Red Ledge Elite Parka

Field Report
June 8, 2006

Tester Information

Name: Raymond Estrella
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Height: 6' 3" (193 cm)
Weight: 210 lb (95 kg)
Email address: rayestrella@hotmail.com
City: Huntington Beach
State: California
Country: USA 

Backpacking Background: I have been hiking for over 30 years, all over the state of California. I have also hiked in Washington, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona, and Idaho. I hike year-round, mostly in the Sierra Nevada, and put 555 miles (894 km) on my boots last year.  As I start my 4th decade of backpacking I am making the move to lightweight gear, and smaller packs.

The product

Manufacturer: Red Ledge
Web site: www.redledge.com
Product: Elite Parka
Style: 18620
Year manufactured: 2006
MSRP: $110.00 (US)
Weight: 14.3 oz (405 g)
Color tested: Obsidian
Other colors available: Cinder/Smoke, Firefly/Quartz, Laser Red/Cinder, Maritime, Vapor/Lagoon
Warranty: (Quoted from hang tag) “All Red Ledge products are fully warranted to the original owner against defects in material and workmanship.”

For a thorough description of the Elite Parka, please see my Initial Report.

Field Conditions

I have used the Elite Parka in the area surrounding Mount San Jacinto three times for spring “winter condition” hikes. The temperatures ranged from 33 F to 55 F (0 C to 13 C) at 8,200’ to 10,200’ (2,500 to 3,110 m) elevation. I was in 5’ (1.5 m) of snow. I have taken it in my pack on every backpacking trip and day hike I have gone on since I got it.

I had it on a hike in the Bristlecone Pine Forest at the end of May where the temps ranged from 28 F to 48 F (-2 to 9 C) and wind speeds up to 17 mph (27 kph). Elevations up to 13,200’ (4,023 m).

I wore it in Minnesota for a couple of rainy days in April with temps in the mid to high 40’s F (8 C), and again in May, with the temps up to 70 F (21 C) I have been using it as my everyday rain coat at home in Huntington Beach, which has been getting more rain than normal.

Field Use

On San Jacinto, it did not snow or rain, but the wind was blowing 4-7 mph (6-11 kph) and I put the Elite on as a wind shell over a mid-weight thermal top. It did a fine job of blocking the wind. Later as the temp dropped I put a Mountain Hardwear Phantom down jacket (see review) under it, making for a toasty warm package. Here is a picture from that trip.

On the hike to White Mountain I used it every day as a shell for the wind, which got up to 17 mph (27 kph). On this trip I did some major climbing, working up one heck of a sweat. My pack was 47 lb (21.3 kg) and up (I was retrieving a cache) on that trip. The pit zips and pocket vents work very well at venting my core. But the sweat would build up on my arms, coating the inside of the sleeves. And once there it would not dissipate without my taking the jacket off and turning the sleeves inside-out to expose it to the outside. In cold winter type conditions it does not “breathe” enough to notice. Here is a picture from that trip, sitting in the snow in the Elites while Dave cooks snow (melts water). MSR Fling tent is in the background.

I have had a hard time finding rain when hiking during this test. (I know, bummer, right?) So I have taken it with me for my monthly eight day trips to Minnesota hoping to use it while my kindergartner twins are in school. I have gotten to wear it in the rain there a few times, but not in a hiking situation. So the results are skewed in my opinion.

The Elites perform in normal rainy situations very well. As good as any rain wear I have ever owned. I have not seen any leaks during these “civilized” outings. The breathable claims in these situations seem to be held up quite well. I have not noticed any build up of moisture when wearing them around town. Moorhead Minnesota (where I spend my week with my children) is known for their high winds. The Elite rain gear blocks it very well. So far the wind speed has reached up to 35-40 mph (56-64 kph) while I have been wearing it there.

As part of the testing I walked four miles in it to work in Huntington Beach California. The temp was 55 F (13 C), wind at 6 mph (9.7 kph) and 80% humidity. Completely cloudy, I was hoping for rain. I left at 4:15 A.M. so that the sun would not affect the test. I started out with everything zipped up. I walked at a 4 mile (6.4 km) pace, with no load (pack). I wore only a t-shirt underneath it.

With the Elite Parka (I was wearing the pants also) I started getting warm at two miles. At three miles I had a layer of moisture building up inside of the sleeves. Shortly thereafter, I opened the pit-zips and lowered the front zipper 1/3 of the way down. That stopped the over-heating and the sweating. I finished the walk with it on. At the end I turned the jacket inside–out. The sleeves were very wet. Even though I stopped the sweating, the material could not wick or evaporate the moisture away.

As it did not come with a stuff sack, I got a small sil-nylon sack to keep it in. It packs down well. I get it to a package that measures 7 x 4 x 5 in. (18 x 12 x 13 cm).

I have no complaints about the durability of the Elites at this point. I have put some big miles with a heavy pack over them with no problem. They show no signs of wear or abuse from the shoulder straps and back pads.

Summer hiking is upon us now, and I will see how the Elites handle Sierra thunderstorms in the ensuing test period. I can’t wait!

I would like to thank Red Ledge and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test this parka.

Here is a pic wearing the Elites as a winter shell on San Jacinto.