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Reviews > Rain Gear > Jackets and Pants > Outdoor Research Zealot Jacket > Roger Caffin > Field Report
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| Reviewer: | Roger Caffin |
| Age: | 59 |
| Gender: | M |
| Weight: | 61 kg (134 lb) |
| Height: | 166 cm (65") |
| Email address: | r dot [surname] at acm dot org |
| Home: | Sydney, Australia |
I started bushwalking (the Australian term) at 14, then took up rock climbing at University with the girl who became my wife and is my walking partner. Later on we took up ski touring and canyoning. Winter and summer, we prefer long hard trips by ourselves: about a week in Australia, up to two months in Europe/UK. We prefer fast and light in unfrequented trackless country. We would be out for at least three months a year. Over the last four years we have reduced our pack weights from 18 - 20 kg (40 - 45 lb) each to about 12 kg (26 lb), including food, for week-long trips. I designed and made much of our lightweight gear myself.
I am also the maintainer of the Australian aus.bushwalking FAQ web site www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/.
| Manufacturer | Outdoor Research | www.orgear.com |
| Country of manufacture | China | |
| Style | Medium length alpine jacket, or 'storm shell' | |
| Size | Medium, 'Wasabi' (ie green) | |
| Material | 15 denier Gore-Tex PacLite | |
| Features claimed: | Fully seam-taped | |
| Narrow seam tape | ||
| Separating water-resistant front zip | ||
| Single, rear-pull, hood adjustment | ||
| Slash Napoleon chest pocket | ||
| Hem drawcord | ||
| Weight (measured) | 211 g (7.44 oz) | |
| Guarantee | 'Infinite Guarantee' | |
| MSRP | US$199 | |
The company web site says: "This spartan design brings waterproof/breathable performance down to the weight of a windshell. Ultralight 15D Gore-Tex® PacLite® fabric and narrow taped seams offer excellent protection while keeping the Zealot’s packed profile to a minimum. A slash napoleon chest pocket with a water-resistant zipper keeps maps and GU packets close at hand. The single, rear-pull hood adjustment offers a full-range of foul-weather adjustability. A double-separating, water-resistant front zipper maximizes venting without adding unnecessary bulk. Elastic cuff closures and a drawcord hem adjustment repel weather on stormy alpine descents."
The Zealot has been taken on many walks during the Field Report period. Unfortunately the East Coast of Australia (where I live) has had a drought during that period, so there has been only a little rain to test the jacket. (Some 94% of the state of NSW has been declared under serious drought recently.) We are moving into winter as I write this, and I expect to be using the Zealot in the snow - if and when that arrives. Sadly, the snow picture above was taken shortly before the Zealot arrived for testing! That doesn't mean the jacket hasn't been worn. I have worn it some in really cold weather - not that we have had a lot of that so far. I have sprayed it with a hose, and of course the fabric didn't leak, but that says little. But at least I have been able to evaluate it for things like comfort and functionality.
The jacket is quite comfortable to wear, and I think the lightness and softness of the fabric has a lot to do with this. I find I am not always really aware it is on me. I can wave my arms around freely without dragging the jacket around. This is starkly different from what one of those old 800 g (20 oz) three-layer Gore-Tex Taslan jackets was like.
I haven't had the hood on much, but the few times when I used it confirmed my initial impression that it is quite large. In a way, the large size can be a problem, but (fortunately) it's really adjustable by means of the two drawcords. Being so large it obviously doesn't drag on my head. However, there is no such thing as the perfect hood, and this one has several 'problems'. The first is that it is indeed rather large and the brim can fall over my eyes if I don't fine-tune the adjustment of the rear drawcord. The second is the way the throat comes right up above my chin at the front: this can collect rain if I allow the throat to stick out in front of my chin. It behaves a bit like a funnel. The third is the 'waterproof' zip which comes right up the front of the throat: it is rather stiff and I can really feel it at my chin. Looking at these three 'problems', and I have used quote marks deliberately here, I think they have a common source. The hood seems to be designed for seriously bad weather rather than light showers: it is meant to be used done up in a blizzard. In light rainy weather I would have to have the chin region wide open when walking or I would boil in a sauna inside, so none of these 'problems' would be encountered then. So I don't think these 'problems' are all real problems. I will wait until I have used the Zealot in some bad weather in the snow before making further comment.
The length is fine: not too short and not too long. In bad weather I think I would need to wear some overtrousers as well, but I haven't been able to test this properly.
The waterproof front zipper is a bit stiff and has been a bit of a pain to get started every time. It seems to take me several tries (each time) before I get the two ends joined properly and can move the slider up. I think this may be due to the heavy plastic coating on the zip fabric. Once I have the ends joined properly the zip seems to slide fairly reliably. I do ask myself each time I struggle to get the zip started whether a non-waterproof zip with a storm flap would be better. Testing so far has been done under 'moderate' conditions; I am concerned the zipper may become a bigger problem in winter conditions when the plastic coating is cold and covered in snow. I haven't been able to gauge whether the zipper really is waterproof yet: I haven't had really good rain yet. I will wait until it has been in heavy rain and caked with snow before commenting further.
I am not sure about the simple elastic closure on the cuffs. They are comfortable, but the elastic means I can't open up the sleeves when I am a bit warm. This can make the jacket less than perfect under mild conditions. With other jackets I often leave the sleeve open to let the hot air and sweat out. On the other hand the sleeves seem to be long enough that I can pull my hands inside the sleeve when it is really cold. With the elastic around my wrist the end of the sleeve folds under a bit, and water running down my sleeve drips off rather than running onto my hands. I am not sure whether this can be described as a deliberate design feature, but it is fine by me. Mind you, this needs further testing in rain and snow.
I haven't found much use for the Napolean pocket so far, but that may be because I rarely carry anything in jacket pockets. I have found them to be good water-buckets in the past. However, the waterproof zip may change this - I don't know at this stage.
The bungee cord anchors are attached to the jacket, and in theory the bungee cord can be adjusted with one hand. Well, it isn't that simple: the cord locks really drag, and it can be hard grabbing the small knotted end sticking out when the hem is fully expanded. I want to see how well this works in the snow when I am wearing gloves. So far, I remain unconvinced that is going to work all that well. That said, I can always use two hands, so there is no problem here.
I have deliberately not dragged the jacket through our worse scrub as I want to test it in the snow.
My Test Plan has been to take the jacket on trips, and this I have done, but the weather has not been hugely cooperative so far. We are now moving into winter here in Australia, and I will be able to take this jacket into the snow, and this is where I hope it will perform rather well.
Our local terrain is from sea level to about 1000 m (3300'); some of it (up top) is harsh and rocky while other bits can be wet rainforest (valley bottom). Temperatures range from near zero to very hot. But we have had a drought this year. Our Alpine terrain is up to 2200 m (7,200'), has typical alpine soils, and can range from way sub-freezing to slightly warm in winter (which means the snow melts).
My very limited results so far are as follows:
I have not yet been able to test the following sufficiently yet:
