1)Tester Background and Contact Information

Name: Curt Peterson
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 270 lb (122 kg)
Email address: curt<at>boopants<dot>com
Location: North Bend, Washington, USA

I live in the Cascade foothills, just 20 mi (32 km) from the Pacific Crest Trail via trails leading right from my backyard. My outdoor time in Washington is spent dayhiking, backpacking, climbing, and skiing everywhere from the Olympic coast to rainforests to Cascade volcanoes to dry steppe.

I played football in college and often evaluate products from a big guy perspective. My typical pack load ranges from 12 - 19 lbs (5.4 - 8.6 kg) and usually includes wet weather gear.

2) Keela Rock Jacket SDP Specifications

Jacket Size: XXL
Jacket Weight: 33.0 oz (935 gm)
Jacket Color: Bluestone/Grey
Manufacturer Website: www.keela.co.uk
MSRP: £120 ($205 US as of 11/05)

3) Keela Rock Jacket SDP Field Report

For an overview of the Keela Rock's technology and my waterproof/breathable jacket background experience, please see my Initial Report.

To date, the Keela Rock jacket has seen plenty of precipitation. We recently went through a 35+ day wet period here in the Cascade foothills. The Rock has been wet on the majority of those days, plus a couple days of snowy weather at Snoqualmie Pass. As far as wet weather testing goes, it's hard to imagine better luck with conditions. Sadly, I can't report anything about how the Keela jacket works in sun and warmth - we haven't had either since about Thanksgiving.

Overall, the Keela Rock Jacket has been a challenging item for me to test. One one hand, it is a very nicely made piece of outerwear designed almost exactly for the weather conditions of the Pacific Northwest. On the other hand, it clashes in numerous ways with my hiking/backpacking style and philosophy. This certainly isn't Keela's fault, as this jacket wasn't made for my personal satisfaction, but it has made the testing frustrating at times.

First of all, the Rock surely seems to work. With temperatures just above freezing with cold, wet, constant rain and snow, I've stayed dry and relatively warm with just a base layer. The wicking liner moves whatever moisture I create away quickly and it gets lost somewhere in the multiple layers of fabric the jacket is constructed from. I have not felt wet or clammy on the interior of the jacket. It is different from any shell I've used. It's not a single layer shell - or even a dual layer - but some sort of 3-4 layer shell with insulation on the shoulders. There's not enough insulation or thick enough layers to be considered an insulation piece - I do get cold just standing around in the jacket - so it really is a unique design. It's sort of a base wicking layer, windshirt-type layer, waterproof layer, shell layer, and shoulder insulation combination all in one.

All of this creates a rather bulky piece of clothing, however. This is where the frustrating part of testing has come for me. Carrying or wearing a 2+ lb (1+ kg) wet jacket is noticeable. I've become accustomed to windshirts that weigh less than a couple energy bars, waterproof-breathable shells that weigh less than a can of soda, and clothing that packs down to about the size of my fist. The Keela Rock jacket is the heaviest thing in my pack. It weighs more than my sleeping bag, it weighs more than my shelter, and it packs larger than the rest of my clothing combined. I realize the Keela Rock Jacket wasn't intended for the lightweight backpacking crowd, (although Keela does promote it as a "lightweight SDP jacket" with "high specification without the weight!") and I don't consider myself an ultralight backpacker by any means, but I still find myself begrudging the hefty Rock in my pack - particularly on a dayhike when it can weigh more than everything else I'm carrying combined. Because of this, I've found it be most useful for simple trail hikes in wet weather where I'm not carrying a backpack or packing the Rock.

The fit continues to be about right on for a true XXL in my opinion. The body has plenty of room, and the arms are nice and long. I'm used to sleeves ending up a bit short of my wrists, but no such problems with the Keela Rock. The shoulders are fine as far as breadth goes, but they are a bit snug around the shoulder and under the armpit. This likely won't be a problem for most users, as I'm pretty huge around the shoulder girdle. The hood fits great on a bare head. There's probably not enough volume for a big hat or a small helmet, but a baseball cap fits just fine.

The feature set is another area that is well-built and works, but is a bit overkill for my personal taste. All the multitude of zippers (9 total) are well placed and work fine with exception of the main zipper. It's a dual-sliding zipper that must be locked together in order to engage. I have had a frustrating time getting it started on all but a couple of occasions. Getting the two sliders to "bite" on the other half of the zipper can be difficult - sometimes taking up to a minute for me to fiddle with it and get it just right. I've checked it for damage and found none, so I believe it's a design thing. I've zipped and unzipped the jacket dozens and dozens of times and this hasn't lessened. Either I'm missing some trick to get it to work, or it's just a really finicky zipper. The armpit zippers only go from the armpit down the side seam. The do not go under the bicep at all. While this does offer some ventilation, I've found long pit zips that extend from elbow to hip bone to be more effective. The pocket zippers all work just fine without problems. The drawcords and toggles, Velcro tabs, and snap closures all work well. If I utilize all the closure systems, it creates quite a fortress, but can make donning and doffing the jacket a time consuming experience. There's a lot going on with this jacket!

Overall, I'd say that the Keela Rock SDP Jacket is about as full-featured a jacket as there is with a design that works, but all this comes at the price of bulk and weight.

4) Test Plan

Typical trips range from 1500 feet (460 meters) on valley trails to over 12,000 feet (3650 meters) on some volcano climbs. The bulk of testing will likely be on the lower end of that range. Temperatures will range from the mid teens F (-10 C) to the mid 50s F (13 C). I will definitely use it in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of the Cascades and the steppe of Central Washington. Other areas will be determined by winter snows and rains. I hope to use it on a backcountry ski touring trip near Mount Rainier.

I will continue to test the Keela Rock Jacket in various conditions and report on performance for these remaining test questions:

1) Feature Set –

• Integral wired peak hood with volume adjustment
• 4 Dual entry front pockets
• Internal O/S Map pocket
• Double stormflap with Velcro closure
• Scooped drop back
• Chin guard
• Velcro adjustable cuffs
• One handed draw puller movement

How do they function? Are they all useful and easy to use? Do the vents stay open, for example? Are the pockets accessible when wearing a pack?

2) Hand – How does the jacket feel? Crunchy? Soft? Slippery? How does it handle washings?

3) Water Accumulation / Drying Time – Does the jacket wet out significantly? Does it get heavy with accumulated water, and how long does it take to dry if it does get saturated? Can body heat dry it out?

4) Breathability - The "Holy Grail" of waterproof-breathable jackets in my opinion. How does it respond to mild activity, moderate activity, and vigorous activity? Can it truly move out liquid moisture as Keela claims? I certainly want to test the Rock Jacket against its claims of performance, but even if it doesn't meet these lofty claims, how does it compare to other waterproof- breathable technologies? Is it an improvement? More breathable? Less?

5) Active Use – How does the Rock Jacket perform in real-world use? Does it bind when lifting arms overhead? Is it comfortable? Clunky? Sleek?

Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Keela for the opportunity to test the Rock Jacket!

Read more reviews of Keela gear
Read more gear reviews by Curt Peterson

Field Report

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