Initial impressions of the jacket. Fit and finish are excellent. Im 5'10 180lbs athletic, and large literally could not fit any better. Sleeves are fairly slim but not too bad. My Super down fits under it but not much else will. Hood is decent, I like the one on the chugach better as the bill is firmer and it has the rear cinch for around the head that I like, which is missing on the Axis and the bill is more flexible but still a pretty decent fitting hood. The material is stretchy and soft to the touch, but feels pretty tough. The feel of the water proof paneling feels very similar to the non paneled areas, but with a bit more noise to it. Im wondering what material they used as it doesn't feel like the Yukon or Chugach.
Warmth: I wore this out in 35degree weather up here in Alaska with just a light synthetic T shirt on under it. Was outside for about an hour doing a birthday scavenger hunt. When the cold wind coming off the ocean wasn't blowing too hard I was fine, whenever the wind picked up I got chilly but not bad. Overall, for a soft shell it is about average warmth, nothing special.
Wind resistance: Wind was picking up to about 20mph and when it did, I got chilly. This was very cold wind from the Pacific here in AK (being literally right on the coast) so it may have just been the lack of warmth of the jacket against my skin since all I had was a very thin T shirt on underneath, I never really felt the wind cut through the jacket. So this gets a thumbs up.
Noise: The water proof panels are predictably more noisy than the non water proof paneling, but those areas are not the areas that will make noise drawing a bow or walking. I would not hesitate to bow hunt in this in that regard.
Water resistance: Only experienced a light drizzle, cannot give a good indication of this yet so ill update it later when I do.
Overall its a nice jacket, nothing special, but then again I have not got the chance to put it through its paces yet and really test it. This is just an initial impression for those considering it right now. It seems like a jacket that will make the guide and Peloton 240 obsolete with the improvements in noise and wind resistance. Its a nice softshell with the ability of a midlayer fleece functionality, so in that regard it provides some versatility without being too heavy. Is it worth the $$? Maybe. Im not a softshell guy, I typically stick strictly with a puffy/rain shell but im liking this for trips where im not expecting a rain storm but might get some drizzle and could skip the rain gear with it also doublng as a mid layer under a puffy or rain jacket. Im not feeling buyers remorse yet because I can see ways to maximize its versatility, but time will tell. Ill update here soon once I get to put it through an actual test.
Pros:
Fit
Quiet
Added water restistance (supposedly)
Lighter (22oz is only 6oz more than a typical fleece)
Better wind resistance than the old guide
Cons:
Like any softshell, limited warmth for the weight
Like any softshell, good at a lot, great at nothing.
Weight (still 22oz) and I am a pack out hunter typically in sheep country
Warmth: I wore this out in 35degree weather up here in Alaska with just a light synthetic T shirt on under it. Was outside for about an hour doing a birthday scavenger hunt. When the cold wind coming off the ocean wasn't blowing too hard I was fine, whenever the wind picked up I got chilly but not bad. Overall, for a soft shell it is about average warmth, nothing special.
Wind resistance: Wind was picking up to about 20mph and when it did, I got chilly. This was very cold wind from the Pacific here in AK (being literally right on the coast) so it may have just been the lack of warmth of the jacket against my skin since all I had was a very thin T shirt on underneath, I never really felt the wind cut through the jacket. So this gets a thumbs up.
Noise: The water proof panels are predictably more noisy than the non water proof paneling, but those areas are not the areas that will make noise drawing a bow or walking. I would not hesitate to bow hunt in this in that regard.
Water resistance: Only experienced a light drizzle, cannot give a good indication of this yet so ill update it later when I do.
Overall its a nice jacket, nothing special, but then again I have not got the chance to put it through its paces yet and really test it. This is just an initial impression for those considering it right now. It seems like a jacket that will make the guide and Peloton 240 obsolete with the improvements in noise and wind resistance. Its a nice softshell with the ability of a midlayer fleece functionality, so in that regard it provides some versatility without being too heavy. Is it worth the $$? Maybe. Im not a softshell guy, I typically stick strictly with a puffy/rain shell but im liking this for trips where im not expecting a rain storm but might get some drizzle and could skip the rain gear with it also doublng as a mid layer under a puffy or rain jacket. Im not feeling buyers remorse yet because I can see ways to maximize its versatility, but time will tell. Ill update here soon once I get to put it through an actual test.
Pros:
Fit
Quiet
Added water restistance (supposedly)
Lighter (22oz is only 6oz more than a typical fleece)
Better wind resistance than the old guide
Cons:
Like any softshell, limited warmth for the weight
Like any softshell, good at a lot, great at nothing.
Weight (still 22oz) and I am a pack out hunter typically in sheep country
