35" range given in the sizing chart—but both of these measurements illustrate why it would be great to see the actual measurements for each garment, rather than the generic ranges, on the site.

Meanwhile, all of this left me with a choice. Would I be better off with a reasonably form-fitting body and neck but sleeves and a hem that were too short and tended to ride up (size S), or with a fairly loose body and neck but good length that would work well while I was active while paddling, skiing or scrambling (size M)? The short length in the one jacket could be constricting or expose wrists and abdomen to cold; the extra volume in the other jacket could result in a bellows effect that might reduce the benefits of softshell technology. Hard choice.

I ultimately decided to opt for the size M and better mobility and coverage, and am returning the size S to Ibex (my thanks to them, again, for the responsive customer service). Time (and testing) will tell if I made the right choice (and secretly, I wish I could have one that was sized directly in between these!)

Anomalies

For reasons just explained, I had the chance to examine both a size Medium and size Small Icefall. The size S Icefall was nearly flawless in execution, but the size M I ended up keeping has a few sewing and construction issues I'd like to point out.

First, there are several areas of bunching or puckering around seams, including the collar, the left sleeve, and the one side of the main zipper (the left-hand side as shown in the following photo). This is not unexpected in stretchy fabric—but the other jacket didn't exhibit any of this bunching. While I think this will have absolutely no detrimental functional effect, it does in my opinion take a bit of the aesthetic appeal of the jacket away—the fabric shown here will likely never drape properly or lay completely flat. Here's a picture of the bunching:

There are other areas on this jacket that show less care than was taken on the size S version as well. For example, the picture of the mesh inner lining of the hand warmer pocket I provided earlier in this report shows the sloppier trimming and stitching around the right and right bottom edges of the pocket lining, including a strip of fabric sticking out from a not-too-cleanly-tacked lower right corner (you might wish to scroll back and take a look at that). In contrast, the size S jacket had quite careful trimming and stitching throughout, including around the linings. The size M jacket also has several loose threads and thread loops as large as 1 in (2.4 cm) throughout, while the size S did not.

"Is that a zipper pull or are you just glad to see me?"

One oddity on both jackets I examined—the zipper pulls tend to stick almost straight out from the jacket unless carefully smoothed down and straightened out (even then, they tend to bounce back up). Shoving them up into the zipper garages that are provided for the hand warmer and chest pockets helps—but if they are unzipped beyond that, they tend to want to stick right out. The welts of softshell fabric that are sewn so as to close over the zippers seem to be one cause of this (they don't leave space for the zipper tab to lay flat), and the nature of the padded fabric zipper pulls seems to be that they want to curl. Retying them and flattening out the girth hitch holding them to the zipper tab seems to help, but not eliminate, the issue.

Initial Tryout

Once I decided on keeping the size M Icefall, I started wearing it as often as practicable. I've worn it now for three days in Colorado (Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo areas). Temperatures have ranged from 40-70°F (4-21°C), and weather has been mostly clear and sunny, with just a brief period of fog. Admittedly, the higher end of this range is outside of what is intended for the jacket, but I thought it would be good to get a sense of how it feels in as wide a range of conditions as possible.

The Icefall has been comfortable so far—the fabric has a nice feel to it, it is indeed "quiet," it's quite warm, there are no seams that chafe, and it's easy to open and vent the jacket when temperatures are on the warmer side (the main zipper does the best job at that, but the hand warmer openings seem to contribute a bit as well.)

The only things I've noted as issues to keep an eye on are that the main zipper seems to snag a bit when it nears my neck as I zip it all the way to the top; that the main zipper, when zipped up, bunches and bulges more than any of my other jackets when I sit down; and that the plastic toggles for snugging up the jacket's hem poke into my hips a bit (they're sewn into the inside of the hem, and I'd probably prefer for them to be on the outside). Also, the cuffs seem to be cut so that they're shorter on the bottom (elasticized) side, and the bottom of the left sleeve keeps riding up my arm past my watch band, leaving the band exposed. These are all minor usability and comfort issues—but worth keeping an eye on in case they become annoying or cause actual performance issues.

Test Locations

I'll be using the Icefall extensively in the coming months for backpacking, hiking, snowshoeing, winter camping and even occasionally for city strolling and casual wear (especially if we get some adverse weather).

Specific trips planned include:

• Confirmed backpacking and snow camping trips in Lassen, Yosemite, Henry Coe State Park, Sequoia National Park and the Adirondacks
• Car camping in Mendocino and Big Sur during the rainy season; possible car camping at other locations this fall (Colorado, New York)
• Planned additional winter camping trips and day snowshoe outings in the Lake Tahoe, Mt. Shasta, Yosemite and Snow Mountain Wilderness areas
• Likely overnight backpacking trips in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Lost Coast, and Ventana Wilderness
• Business trips to Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles and other locations, plus home in San Francisco and family visits to New Mexico, Colorado and upstate New York will give me a wide range of conditions and locations for testing the Icefall on daily walks

Altitudes on these trips will range from sea level to over 10,000 ft (3,050 m). Weather will range from cool and crisp fall and winter weather in less extreme locations to wet and windy winter coastal Pacific storms and active snowfall in the Sierra Nevada and Adirondacks. Temperatures will likely range from as low as 0° F (-18° C) to as high as 80° F (38° C).

On most trips I will use the Icefall as my main active warmth layer, with just a lightweight synthetic shirt underneath, during activities including hiking, canoeing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. I will also try it with an additional softshell layer underneath (treating the Icefall as a jacket), and with additional warmth layers on top (vest, insulated parka, GoreTex jacket).

Test Plan

I will take the jacket along for a wide range of activities, including overnight backpacking in varied conditions, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, canoeing and kayaking, day hikes and even general city wear if we have a storm. Many of these activities will involve wide ranges of exertion—for example, going from sitting in camp to fast-hiking up a steep, icy slope, so I hope to be able to really push the Icefall to its limits.

In addition to the already-noted points, I intend to examine:

• General usage: are pockets well-placed; do zippers work well and without snagging; are the hem drawcords effective and easy to use; does the hang loop work well?
• Comfort: how does the jacket feel; what temperature and exertion ranges does it seem best-suited to?
• Qualities of the Climawool fabric: how well does it hold up to wind, wet and wear?
• Moisture management: how well does the Icefall wick moisture (or retain it), and how quickly does it dry out, from both internally- and externally-generated moisture?
• Temperature management: how flexible is the Icefall in the field; can I easily regulate my temperature with it; is it easy to adjust it for varying levels of exertion?
• Durability: how well does it hold up to general use; do the wicking and water-resistance properties diminish over time; does the material sag or stretch with use; do zippers and cord toggles hold up well; how does it hold up to abrasion and snagging (especially for bushwhacking and winter slips and falls)?
• Layering: how well does the Icefall layer with other clothing (especially noting that Ibex suggests doing so for winter use, and that the fit of the jacket I ended up with is on the capacious side); how does layering affect the performance of the jacket (including base layers such as winter underwear and top layers such as a mountaineering shell)?
• Odors and stains: how well does the Icefall resist odors, stains and soiling; do any of these affect the performance of the fabric?

I'll endeavor to take photographs of salient features of the Icefall Jacket in the field, and also will have friends snap shots of me actively wearing it. For each test I'll also provide some basis for objective analysis by recording weather conditions, location, elevation, and other clothing layers used, along with my subjective impressions.

Summary

The Icefall Jacket is a sharp-looking, thoughtfully-designed jacket that brings unique wool-based materials and Ibex's eye for quality to the softshell arena.

Things I like so far:

• Sleek design
• Nice hand to the fabric, especially the pocket linings
• In general, excellent construction and quality
• Useful but not overdone set of features

Things I don't like so far (nothing consequential):

• Small imperfections in sewing and trimming on my particular jacket
• Somewhat large sizing (especially in the neck), combined with the fact that I seem to fall between sizes
• Location of plastic toggles at hem
• Zipper pulls that stick out
• The big orange logo on the back

Thanks to BackpackGearTest and Ibex for giving me the opportunity to participate in this test.

Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > Ibex Icefall Jacket > Steve Nelson > Initial Report