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Personal Biographical Information:

Name:	James E. Triplett
Age:	46
Gender:	Male
Height:	6' 2" (188 cm)
Weight:	199 lb (90.3 kg)
Chest (relaxed):	42" (107 cm)
Shoulder circumference:	49" (124 cm)
Sleeve length:	35" (89 cm)
Email address:	james_triplett@hotmail.com
City, State:	Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Backpacking Background:

I am an experienced hiker, backpacker, and camper, and am gaining more experience with winter camping every year.  I hike every day, and backpack when possible, which leads to many weekends backpacking and camping each year.  I try and take at least one annual week-long backpacking trip in addition to many one to three-night weekend trips.   My style can best be described as lightweight, but not at the cost of giving up too much comfort.  I generally sleep in a tent, and seem to be collecting quite a few of them to choose from.

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Manufacturer Information:

Manufacturer:	Red Ledge
Phone:	1-800-722-7345
URL:	www.redledge.com

Product Information:

Year of Manufacture:	2006
Date Item Received:	March 28, 2006

Item being tested:	Red Ledge Elite Parka
Model Number:	18620
Size:	Extra Large
MSRP: per www.redledge.com	$119.99 US
Color:	Firefly/Quartz
Listed Weight:	None given
Actual weight:	14.6 oz (414 g)

Additional Product information:
    (from the Red Ledge website)

Fabric:

• Lamination:
  • T-Core LX®:2.5 layer waterproof/breathable with wicking/protective raised microprint
    
• Seams:
  • 100% taped
• Shell:
  • Diamond shadow ripstop nylon with DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish
    

Features:

• Exterior storm flap
• Pit-zips for ventilation
• Attached hood with peripheral vision adjustment, roll away function and adjustable drawcords"
• Micro-tricot lined collar
• Two zip pockets with mesh lining for ventilation
• Adjustable drawcord at hem
• Center Back Length (Large): 30" (76 cm)
  

Colors and Sizes:

• Cinder/Smoke, Firefly/Quartz, Laser Red/Cinder, Maritime, Obsidian, Vapor/Lagoon
  
• Sizes: XS-XXL

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REVIEW:

Please also see my Initial and Field reports for more information and additional pictures.

Test Conditions:
Early in the test period I wore the Red Ledge Elite Parka on a daily basis because of the cool temperatures.  As spring turned in to summer, I reserved the Elite Parka for use only in the rain.  The temperature range for the test period has been from around 42 to 90 F (5.5 to 32 C), and the location of these hikes has been predominantly in Eastern Iowa where the elevation is approximately 860 feet (262 meters).  I must admit that any testing done in temperatures higher than 80 F (27 C) was very short-lived as the conditions inside the rain jacket were just too warm.  The jacket has been used for hiking and backpacking on dirt trails, through brush, on rock or gravel trails in light to heavy rain.  The terrain has been flat to hilly, without any dramatic climbs.  I have also used the Red Ledge Elite Parka on some trails in Missouri where the elevation is approximately 530 feet (162 meters). 

Early in the test period I layered the Elite Parka over multiple under layers including both short and long-sleeved wicking shirts.  As it got warmer I primarily wore the Elite Parka over a single short-sleeved wicking shirt or a cotton blend t-shirt.

Note - for the Red Ledge Elite Full Zip Pant reports please follow this link.



Test Results:
The Red Ledge Elite Parka is a nice jacket.  It is well made and provides superior rain protection.  After a total of about four hours in heavy rain, and another eight or more in light to moderate rain, the jacket has kept me completely dry.  No rain has penetrated the jacket at all.  In the cooler portion of the test period the jacket also provided superior wind blocking ability, and kept me warm when used as a camp jacket.

While hiking down the trail in the Red Ledge Elite Parka I noticed that it is quieter than the Elite Pants which are also being tested.  In cooler conditions I zip the main zipper all the way up, secure the Velcro cuffs around my wrists, and pull the cinch cords (one on each side) to tighten the hem around my hips.  This traps my body heat and within a few minutes I am generally toasty warm.  This occurs even faster when carrying a backpack.  If it is raining the hood adds additional protection and warmth.  I really like the hood design with the cord-lock at the back of my head.  The design keeps the hood fairly close to my head, the small brim keeps the rain out of my eyes, and visibility is pretty good.

Once I am warm I systematically reverse the process with the zipper, cuffs, and draw-cord.  If I remain warm I also unzip the generous pit-zips under each arm.  I have found that the hood can be extracted from the collar, while wearing the jacket, with a little effort.  The pit-zips can be unzipped easily, although zipping them back up with the jacket on is more of a challenge.  Generally I just wait until I have the jacket off to zip the pit-zips and store the hood in preparation for the next adventure.

The extra-large Elite Parka fits me well, although the sleeves are a little too long.  I prefer this over having them too short, and this actually helps keep the backs of my hands dry in the rain.  The two site pockets are easy to zip and unzip, and are roomy enough to put my hands in while heading down the trail.  The only problem I have had is with the main zipper.  It sticks about four inches (10 cm) from the top when I am zipping it up.  There isn't any fabric caught in it, and most of the time I just force it all the way up while experiencing a grinding phenomena.  The strange thing is that about one out of every ten tries, it goes up fine.  I have not been able to isolate the cause of this issue.

As I mentioned, the Elite Parka is indeed waterproof.  The trade off for this waterproofness is that the jacket doesn't breathe much, if at all.  That is where the ventilation option of the jacket comes into play.  Even in temperatures as cool as 45 F (7 C) I have overheated with the Elite Parka on.  In addition to the pit-zips, the Elite Parka has mesh pockets which also allow air inside the jacket, and the mesh runs up the front of the jacket on the inside for additional opportunities for ventilation.  Unfortunately there isn't any way to secure the pockets open to promote this airflow.



Summary:
The Red Ledge Elite Parka performs extremely well at its intended purpose of shedding water.  It also has proven to be effective at blocking wind and trapping body heat.  This can be good or bad depending on the conditions.  Ventilation is seemingly well thought-out, with massive pit-zips, and vents in the pockets; however the jacket still traps heat despite these features.  That being said, I really like the Elite Parka.  It is comfortable, stylish, well made, and will be my first choice for severe weather as it is rock-solid at keeping the rain out.

Thank you Red Ledge and BackpackGearTest for allowing my participation in this test series.



Respectfully submitted,

-James T.

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