Soft shell
Product 2016
Man
Out climbing on long pitches you need a light jacket stuffed at the bottom of your pack just in case the weather kicks up. The All Free Jacket was designed for just that. Lightweight, soft shell, it’s perfect for a summer pitch, when the wind kicks in or when the route passes into the shade, or both. The cut is well fitted and the stretchy material gives free movement. If you buy over the Internet be careful of sizing, US sizes are slightly larger, and as it’s usually for climbing a snug fit is preferable.
It is really comfortable and breathable and resists a light scattering of rain. Does the job keeping the wind out even if you feel the breeze during gusty winds (the constant dilemma of breathable/waterproof balance in this case favors breathability, …) For the rest, the collar is high enough to protect the whole of the neck , there is a zipped security pocket, the ingenious spiral-seam construction on the stretchy cuff allows the sleeves to push up easily without constricting your forearms. Two front hand warmer pockets without zips. The advantage of no zip means no rubbing on your arms when your hands are in your pockets.
But, rather inconveniently, if you slide the pockets under the harness or under a backpack waist belt they end up sagging open and catching on everything that passes, more importantly they can hook onto or unhook the carabiners, or create bulging fabric so it hides the harness, or fills up with dirt, leaves, magnesium… Zips would have been a better choice. The straight cut of the jacket finishes with a draw cord for tightening that you activate from inside the hand warmer pockets using lateral hem cinches. A trendy looking jacket but too pricey for its low quality/price/technicity ratio.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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