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Testing Location
Overview: The hiking environment of the south-west of Western Australia
allows for hiking and backpacking from coastal plains to forest.
Elevation ranges from 0 to 585 metres (0 to 1,920 feet). Within this region, I hike in varying
conditions from forestry roads, to sandy tracks to single-purpose walking
trails, to rock hopping, to beach walking to completely off-track walking
through open and dense country.
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Weather Conditions: During the summer period, daytime
temperatures average 30 C (86 F), whereas from March through to December the daytime average temperatures range from 15 C to 26 C (59 F to 79 F). During the
autumn, winter, and spring periods the normal weather pattern is fairly
wet with frequent heavy rainstorms evident. It does not normally snow in
Western Australia.
According to The Times Atlas of the World (Concise Edition - Revised 1997)
our weather is described as being "Mediterranean - rainy climates with mild
winters, coolest month above 0 C (32 F), but below 18 C (64 F); warmest
month above 10 C (50 F)." The atlas depicts the coastal area north of
Los Angeles as having the same climate.
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Receipt of the
Red Ledge Cirrostratus Jacket:
The jacket was received in excellent
condition without any evidence of damage. No documentation was included
with the jacket other than two hangtags. One hangtag lists features of the
Cirrostratus jacket and the other hangtag provides details on the T-Core
waterproof breathable coating applied to the jacket's shell.
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First
Impressions of the
Red Ledge Cirrostratus Jacket:
First impressions. In the words of my
son, this jacket is "hell light." Other notable things about the
jacket are the softness of the outer shell, the silky feel of the inner
liner and how small the zips are. I must admit that I had to recheck the
hangtag to confirm the claim that the jacket is 100% waterproof as my
initial impression was of a lightweight "spray" jacket.
How does the product compare to my
expectations based on the manufacturer's website? Well I don't have any
expectations based on the website, as at the time of writing, the
Red Ledge website is under construction.
The Cirrostratus jacket has four
features according to the hangtag. Namely:
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Hood with peripheral vision
adjustment and roll away function;
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Left chest zip pocket
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Two lower zip pockets
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One hand adjustable draw cord at hem.
The primary feature of the jacket is
the shell or outer coating. Summarising the T-Core hangtag, the
coating was developed using Japanese components and technology. It is claimed that there is a significant increase in breathability brought about by
increasing the count of Micro-pores in the multiple layers of waterproof
and breathable polyurethane. This means, according to Red Ledge that
T-Core breathes almost as well under wet conditions as in dry conditions.
 That said, it seems that washing of the
jacket, will over time, reduce the effectiveness of the T-Core coating, with
an estimated 20% reduction in performance after 10 home
launderings. However, water repellency can be restored by tumble drying
and then finishing with a warm iron (110 C / 230 F).
Finally the jacket, as with all Red
Ledge products, is "fully warranted to the original owner against
defects in material and workmanship. If a product fails due to a
manufacturing defect, even after extended use, we will repair or replace
at our option" (hangtag).
The above is the manufacturer's take on
the jacket. Following is my take. As I have already indicated, I
find the shell (outer) very soft to the touch, not quite what I have in
mind when thinking waterproof jacket. That said, testing will
determine its effectiveness. Bring on the rain Hughie. Turning to
the jacket itself. As outlined on the hangtag, the jacket has a hood which
stows into its own zip-pocket which rests at the back of the neck.
The hood has a brim. The brim is not supported in any way, e.g., cord sewn
into the edge. The hood has a "peripheral vision adjustment" which
is in effect a draw cord mounted on the back of the hood (see photo below). Pulling this
tight will draw the top of the hood tight and down onto one's head.
 Running down the front of the jacket is
a full-length YKK brand of zip, a well known brand. The zip runs
from the hem right up to the top of the collar which sits under the chin.
The zip is quite small (no size sorry) compared to zips I have experienced on
other jackets including the Red Ledge Voyager and Australian designed
Gore-Tex jackets. I suspect the relatively small zip is part of the design
moves to reduce the weight of the jacket. I wonder how functional the zip will
be? This will be explored further in testing. The zip is protected
by a flap on both the inside and outside. This means that when zipped up,
the zip is enclosed in two flaps made of the outer shell material. In
addition a small fold is sewn into the outer flap at the collar to provide a lid
to the closed up zip. There are no press-studs or Velcro style fasteners to hold the outer flap in place. Initial inspection indicates
that the zip seems to function okay without snagging and the flaps sit
appropriately.
At the hem of the jacket is what Red
Ledge describes as a "one hand adjustable draw cord." There are actually two
toggles on the hem, one sitting on the left and one on the right which I assume
are to provide access to which ever hand is free.
The sleeve cuffs are 50% elasticised
and 50% Velcro closure allowing for tightening up of the sleeve against
the wrist. The sleeve cuffs are the only place where Velcro is used
on the jacket. A plus in my view, having
experienced once too often Velcro catching on everything but what it is
supposed to do.
The jacket has three pockets; a left
chest zip pocket and two lower zip pockets. The left chest zip
pocket is approximately 12.5 cm x 21.5 cm (5 in x 8.5 in) and the lower
zip pockets are approximately 16 cm x 23 cm (6 in x 9 in) each. Neither
pocket's zips are protected by a rain flap, however the zips are sewn in
such away, that when the zip is closed, the jacket material "seals" over
the zip, covering the zip itself. This gives the impression of
acting like a flap, thus providing a seal against the weather. Testing
will determine the veracity of this assumption.
It terms of overall finish, all the
stitching appears straight and clean with no loose threads or unfinished
hems. All up the finish looks good to me.
Well that pretty much describes the
jacket. There are some features that the jacket does not have. Namely
there is no inner map pocket, there is no stowage pocket for the jacket,
no draw cord for the neck collar and no seam sealing evident. Will this be
an issue? Find out in my upcoming reports.
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Concerns/Comments
in respect of the
Red Ledge Cirrostratus Jacket:
There
are three aspects of the jacket which are of concern given my initial
inspection:
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I am concerned about the lack of
draw cord for the collar. My initial impressions suggest possible exposure
to rain leaking in through the neck;
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I am also concerned about the
durability of the material in West Australian bush which can be
aggressive; and
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I am concerned about the durability and
ease of use of the zips. They just seem too small to survive the rough and
tumble of life in the bush.
My testing will examine the veracity of
my concerns along with focusing on a number of other aspects, which are
outlined below:
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Testing strategy:
As well as examining my concerns, my
testing will focus on amongst other matters, the following:
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Durability of the DWR (Durable Water
Repellency) finish of the jacket, particularly after washing;
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Overall waterproofness of the jacket;
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Waterproofness of the pocket zips;
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Ease of use of the hood particularly in
terms of getting it out and putting it away;
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Functioning of the hood in terms of
providing wet weather protection and keeping rain off my glasses;
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Ease of use of the hem draw cords.
The above will be tested over the life
of the test program, i.e., six-months.
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