When I’m flying to warm-weather climates in the winter months from my Colorado home, I layer like crazy so I don’t have to travel with a winter jacket. My outermost covering is always a hooded, nylon jacket that doubles as rain gear in the tropics. I’ve been using a hand-me-down from my husband that never quite fit him correctly (nor me), but now I’ve got one of my very own: the Women’s Helium Jacket in fiery “salsa” by Outdoor Research.
This jacket is super light, about 6 ounces, and it stuffs down into its own sack (it’s tucked into an inside pocket that’s usable when you’re wearing the jacket); when the jacket is compressed into itself, it’s only about 5 by 3.5 by 2. 5 inches. For this reason alone it’s great for carrying on a plane, and I’ll stick it in a day pack for hiking this summer, when afternoon thundershowers in the Rockies are not unusual. A little loop on the stuff sack means you could also easily attach it to the outside of a backpack.
It also protects against the elements. The Pertex Shield ripstop fabric is waterproof and the zippers are water-resistant. I wore it on a winter hike during a mild snow, and I liked how the jacket repelled the flakes; I stayed perfectly dry. I wouldn’t hesitate to wear it in stormy conditions: the hood and hem can cinch tight and elastic sleeves help keep water and wind out, too.
I do wish this jacket had two zippered pockets near the bottom hem; it’s got one chest pocket (with zipper) to stash tissues, lip balm and the contact-lens re-wetting drops I always like to have readily at hand (whether I’m traveling or being active outdoors), but this jacket would really shine if I had two more pockets to stick a pair of light gloves, a point-and-shoot camera and other miscellaneous stuff that I might like to carry on my person as opposed to a purse or backpack.
Another caveat: the Women’s Helium Jacket is not cheap. It retails for $140. But this is a quality piece of gear for hard-core climbers, mountaineers and other adventure enthusiasts. Me? I’m not about to climb Kilimanjaro this year, but for day hikes near my mountain home and frequent plane trips to different climates, it more than does the job of keeping me comfortable and dry.
Buy the OR Women’s Helium Jacket on Amazon.com.
Outdoor Research Helium Jacket – Women’s at Backcountry.com
Get the Men’s version at Backcountry.
Related post: Men’s OR Fanatic Jacket
#1 by Jeremy - March 31st, 2010 at 09:04
I’ve been using one of these lightweight OR jackets for years in my travels and they still look and perform great, even though I abuse them a lot stuffing them into whatever corner of my pack I can find. I thought the waterproofing had given out at one point, but a friend told me to put it in the dryer for a while and that worked like a charm. It repels water once again.