Red Ledge Elite Parka

Long Term Report
August 2, 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 have put 166 miles (267 km) with a pack on my back so far this 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

Since my Field Report I have used the Elite Parka in the San Jacinto area (now snow free) for a few trips. The temperatures ranged from 48 F to 82 F (9 to 28 C). I have taken it in my pack on every backpacking trip and day hike I have gone on since beginning testing. This means that they have been carried but not taken out on hikes in O’Neil and Casper Regional Parks and the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness area also.

Field Observations

While I have carried the Elite with me on every hike it has not seen much use as rain gear. The only times it has rained has been at night. Once in Round Valley I awoke to the sound of rain hitting the MSR Fling tent I was testing. While I welcomed the rain to check the integrity of the tent I found myself hoping that it would last until morning. (Yes, testing has made me crazy.) Alas, it was not to be.

On one trip as I was getting a permit the Ranger told me, “You know that there is a 40% chance of thunderstorms while you are going to be there?” When I said that not only did I know but was looking forward to it as I was testing the Elite gear, she looked at me like I was a few carabiners short of a full rack. But the only rain I saw lasted for about three minutes. I did not even get to take them out of the pack.

I have used it as a windbreaker and layering piece on all the trips though. I like to hike in shorts and short sleeves. Rather than carry long clothes to wear in the early morning and at night when the temps drop I just have my rain gear do double duty. This saves both weight and space in my pack. The Elite works very well in this regard. The venting options let me tailor it to just where I need to stay warm or cool enough. I use it in the same manner if I hike over a cold windy pass and find myself getting chilled.

(Note: this was added after I had turned this report in.) Well I just got to really use the Elites. I went to the San Gorgonio Wilderness for an overnighter to climb a couple of peaks. Here are some excerpts from my hiking log.

“From there I climbed San Bernardino Peak (10649’, 3246 m) where I had lunch and visited with a couple of day-hikers. It started raining sending everyone scrambling for rainwear. For the first time in a hiking situation I got to pull out the Elite rain gear. I keep the pants unzipped on the sides from the cuff to the upper thigh so had them on over my boots in about five seconds. <snip> As I got to Anderson Flat it started raining again. I put back on my rain gear. I had just started walking again when a lightning strike hit about fifty feet (15 m) to my left and 10-15 vertical feet (4 m) higher than me. <snip> I booked back down the trail towards Trail Fork Spring again just to get a hundred feet down from the ridge and away from more lightning. It had started really pouring and then hailing on me. <snip> I hiked back up towards the peaks, the rain gear back off as I get too hot with it on while ascending. I watched the clouds and when there was a break in them with some clearing in the area I was at I started booking along the ridge. I could hear a lot of activity behind me, most likely on San Gorgonio which is another 1000’ (300 m) higher. Right as I approached East SB Peak it started raining again. By now I had the Elites strapped on the outside of my pack so it was a quick donning and I kept going.”

So as can be seen I got to make up for the lack of use in a hurry. I did get too hot climbing in the coat. It was fine while descending or traversing but the exertion of climbing causes to much heat for even the vents to overcome, and I would take them off as soon as I could. Below is a picture taken on top of San Bernardino Peak when it first started raining. The lightning has not started as I am smiling.

In conclusion I like the Elite Parka. The multitude of venting and wearing options make this a welcome addition to my hiking gear. It is going to remain my first choice for the foreseeable future. While the breathabilty of the 2.5 Fabric does not seem to be borne out while hiking, it does not fare any worse (and in some cases is somewhat better) than the comparable fabrics that I have used in the past.

Pros: Excellent venting options, waterproof, hide-away hood

Cons: Not as breathable as alluded to

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