Year of Manufacture: 2004
Color: Helios (yellow), also available in Eclipse (grey) and Twilight (dark blue)
Size: Unisex 2XL, also available in XS, S, M, L, XL
Fabric: 15-denier ripstop nylon with a DWR coating applied

According to my digital scale (0.1 ounce / 1 gram accuracy), the results I measured are:

Listed weight of Cirrus Light Jacket: none indicated
Weight of Cirrus Light Jacket in size 2XL: 4.1 oz (118 gms)

For the weights of other sized Cirrus Light jackets, take a look at the other testers' reviews.

2. Red Ledge Cirrus Light Jacket Initial Observations Introduction:

As a 15-denier ripstop nylon jacket, the Cirrus Light can be included in the leading class of lightweight nylon fabric jackets currently being offered by manufacturers like Patagonia, Montane, Marmot, Golite, and a few others. These fabrics are typically categorized as ultralight windshirts. While the Cirrus Light is not found on the Red Ledge website and information is virtually impossible to uncover at this time (including how much it costs and where to purchase it!), the fabric weight and features of the jacket indicate that it belongs to the hooded windshirt family of jackets similar to those made by the manufacturers mentioned above. I am very eager to find out how the Cirrus Light compares - both in specifications and performance - to these other popular offerings.

In my opinion, the addition of a windshirt to a backcountry kit is invaluable. In fact, it is probably the single most versatile and important piece of clothing I take into the mountains. My goal in this review is not to convert the windshirt skeptical, but to review this product for those that find windshirts important. For excellent articles on the values and uses of modern windshirts, I would suggest Mark Twight's book Extreme Alpinism and more recent articles published at www.backpackinglight.com.

Product Value

Red Ledge has historically created products that fit into a segment the outdoor clothing market that I believe is vital - high quality products at reasonable prices that the majority of backpackers can afford. Marketing lines like "unbeatable prices" and "earth shattering prices and quality" indicate the target Red Ledge has on this part of the market. While assuming that the Cirrus Light will fit this same philosophy and niche is speculation at this point - there is no pricing currently for the Cirrus Light - it appears that it is very similiar in quality to similar top brand jackets currently demanding $100 USD.

The Red Ledge Thunderlight jackets, reviewed here at BackpackGearTest.org, are an excellent example of this product placement in the outdoor clothing market. While not using the absolutely most high-tech fabrics and coatings currently available, they use quality materials that be purchased for reasonable prices and then construct them in intelligent designs that value function. The Thunderlights do not use the lightest fabric in the world and they do not use the most breathable coatings and laminates, but they do use functional materials and waterproofings that - when coupled with smart design and high-quality construction - make an excellent jacket at a competitive weight that is much, much less expensive than the competition. They have received a few notable recognitions for this, and in my opinion, they are well deserved. My hope is that they have put this same philosophy into the production of the Cirrus Light and have created a functional, light, high-quality windshirt for a much more reasonable price than the ridiculously expensive competition.

Features

The Cirrus Light Jacket is relatively full-featured for the category of windshirt it resides in. The notable features include:

A hood with full brim (unstiffened) and behind-the-head shock-corded drawstring and toggle. Pulling on the cord tightens the hood around the wearer's forehead while simultaneously pulling the hood back at the temples to retain peripheral vision. While field testing will prove whether or not this is truly functional, I'm excited to see this design, as most hoods I've encountered on jackets of all sorts are very limiting in regards to vision.
A tiny #2 YKK zippered collar hideaway for the hood.
A #3 YKK zippered left chest pocket that also serves as the stuff sack for the jacket and includes an internal fabric loop presumably to hang the stuffed jacket from a carabiner or storage hook.
A full-length #4.5 YKK front zipper with an exterior zipper flap. While the flap does not have snaps or Velcro-style closures to hold it in place, it does have a smart sewn fold-over design at the top of the zipper that keeps it relatively flat against the full length. In my opinion, this is the kind of intelligent design that can save both weight and cost.
Elastic wrist cuffs.
A shock-corded waist with side pulls on both the right and left sides. Both side pulls are attached to the jacket by small fabric loops allowing single-handed tightening. Again, this is both inexpensive and extremely useful. This is a feature shared with the Thunderlights that I have appreciated over the years very much.
One tiny logo sewn onto the jacket at the waist.

Materials

The materials used in the Cirrus Light Jacket are a bit of a mystery. The literature indicates simply that it is a 15-denier ripstop nylon material with a DWR coating. As the fabric technology geeks out there know, fabric weight is just a small part of the fabric performance equation. The construction, quality of the DWR, type of DWR, calendaring (the process of rolling heated cylinders over fabric that gives it added water repellency, durability, and that "shiny" look), and other factors all affect how the final product will perform. Ultimately, however, these fabrics eventually can be defined by where they fall on the breathability versus water resistance spectrum. As a generalization, lighter fabrics with very light calendaring and DWR coatings are less water resistant and more breathable, and fabrics with heavier calendaring, more robust or impervious DWR coatings are more water resistant and less breathable. In the end, it's up the wearer to decide how the jacket is to be used. For a drizzle jacket or something that will occasionally be worn during short rain bursts, choose the more water resistant jackets. For constant wearing, bug resistance, or high exertion use, the more breathable jackets shine.

Based on my initial observations, I believe the Red Ledge Cirrus Light Jacket falls on the breathable end of the spectrum. In warm weather walking, the Cirrus Light managed to allow any moisture to escape quite easily. My experience with more water resistant shells in similar conditions leads me to believe that the Cirrus Light is much more breathable than most windshirts. In addition, when exposed to precipitation, water has very little difficulty getting through the fabric. For those of you who rely on the informal "suck test" for fabric breathability (trying to suck air through the fabric, using the resistance as a subjective measure of air permeability), this jacket is quite easily the most breathable jacket I've ever tested this way. There is virtually no resistance sucking air through the fabric. Warning: testing fabrics using this method in gear shops – while a quick and effective way to compare breathability – may get you strange looks and could get you kicked out of the store!!!

Many of the top brand windshirt manufacturers have been using more water resistant coatings at the expense of fabric breathability. If breathability is a top priority in a windshirt, the Red Ledge Cirrus Light warrants a look. The other notable aspect of the Cirrus Light is the softness of the fabric. Virtually every ripstop nylon product I own – well over a dozen at this point – is initially stiff and sometimes even "crinkly". This often disappears after multiple washings and usage, but it's become expected when a product is new. The Cirrus Light has a softness and "hand" that I would expect after hundreds of stuffings and wearings and washings. There is essentially no stiffness to the fabric. The entire thing can be packed to the size of a large apple with very little resistance.

Fit and Cut

I have owned 3 Red Ledge Thunderlights over the past 5 years - 2 parkas and 1 jacket - and they are some of the best fitting pieces of outdoor clothing I own. Well-cut, comfortable outdoor gear in size 2XL is difficult to find. Much of it is either XL sized clothing with longer sleeves and body length or ridiculously baggy. I like the fit of the Thunderlight Parka so much that I have carefully seam- ripped one jacket in the hopes of creating a pattern for a windshirt of the same exact cut. My limited sewing skills have not yet produced the perfect product yet, but the desire for a similar Red Ledge designed windshirt has been a hope for years. Unfortunately, the Cirrus Light Jacket and the Thunderlights are not based on the same sizing pattern.

The Cirrus Light Jacket fits very snug in my opinion. I compare them to the Thunderlights because there is widespread use and availability of the Thunderlights and plenty of reviews to evaluate. Where the Thunderlights are comfortably loose – but not baggy – the Cirrus Light is nearly form-fitted. The shoulder girdle allows normal range of motion without significant restriction, but larger movements can cause binding in a few locations. The arm length is fine – and in fact most of the arm cut is quite comfortable – but the body is very snug. Granted, I have no shortage of body to fill the jacket, but similar products from the same manufacturer fit much more comfortably. For me, the sizing will limit the Cirrus Light's usage to over a t-shirt or base layer only. If there were another size larger, I would go up one size for a more comfortable fit. If your backpacking style includes bulky layers or you prefer looser fitting clothing, this may be an idea to consider.

Initial High Points

Intelligent features and design increase usefulness while keeping weight down and simplicity intact.
Initially extremely breathable fabric, which is becoming harder and harder to find.
Incredibly light weight for any windshirt – let alone one with this many features. Most "normal" sized jackets should come in well under 4 ounces (118 grams).

Initial Concerns

Complete lack of information regarding the Cirrus Light. As of this writing, the website is under construction, there is nowhere to purchase the product, nowhere to see or try on the jacket, product information is virtually non-existent.
Snug fit may limit mobility and therefore usage.

3. Testing Plan and Location

The vast majority of my usage of the Red Ledge Cirrus Light will be hiking, backpacking and climbing in the Central and North Cascades. I will also be testing them on the National Seashores of Cape Cod.

I'll be testing the Cirrus Light with a focus on the following questions:

Fit: Does the Cirrus Light's fit allow it to be used whenever conditions allow, or do restriction and other fit design characteristics force it into the pack during certain duties.
Durability: With normal trail and moderate off-trail use, does the Cirrus Light survive? Ultralight fabrics naturally bring up durability concerns. Are the concerns legitimate?
Breathabilty: For me, this is the primary concern in a windshirt. If a jacket is not waterproof, it should be as breathable as possible while still resisting wind. Recent offerings by some manufacturers have been more on the water-resistant side of the water- resistant/highly breathable spectrum, making truly highly breathable windshirts more difficult to find. Where does the Cirrus Light fall on the spectrum? Ultimately, this will determine its functionality. Is it a wear-all-the-time windshirt, or a lightweight rain and drizzle jacket to be put on only during wet weather?
Water resistance: Any windshirt should be able to handle a little bit of moisture. Typically, the more water-resistant, the less breathable. Can the Cirrus Light handle a little precipitation while still being able to breathe well? How durable is the DWR? Can it handle repeated washings?
Wind resistance: Almost all windshirts repel wind well. Is the Cirrus Light an exception? Can it handle its most basic function with ease?
Bug Protection: More and more over the past few years, I have turned to a windshirt for bug protection instead of chemicals. I much prefer the light nylon feel to the sticky, stinky chemicals. Some nylon clothing I have stops everything that flies, and some I have will let mosquitoes feast as though nothing is between me and them. How does the Cirrus Light handle bugs? Can the hood be comfortably cinched down to protect the neck and ears? Does it make backpacking in buggy places more bearable?
Features: Are the features useful or do they simply add unnecessary weight to the jacket? Are the zippers easy to access? Is the hood easily adjustable with one hand? Can the waist be sealed up one-handed?
Appearance and style: Is the Cirrus Light attractive? While the backcountry is not a fashion runway, nice-looking gear can cross-over into day-to-day city use and become an integral part of daily outerwear.
In the final analysis, is the Cirrus Light a piece of outerwear that makes every trip. An ideal windshirt has the potential to be a foundation piece – something that makes every day hiking, backpacking, skiing, climbing, and outdoor excursion. Is this that piece of gear?

4. Contact and Background Information:

Name: Curt Peterson

Age: 32

Gender: Male

Height: 6'3" (1.91 m)

Weight: 270 (122 kg)

Email address: e-curt@a...

Location: Seattle, WA, USA

I live in Seattle and do the vast majority of my outdoor activities in Washington State. During the summer I try to head to the backcountry at least every other week, averaging 3 to 5 multi-day trips in July, August and September. In the fall and early winter, I usually do a couple day hikes a month and probably one overnight per month. In the winter, I ski 1 to 2 days per week, and backpack in the Central Washington steppe 1 to 2 times over the season. Spring and early summer I usually climb, most often on the Cascade volcanoes. I usually go to the coast in Olympic National Park at least once a year, and try to summit at least one big volcano a year, so the range of locations that I test gear is pretty broad.

I also do a 3-mile walk each day with my dog, no matter what the conditions are, and I often evaluate gear during that time. I played football in college, and have been pretty active my entire life. I have been camping and backpacking as long as I can remember. First in Utah as a child, in Minnesota until I finished college, and here in Washington ever since. I served on the Product Test Committee for Seattle's biggest outdoor gear retailer for a two- year term in the mid-90s, then guided backpacking tours with my wife in Olympic National Park for a few summers. I've been interested in the most recent shift to lightweight thinking for the past few years and really enjoy checking out new ideas and approaches to backpacking.

Read more reviews of Red Ledge gear
Read more gear reviews by Curt Peterson

Initial Report

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