Red Ledge Elite Parka
Long Term Report – July 29, 2006
Tester Information:
Name: Jason Boyle
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 6"/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Chest: 42”/ 107 cm
Sleeve: 28"/ 71 cm (from the middle of my chest to my wrist)
Email address: c4jc "at" hotmail "dot" com
City, State, Country: Snoqualmie, WA, U. S.
Backpacking Background:
I have been camping and backpacking for about 18 years. My introduction to the outdoors started with the BSA and has continued as an adult. I have hiked mostly in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. I am generally a lightweight hiker, but will carry extras to keep me comfortable. I have recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and spend most of my time hiking and backpacking in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, but I can be found exploring the other wild areas of Washington!
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Product Information:
Manufacturer: Red Ledge
Model: Elite Parka
Size: Large (received) also available in XS - XXL
Color: Firefly/Quart, other color options available
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL: www.redledge.com
Listed weight: none listed
Measured weight: 12 oz/ 340 g
Fabric Content:
Lamination: T-Core LX®:25 layer waterproof/breathable with wicking/protective raised microprint
Seams: 100% taped
Shell: Diamond shadow ripstop nylon with DWR (durable water repellent) finish
MSRP: $119.99 U.S.
Country of Manufacture: China
Product Description:
The Red Ledge Elite Parka is a rain jacket, no doubt about it! It has the following features as listed on the hangtag that came attached to the jacket: Exterior storm flap, Pit zips, Detachable hood with peripheral vision, roll away function and adjustable drawcords, Micro-tricot lined collar, Two zip pockets with mesh lining, contoured cuffs with Velcro closures, Adjustable drawstring at the waist. The hangtag also has the size, warranty, and seam sealing process information. For more information please see my initial and field reports.
Field Conditions:
Summer has arrived in the Pacific Northwest and that means a lack of precipitation. Based on the previous statement, I have used the parka on two trips since my last report; a mountaineering trip to the top of Mt. Colchuck, and on a three day backpacking trip. Both trips were in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness a part of the Mt. Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest. Elevation ranged from sea level to 8507’ (2593 m), temperatures ranged from 75 F to 31 F (24 C to -1 C), and like I said falling precipitation was zero.
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Summary:
The Red Ledge Elite Parka has performed well over the past four months. The durability of the jacket has been excellent. My only complaint is that it can be quite hot during aerobic activities such up hill hiking, especially if the temperatures increase above 50 F (10 C).
Long Term Results:
The durability of the Elite Parka has been excellent. I have worn the jacket on and off trail with no issues. I used it on my mountaineering trip without the issues that I had with the Elite Pants mostly due to the fact that I did not wear it while scrambling up to the summit of Mt. Colchuck.
I have been able to use the parka for multiple functions. It has done very well at shedding rain during the soggy spring that I experienced here in Washington State. As summer arrived, the precipitation went away, but I still carried the jacket as an extra layer to wear at night. I would not wear this jacket during a summer rain storm if I was actually hiking because I would end up wet either way and I would rather be wet from the rain. The jacket is not breathable enough to offset the sweat that I would produce while hiking in the heat. If I am in camp or waiting out a storm while stationary, I would definitely wear the parka.
The parka’s features all functioned as advertised. All of the zippers continue to operate smoothly and there are no problems with any of the pockets or the hood. I never did launder the jacket, but left it hung up in the garage. I don’t like to launder rain gear unless I absolutely have to, as washing can remove the DWR (durable water repellent) finish. The campfire smell I mentioned in my field report dissipated with time.
Improvements:
None at the moment
Test Plan:
I examined the Red Ledge Elite Parka on the following characteristics over the last four months. My answers are in blue
Durable:
- How durable is the RL proprietary 2.5 layer fabric in the parka? I did not experience any problems over the test period.
- I tend to lean against whatever is available when resting be it a rock or tree. Do I need to worry about easily tearing or puncturing the fabric? See above.
- Do I need to be overly concerned with off trail hiking? I did not experience any problems, and purposefully stayed away from anything I thought would damage the parka.
Usefulness:
- It can be extremely wet here and rain for days on end. Is the parka able to take rain day after day? Yes, it dries out pretty good in my tent overnight. It is not perfectly dry the next day, but is drier.
- How breathable is the Parka? Not very good in warm weather or while doing aerobic activities.
- Can I hike uphill without getting drenched in sweat? Not really unless temperatures are close to freezing.
Parka Specific Questions:
- How easy are the pit zips to open? Easy.
- Can they be opened with one hand? Not really. The pit zips require the sleeve to be taut to be opened and this usually requires both hands.
- How easy is the front zipper to open? Easy.
- Does it allow water to penetrate the jacket? I do not believe any precipitation has penetrated any of the zippers.
- Are the chest pockets waterproof? Yes, I have not had any precipitation penetrate into the chest pockets.
- Is the hood articulated? It has bungee cords to adjust the hood .
- Will it move easily with me while wearing a ball cap? It moves easily with me.
- Is it stylish enough that I can wear it around Seattle? Most definitely!
Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Red Ledge for allowing me to participate in this test.
Read more reviews of Red Ledge gear
Read more gear reviews by Jason Boyle
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