Red Ledge Cirrus LT Jacket

Initial Report – June 23, 2004

Tester Information:

Name: Jason Boyle
Age:  27
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 6”/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Email address: c4jc “at” hotmail “dot” com
City, State, Country: Waldorf, Maryland, U.S.

Backpacking Background:

I have been camping and backpacking for about 15 years.  I started with the Boy Scouts when I was 11 and hiked mostly in the southeastern United States (Florida, Alabama, Georgia).  Later, I went to college in Connecticut and became versed in the New England outdoors.  I currently live near Washington D.C. and hike and backpack in the Mid Atlantic Mountains.  I have been section hiking the Appalachian Trail and have completed all of the Connecticut and Maryland sections, and I am currently working on the Virginia section. I used to carry everything and the kitchen sink, but I have become weight conscious in recent years and have attempted to lighten my load.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Red Ledge

Model: Cirrus LT

Size: Men’s Large (Available in XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL)

Year of Manufacture: 2004

URL: www.RedLedge.com

Listed weight: none provided

Measured weight: 3.0 oz (85 g)

**Disclaimer: the closest my scale will measure is in whole ounces**

MSRP: none provided              

Country of Manufacture: Vietnam

Arrival:

            The Cirrus arrived via United Parcel Service in a 12” x 10-1/4” x 6-1/2” (30 cm x 26 cm x 16.5 cm) cardboard box.  If I had not know better I would have thought the box was empty when I picked it up, because there did not feel like there was anything inside of it.  When I opened the box there it was a tiny little jacket folded in a plastic bag.  There was nothing else in the box besides the jacket.

Description:

            I knew that I was going to get a lightweight rain jacket to try on, but I did not really know much about what I was getting.  The Red Ledge website is was under construction during the application process and as of the time this Initial Report is being written it is still under construction. 

            I was pleasantly surprised with jacket I received.  It came with a small folding hangtag that described the following features:

• Hood adjustment with peripheral vision adjustment and roll away function
• Micro-packable into front left pocket
• Elasticized cuffs
• One hand adjustable drawcord at hem
• Ultralight 15 denier ripstop nylon with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish

This jacket is very minimalist on the features.  The hangtag does not provide any further information such as the material the jacket is made of, or the type of zippers or much of anything else.

I thought the jacket would be a rain jacket based on my perception of Red Ledge, but I actually think this jacket is more of a wind and water resistant type of jacket.  It is very similar to another windshirt that I own called the Golite Wisp.

The fabric is very pleasing to the touch and feels nice against my skin.  The color I received is Twilight, a translucent dark blue.  I am able to see the clothes I am wearing underneath the jacket when I have it on.  The zippers on the jacket are made by “YKK” , a well known manufacturer, I don’t expect to have any problems with them.  One feature not mentioned by the hangtag is the full length zipper cover to help provide an even tighter windproof/watertight seal.

The micro packable left pocket is a very nice feature. The jacket is easily stuffed into the pocket and makes a 7-1/2” x 4-1/4” (19 cm x 11 cm) rectangle when stuffed.  The pocket can then be zipped closed to seal the jacket into the pocket.  I can then squish the filled pocket even smaller to make the jacket the size of a baseball!  There is a small hang loop made from the same material as the jacket that can be used to attach the stowed jacket to a pack or key chain or whatever.

The hood feature is also very nice and simple.  The hood rolls up neatly and fits into a zippered pocket that also doubles as the collar of the jacket.  To use the hood, the pocket is unzipped and the jacket is unrolled.  There are no side adjustments on the hood, just a single peripheral vision adjustment that is located about half way up the length of the hood from the collar pocket.  This adjustment allows the wearer to tighten the hood to his head so the hood turns with the user’s head instead of the head turning inside of the hood.

The only cuff adjustment is the fact that they have elastic in them, so either they fit or they don’t.  The bottom of the jacket has a standard shock corded and cordlock closure so the wearer can cinch the bottom of the jacket closed.

Initial Impressions:

            My first impression is wow!  This is a neat jacket.  I put it on as soon as I opened the shipping box and after weighing it on my scale thought wow, that is 12 oz (340 g) I was able to shave off of my total pack weight.

I am a little disappointed with the lack of website information or product literature available. I don’t really know much about this jacket and was unable to find much on it the Internet.  I did a search on Google for Red Ledge Cirrus LT and found nothing of value on the jacket.  The BackpackGearTest.org site where this review is posted was the number one return on the search.

Pro’s

Lightweight

Easily stowable

Con’s

No website or other product information.     

Testing Plan:

I will be testing the jacket in the mountains of the mid Atlantic states this summer/fall.  I have several week long trips planned one of which will take place on the Appalachian Trail in central Virginia as I work toward finishing that section of the AT.  I expect temperatures to range from the low 40’s F (5 C) to the 90’s F (35 C) for most of the summer.  As fall arrives the low temperatures could dip slightly below freezing.

Every month I camp and hike with my scout in the Washington, D.C. region and the jacket will be taken along for those adventures as well.  I expect to have many opportunities to test the capabilities of this jacket, as I tend to have a rain cloud that hovers over me on any outdoors trip.

Specific things I will look for the duration of the test, however, this list is not all inclusive:

Durability:

How well does the fabric stand up to trail abuse?  How well will the fabric hold up under shoulder straps for extended hiking in the rain or cold weather?  How much memory do the elastic cuffs have?  Will I stretch them out permanently if I need to push up the sleeves when I get hot?

Waterproofness:

I thought that this jacket was a rain jacket and so I will test it as such, but my initial impression is that it would not be the best choice for a constant downpour, but is better suited to a light rain.  Testing will tell.  How well does the Red Ledge DWR work?  Is it comparable to other waterproofing materials on the market?

Ventilation:

How breathable is the fabric?  After a strenuous hike, will I be wet inside the jacket from perspiration?

Convenience:

How light is the jacket?  Will it easily fit into the micro pocket on the front left?  Will the hood adjust easily with gloves on?  Does the hood actually hug the head when adjusted or will I just be looking at fabric when I turn my head?

Thanks again to BackpackGearTest and Red Ledge for the opportunity to participate in this test.