Helly Hansen are known for making some of the best waterproof shell jackets around but they also make some of the best down insulation too.

The Verglas Down Insulated jacket is a lightweight insulated jacket made from goose down from Helly Hansen.

We’ve been testing one with some other Helly Hansen Kit out in the early winter weather here in the Pacific Northwest.

First up, the basic specs:

Specs

• 700+ RDS goose down
• 85% goose down, 15% goose feather
• bluesign approved
• 350 grams
• $275 USD ($320 CAD)

What is the Verglas Down Insulated Jacket?

The Verglas makes a great layering piece. It’s soft and comfortable to wear on it’s own. The thin Pertex outer shell is smooth and feels good against your skin. I’ve been wearing mine with just a t-shirt underneath, sometimes a long sleeve, merino baselayer.

Inside, the 700+ fill goose down is warm and lofts well. I didn’t notice any clumps of down anywhere.

There’s 1 pocket inside and 2 on the outside. All the pockets are quiet large, and easily fit my hands, wallet and phone. 1 zippered pocket inside kept things warmer and added more storage.

Most down jackets let the wind right through, kind of negating the effects of the warm down. The Verglas is quite wind resistant, blocking the wind out. I stayed a comfortable temperature walking around in open areas when it was 3 or 4 degrees and windy.

The Verglas isn’t waterproof but has a PFC-free DWR on the outside. This will help light rain and snow bead off. Eventually it soaks through and starts to get the down wet. Wet down won’t loft as well so it will get cooler. The down inside doesn’t have any water resistant coatings.

The version I tested didn’t have a hood. this makes it lighter and easier to fit under jackets like a shell. There is a hooded version though if you prefer.

Fit

The fit on the Verglas is pretty standard. I’m in between sizes so I chose to go up to a large. It fits well for stocky mediums and those regularly a large.

Best part of the Verglas is how long it is. It easily covers the hem of my pants and more. Many down jackets barely cover that much. The Verglas extends down slightly in the back even more.

The main zipper and the pockets slide nicely. When the zipper is zipped right up it sits in a small, soft zipper garage against your skin.

A down pillow

If you’re packing the Verglas into a backpack or need a quick pillow, it stuffs into it’s own left pocket. It’s got plenty of room to fit inside the pocket and easily zips up with the double-sided zipper.

Conclusion

Verdict: Highly recommended.

If you’re in the market for a lightweight down jacket (I think everyone should have one!) then have a look at the Verglas Insulated Down Jacket from Helly Hanson. It’s small, lightweight, comfortable and packs down easily, not to mention the longer hem to keep all the heat in.

All the key qualities for a good puffer.

Disclosure: Helly Hansen provided the Verglas jacket for free to review.

The post Helly Hanson Verglas Down Insulated Jacket Review: Long and Warm first appeared on Pack & Trail.

1877 sea captain Helly Juell Hansen was trying to stay warmer and dryer out in the harsh Norwegian weather.

launched his waterproof outdoor apparel business with linen soaked in linseed oil.

Since then Helly has innovated with outdoor materials creating one of the worlds first fleece jackets, LIFA base layers, LIFA Merino, H² Flow, LIFALOFT, LIFA Infinity Pro and Helly Tech waterproof membranes.

Today Helly makes some of the best sailing, outdoor and outdoor work apparel in the world, combining their many technologies to keep us warm and dry.

2022 is no different as they come back around with new pieces and old favourites for yet another winter in the sailing, outdoor and work spaces.

Here’s our favourite picks from Helly Hansen going into the fall and winter of 2022.

Our Favourite Helly Hansen Gear from Fall Winter 2022

Verglas Down Insulated Jacket

You can never go wrong with a good down puffer. It can be worn on its own on cold days or as a layering piece when it’s wet. I never go hiking or skiing now without one.

The Verglas Down Insulated Jacket is a simple lightweight puffer from Helly Hansen with 700 fill responsibly sourced down, PFC-free DWR coating on the outside and bluesign® approved manufacturing.

The whole jacket zips into the large left hand pocket forming a small 9″x11″ pillow. Another zippered pocket is inside the chest.

The cut is long so it keeps you covered even when reaching or bending. There’s a hooded version as well.

Mens without hood $320 CAD ($275 USD)

Mens with hood $370 CAD ($300 USD)

Womens without hood $320 CAD ($275 USD)

Womens with hood $320 CAD ($275 USD)

Cascade Low Cut Helly Tech Hiking Shoes

As the cool weather rolls in with fall and winter in the Pacific Northwest, so does the rain. Some locations in the area can get 7 feet of rain per year. That’s a bit of water. How do we keep our feet dry through that?

You may not know Helly Hansen has a line of shoes. Drawing on their expertise with waterproof clothing and sailing shoes, they’ve put together the Cascade Low Cut Helly Tech hiking shoe.

Helly Tech is the waterproof membrane that’s sandwiched in between the inner and outer layers. A whole host of other tech in the Cascade creates a shoe that’s stable, durable but lightweight. At 800 grams for the pair, they’re great for fast adventures.

I’ve been testing the Cascade over the last month and they’re great for on, and off, the trail. The fit is standard street size.

Mens Cascade $160 CAD ($140 USD)

Womens Cascade $160 CAD ($140 USD)

Odin 9 World Infinity Shell Jacket

Most waterproof jackets have to have a Durable Water Repellency (DWR) coating on the outside to make the water bead off. If the water doesn’t bead, it blocks the moisture from evaporating out from the inside.

The LIFA Infinity Pro layers in the Odin 9 World Infinity jacket don’t need a chemical coating on the outside. Helly has taken all their moisture management experience and created an outer layer of LIFA fibres that permanently beads water on its own. There’s no DWR (with flourocarbons) to wash off or re-activate in the dryer.

Mens Odin 9 $725 CAD ($600 USD)

Womens Odin 9 $725 CAD ($600 USD)

LifaLoft Hooded Insulator Jacket

Thin insulator jackets are great for around town, on the trail and under a shell. Usually thin means less insulation. After 4 years of work, Helly and Primaloft have created LifaLoft, a warm insulation that’s lighter than most other synthetic insulation. It packs down smaller and thinner for the same warmth.

The LifaLoft fibres absorb less water and dry faster than other insulations. The whole jacket is bluesign approved and is covered with PFC-free DWR to keep water beading off.

Mens LifaLoft Hooded Insulator Jacket $270 CAD ($220 USD)

Womens LifaLoft Hooded Insulator Jacket $270 CAD ($220 USD)

Lifa Merino Midweight Half-Zip Base Layer

Under all these jackets, we need a good base layer and Helly Hansen knows those well. Their LIFA base layers have been around since 1970. To add some warmth to the equation, they add 100% merino wool to the outside on the Merino versions (used to be HH Warm). LIFA fibres on the inside wick moisture away from the skin. Merino on the outside prevents the stink and keeps you warmer.

Mens LIFA Merino Midweight Half-zip $120 CAD ($110 USD)

Womens LIFA Merino Midweight Half-zip $120 CAD ($110 USD)

Transistor Backpack

Every adventure needs a backpack and 30 litres is a perfect size. It can hold lunch and a couple layers when it’s colder for 1 or 2 people. Weighing only 900 grams, the Transistor won’t weight you down either. Bungies and trekking pole attachments on the outside holds extra gear if you need.

Transistor Backpack $210 CAD ($170 USD)

Check out more of the Helly Hansen Outdoors and Ski collections.

The post First Look: Helly Hansen Fall and Winter 2022 Gear first appeared on Pack & Trail.

Ororo makes a ton of heated gear for working in the cold from heated vests to gloves to thin and thick jackets. Their thickest and warmest jacket is called the Heated Hooded Jacket. What it lacks in a fancy name it makes up for in heat and comfort in spades (or clubs? or boots?).

The heated jackets work by powering small heating coils in the front and back of the jacket with a lithium-ion battery pack in a small inside pocket. The power button is on the left side of the chest. Holding it for 3 seconds and it powers on.

After powering on the jacket preheats, flashing red and white on the power button. Once it’s heated up it goes into medium heat and the power button shows red. One click and it goes goes up to high mode and shows white. Another click and it goes back down to low mode and shows blue. Holding for another 3 seconds and it turns off.

The feeling of the heat is warm quickly and feels a bit like a heated blanket in your jacket. The medium is quite warm while the low is just a nice barely noticeable warmth. Hot is quite warm and is great for below freezing temperatures.

The 5200 mAh battery pack lasts for 3 hours on high, 6 on medium and 10 on low. When it needs a recharge, the USB-C charging cord can be plugged in anywhere. The battery pack has a very nice rubberized feel to it. The plug from the jacket into the battery pack is a proprietary plug. It would be nice to have just a USB-C plug there that could plug into any battery pack. There’s probably some technical power reasons that it can’t just be any old USB pack.

The feel of the jacket is very plush and soft. It’s soft and smooth on the inside and out. The rib-knit storm cuffs hug tightly to my wrists and prevent heat from escaping. It’s not a lightweight technical jacket for use in the mountains but it’s incredibly comfortable for working outside, wearing around town or car camping on cold days.

The insulation on the Heated Hooded model is quite thick. I’ve been wearing the jacket around on freezing days with just a t-shirt underneath and it’s plenty warm. After a few hours outside though, I need to have the heat turned on or another layer. Ororo have other jackets that are much thinner but still have the heating coils. They would make for great spring or fall jackets. For those cold winter days near freezing, this model with thick insulation is definitely my choice.

$339 CAD on OroroWear.ca

The post Ororo Heated Hooded Jacket Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.

The outdoor industry is quickly moving towards extremely sustainable practices but technical gear remains a difficult to make high performance but sustainable at the same time. Or that’s what everyone says. Fjallraven seem to be able to do it just fine. 

The Fjallraven Keb Eco-Shell Jacket

The Keb Eco-Shell is an amazing balance of performance and sustainability. With 30,000mm waterproofing and 26,000 g/m2/24h breathability, it ranks among the highest you can get for performance. At the same time the Keb is 100% polyester which is easy to recycle and part of that polyester is recycled going into the jacket. On top of that the water-beading coating (DWR) is fluorocarbon-free, meaning it’s doesn’t have any nasty chemicals that put holes in our ozone.

Specs

So what’s this jacket look like on the spec sheet?

• Stretchy Eco-Shell fabric

• Fluorocarbon-free DWR application

• made from new and recycled polyester

• 520 grams (18.3 oz)

• 30000 mm waterproofing

• 26,000 g/m2/24h breathability

• Emissions during production and transport are climate compensated

• Adjustable wire in the brim?

• Fleece on collar by your face

• Ski lift pass pocket on arm

• Big chest pockets big enough for maps or ski skins

• Side zips instead of pit zips to reach mid layer pockets

So you get a jacket that looks killer, feels good, is super waterproof and very sustainable? Yup.

Pros

As you can tell this jacket ticks off a lot of boxes. It feels good and works well. 

The polyester face is soft and quiet to wear. You won’t sound like tinfoil walking around in the woods. Breathability is similar to high-end Gore-Tex. It’s easy to stay comfortable even when it’s raining sideways. The outer fabric is thick enough that I don’t worry about scraping it on rocks or trees. It’s not paper thin.

I like the big pockets to carry all the things. The pockets are set up a bit higher so they don’t interfere with backpack hip belts. The chest pockets are big enough for ski skins or maps. The Keb doesn’t have pit zips but it does have side zips which open just the same. This let’s you get into your mid layer pockets without unzipping everything. When you’re playing musical jackets and can’t remember what pocket all the things are in, this is a nice convenience. 

Summary:

• burly fabric

• environmental fabric, DWR coating and manufacturing process

• stretchy fabric

• high waterproofing and breathability

• entirely polyester which is easier to recycle

• long and covers a lot

Cons

This jacket is one of the best but it’s not going to be everything to everyone. I’m 1.7m tall (5’7”) with a 101cm (40”) chest and found the medium on the large side. When it’s colder and I have a mid layer underneath it fit well but on warmer days with just a base layer underneath there was a good amount of extra jacket. The length is nice when it’s raining heavily but for my height, I’d like it a touch shorter.

The thicker, more durable fabric on the outside comes at the cost of being a bit heavier. This is the case with every jacket out there, not just this Fjallraven. 

Summary:

• a bit heavy

• long for short people

Conclusion

The Fjallraven Keb Eco-Shell Jacket is one of the best you can get. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for high performance or sustainable, you get both with the Keb. Ultralight nerds may need to look elsewhere but for everyone else the Keb will keep you dry and comfortable for a long time.

Verdict: Highly recommended

The post Fjallraven Keb Eco Shell Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.