Further details are given in my Initial Report.

Field Experiences

This is a winter jacket, and so far we haven't had any serious winter here on the East Coast of Australia. Testing has been very limited so far, and I eagerly await the snow season.

I have worn the jacket around early in the morning on a couple of day walks when it was fairly cold - a few degrees above freezing. Certainly, with the insulation extended it is quite warm, and retracting the insulation does cool me down a bit. This has been easy to do in the field under non-snow non-glove conditions. I don't know how easy it will be under snow/glove conditions yet.

Something I did notice one cold morning was that the sleeves are not insulated at all. There is the knit lining and the Schoeller outer fabric, but nothing in between. I had cool arms while my trunk was warm. I am not sure this is a good idea for really cold conditions, but I have yet to test it in the snow. There will be room for thermals under the jacket, but I am not sure I can fit a fleece there. On the other hand, the jacket is meant to remove the need for a fleece layer.

I understand the idea of the moving insulation, but I am not sure I like it compressed at my back, between me and the webbing on the frame of my pack. It is usually spread fairly evenly, but if I try to retract the insulation while I am wearing a full pack it can end up a little lumpy, and the cords can be hard to pull. I have to take my pack off to get a smooth retraction. Well, this is not a killer problem.

The rest of the fit - arms, hood and so on, have not been well tested even in the warm weather so far. Neither has the fabric been worn long enough for me to judge the effetcs of pack strap wear.

Test Plan

I have taken the jacket on a couple of day trips and been able to wear it briefly in the early mornings, but real testing will have to wait for the snow to arrive in our Alps. Hopefully (!), this will be soon now. We often have some filthy weather to contend with there. Our Alpine terrain is up to 2200 m (7,200') and can range from way sub-freezing (down to -20 C, -4 F) to 'slightly warm' (in winter). Winds exceed 100 kph (60 mph) quite frequently, and have been recorded over 250 kph (155 mph) a few times. This is where I hope it will perform rather well - I'll be inside it.

Rather brief results so far are as follows:

• Overall comfort: do I 'like it'?
  No major problems, but very limited testing done.
• Warmth: what extra clothing do I need inside the jacket?
  The lack of any insulation layer in the arms has surprised me. I will certainly need thermals: I hope they are enough.
• Ease of operation of the cords manipulating the insulation with a pack on
• Comfort with insulation retracted and a pack on

Not sure about having the insulation between me and a full pack, and sometimes it has been dificult to get it smoothed out.

The rest of these will have to wait for snow trips - soon.

• Fit: fairly close, so how does this work in the field?
• Hood design: does the generous size restrict my vision at all?
• Hood design: does the wide opening leave my face too exposed in a storm?
• Zipper: inside flap but no storm flap: how does this handle bad weather?
• Zip and cord pulls: how well do these work with ski mitts on?
• Bungee cord and cordlocks: do these work well in the field with one hand - or mitts?
• Outer fabric: is it strong enough to take a little work - like pack straps while ski touring?
• Outer Fabric: how well does it breathe, and how quickly does it dry?
• Inner fabric: how well does it survive?
• Wrists: are the rubber tabs easy to use in the field?

Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > Versalayer Ability Softshell > Roger Caffin > Field Report