OK, let's get this jacket and gloves part of the review rolling.
The Jacket: *
3/26/19 update: First Lite gave this Jacket a name and released it to the public: https://www.firstlite.com/brooks-down-sweater-preview.html
Jacket is my term, as FL is calling this piece a "Sweater". To me, a sweater is something my wife makes me wear to the Christmas party, is knitted by grandma, and isn't windproof. This garment is none of that...Who knows, maybe the definition is changing but I'd tell FL to think of another name. Once I got over the
nomenclature issue, I found this new piece is going to be a hit. Why? Let me count the reasons:
1) Light (I'll get you a weight later today).
2) Very compressible (as it's thin)
3) Warm, like virtually all down garments I've worn
4) The Large it me very well in the hood, chest, arms, and length (size medium, I'm 180lbs, 5'9", with short legs, longer torso), but I wear a medium in the Uncompahgre, so not sure what's up with that difference or even how Callahan knew to send me a large as we did not discuss it.
5) Made for a complete layering system when combined with my Fuse baselayer (medium wt), on the skin, this "sweater" above that, and the Uncompahgre Puffy as my outlayer. I also ran it with their Boundary Stormlight Jacket when hiking, leaving the Uncompahgre in the pack. With these four upper garments, I'd estimate the system will take an active western hunter into sub-zero, stationary to mid-teens (rough estimates).
Here's some pics:
I like the extra length in the back, not cumbersome but there to cover you when you sit down
The hood is roomy and stays out of my vision. It has a brim and it works, but I prefer a 360 degree brim, hence the Stetson Crushable. This hood is so thin with justjust the down filling that I was able to wear my Stetson over top of it. It kept the side of my face warm, but allowed me my 360 brim. Other hoods have more filling in them won’t allow my that, at least very well.
It’s a super simple garment with two zippered side pockets of medium size on the outside, and two internal (no zip on that, so really only for gloves/hat—it would lose your phone).
I did have one zipper failure, actually just the gripper pulled open and let the rope extension loose. I fixed it easily with the Leatherman. Remember these are still in pre-production so hopefully that is something FL is working on. I really don't know if these are YKK zippers or not, hopefully Callahan can clarify.
“Sweater” over the Fuse, under the Stormlight shell. Temps upper 20’s, did 1200’ and about three miles that day. Regulated sweating and overheating by hunting slow. On a few pushes, I either unzipped both garments, or took the outer shell off.
