Review: The North Face Point Five Jacket & Pants

- product provided for the purpose of review, thanks to outdoorkit.co.uk -

Today's review - The North Face Point Five Jacket and Trousers. Seen here on top of Cairn Gorm.

First impressions: 

TNF over the past few years have appeared from the outside as a brand which cares more about fashion than performance. The Summit Series gear, to me, is a way of getting back into the technical market and I was eager to see what they'd produced. None of the modern fabrics here, just good old Gore-Tex Pro, this and The North Face's knowledge of jackets and extreme environments meant I couldn't wait to get this partnership out and about, the first test was my Hill and Moorland leader assessment after that I had a 4 day winter skills course up in the Cairngorms, where a "weather bomb" was due! 

A good fit straight away, I went for the Large in both (6'2 and XL with Rab shells), TNF still fit pretty big compared with other manufacturers so you have to try their stuff on to know what you're getting. Not too heavy, good construction quality and good length at the back in the jacket. The pants were comfortable, felt absolutely bomb proof and come with a nice set of braces to keep them up, impressive construction once again with no loose thread anywhere and solid stitching. 

Jacket features - 

Standard features on the Point Five jacket: helmet compatible hood, drawcords around the bottom and helmet with two large harness compatible "alpine" pockets, 1 internal zipped pocket, Velcro wrist tabs, pit zips and a performance fit. 

Pant features - 

Front attachment braces, zippered thigh pocket, two zippered hand pockets, full length zips and internal gaiters with kick patches. 

Out and about on the Moor: 

Jacket - 

The jacket got hit with some testing conditions on the moors, some very high winds and brief spells of rain and sleet before the sun came out. A mix of wet and dry, cold and warm meant the jacket needed to be breathable for the warm stuff and bombproof for the wet stuff, luckily for me, it was! 

Really impressive stuff from the Point Five jacket, the water beaded well and ran off quickly without pooling in areas on the jacket. A great fit when out and about keeps the jacket down and stop. old and moisture getting in while giving it some wellie up a hill. 

The pit zips helped with breathability and moisture control within in the jacket, keeps a god breeze through the jacket means condensation won't form and form in cold conditions. 

Pants - 

I've never used internal gaiters before and I was eager to see how they compared with my Rab Hispars, we haven't had much rain on the Dartmoor but there were still some boggy areas and the occasional unexpected stream to cross. They did well with the wet stuff, stayed down on the boot and kept my feet dry. The pants weren't quite as breathable as the jacket, luckily the fill length zip allowed me to get some air in there and stop the moisture build up. 

The pockets are ok, the thigh one is a good place to store some cereal bars or snacks but there isn't much room for more stuff in there and the hand pockets are just that, not much room in those either. while I understand having baggy pockets on these pants would be much more of. hindrance than a help it would have been nice to have some more room to play with. 

Very windproof and very waterproof thanks to the Gore-Tex Pro material, unfortunately after a few days of heavy use the pants started to wet out a bit quicker as the Gore-Tex membrane became more clogged. It seems that all the materials in use at the moment require constant treatments to keep them operating at a acceptable level, a shame when prolonged use is required. 

Out and about in the Cairngorms: 

Jacket - 

Colder temperatures, stronger winds and snow instead of rain provided a different challenge for the Point Five jacket. Sweatier days and a greater need for breathability due to the sub zero temperature. The best bit about snow is that it's dry, it's only when it gathers and melt from your body heat or gathers and freezes that it becomes a pain! 

The jacket handled the conditions very well indeed, a real confidence booster when out in the mountains. I struggled to find any faults with it after getting the extreme weather out of the way on the first day, we experienced some really heavy winds, a brief whiteout and some sleet on the way down. I stayed dry the whole time and very happy in my bubble of Gore Tex. 

Trousers -

The trousers sturggled a bit more with the snowy conditions, they continued to keep the snow off but rain was beginning to wet out the trousers after such heavy continuous use. Any time I sat down on snow or cold rock my bum was quickly aware and began feeling damp, I expected the trousers to be a bit stronger on this front as sitting down is a vital part of a day in the snow!

The internal gaiters couldn't handle the deeper snow and my boot was full of snow in no time, perhaps the designers of internal gaiters need to have a long think about making a product which actually works. A real shame when keeping feet dry is such a key part of morale over the course of a day. The zip maintained its level of waterproofness and didn't become an easy way in for rogue rain or sleet. I loved the braces, they were great and a definite positive addition for the pants, making them front and back would have been nice but not crucial. 

Overall:

Jacket -

I was really impressed with the Point Five jacket, The North Face have done really well to get back into their technical kit with the Summit Series range and this jacket can stand proud with that badge on its arm. It handled wind, rain, snow and sleet all in intense situations where its ability was relied upon. Gore Tex has lost some of its followers over the years but this jacket has won me over, it's definitely on the way up and I look forward to seeing how the fabric develops over the next few years. 

Trousers -

The trousers didn't perform quite as well as the jacket over ther 8 days, while the jacket continued to shed liquid the trousers had begun to wet out and let a damp feeling creep in. The lack of bum protection for sitting down really disappointed me, I'm not a fan of a damp bum and I doubt many walkers and mountaineers are! They're still good, and I still trust them out in the mountains - I'll just be sure to clear a suitable spot to sit down in.


Positive points:

Jacket -

• Good cut and length provides all round protection
• Gore Tex Pro provides great protection and breathabilty
• Helmet compatible hood keeps wind and rain off and the noggin safe
• Part of the Summit Series range, the highest line up of equipment from TNF
• Comes in some seriously vibrant colours!

Trousers -

• The internal gaiter can handle "good" conditions very well, especially hillwalking
• Full length zip allows for easy access
• Gore Tex Pro provides great protection and breathability 
• Front braces keep the pants up and skin covered
• 3 pockets allow for storage of snacks and hands.

Not-so-positive points:

Jacket -

None! I'll keep trying to find a negative but I'm struggling at the moment.

Trousers -

Deep powder beat the internal gaiters.

• Internal gaiters couldn't handle heavy amounts of powder snow, quickly riding up and allowing snow in
• They begun wetting out after intensive use while the jacket continued to shed water
• They let my bum get damp!

Damp bum time!

Thanks for reading my review of the TNF Point Five duo, thanks to outdoorkit.co.uk for providing the products for review. If you'd like to keep up to date with what they're up to then check out their facebook and twitter.

Review: Berghaus Paclite Waterproof Pants

                                                                  - Product provided by outdoorkit.co.uk for the purpose of review - 

Lightweight, strong and reliable... A few buzzwords for the Berghaus Paclite Pants. Now for a little more detail...

The basics:

• Made with Goretex Paclite Helium fabric
• 185g weight
• 3/4 zip
• RRP of £100

First impressions:

As with most orders of technical equipment these days I always think they've forgotten to pack the kit because the bag is so light! Straight away I got the familiar feel of Berghaus quality with these pants, no loose stitching or manufacturing errors to be seen. A true sense of fit to size - I went for XL with a 38" waist and they fit perfectly, it's easy for brands to be over eager with an elastic waist and create a "one-size-fits-all" product which doesn't provide a technical fit, Berghaus have avoided this problem. 

On the hill:

The pants arrived around mid July and I was itching to get them out on Dartmoor to see what they could do, unfortunately, heatwave threats from the weatherman meant I had to wait until a stormy August before the heavens opened with some beautiful British rain. 

With a big grin on my face I headed out into the pouring rain while others hid in their cars...

Initially I was worried about the "lite" aspect of the pants, I've never been one to count grams with kit and I wondered how much damage shaving a few hundreds grams off could make when it came to waterproof trousers. 

There was no need for me to worry, the pants exceeded expectations and kept me 100% dry out in the rain with the water beading and running off well. After the rain, the trousers performed well, quickly drying out allowing them to go back into a rucksack and keeping you comfortable on the hill. They were breathable, not mind blowing, but definitely there - what's the point of overtrousers if there's condensation making your trousers wet while walking? This is a common drawback with "lite" equipment, sacrificing technical benefits like breathability to save weight.

When not being worn the pants pack up into a very small ball which can easily be put into a large pocket or rucksack. If you're going for an lightweight or ultralightweight setup where space and weight are priority then these pants will save on both. 

Packed up Paclite Pants... That's a lot of P's. Fruit Pastilles for scale!

Overall I was very impressed with how well the Berghaus Paclite Pants performed under testing Dartmoor conditions. No rain got in and there was enough breathabilty that the pants didn't feel uncomfortable even with the sunny spells between showers. My main concern with the Paclite Pants is the longevity of such a lightweight material - how much of beating can they take compared with other technical fabrics? 

Quickfire review...

Positive points:

• These pants pack away to a very small size and are very light.
• Reliable material, goretex is famous for maintaining its waterproof ability.
• Quick drying, allowing you to pack the pants away and keep comfortable. 

Not-so-positive:

• "lite" pants means they can't take knocks like traditional goretex can.
• Less breathable then some other lightweight overtrousers.

Summary:

The biggest selling point of these pants is the lightweight and space saving aspect of the Goretex Paclite material, the drawback of this is the loss of breathability and robustness. Personally I think it's worth it if you can look after the pants and make full use of the 3/4 zip to help the water vapour leave the trousers.

-

Thanks for reading, please share with anyone you know looking for new waterproof trousers.

Thanks to outdoorkit.co.uk for providing the Berghaus Paclite Pants for the review, if you're interested in buying the Pants then they're currently 20% off of RRP on their website.

If you want more information about the Paclite Pants please don't hesitate to tweet me, @PaulWRickard.

Or you can contact OutdoorKit through their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Thanks again,

Paul Rickard

Review: Rab Stretch Neo Jacket

- Product provided by outdoorkit.co.uk for the purpose of review -

Review time! Today's review is all about the Rab Stretch Neo Jacket, a jacket which is at home in the mountains and uses the "holy grail" of fabrics. A claim I can't wait to test!

The basics!

• RRP - £250
• Weight - 506g (large)
• HH - 10,000 

Rab's description - "The Stretch Neo Jacket is a waterproof and highly breathable jacket designed for mountain use."

Initial thoughts

My first thought on pulling this jacket out of the bag was the feel of the fabric - somewhere between softshell and hardshell, it feels very soft but on the inside you get the familiar feel of a waterproof hard shell which is a positive. This is the first NeoShell jacket I've used so it's a fabric I'm unfamiliar with compared to Gore-tex and eVent, I'm interested to test how breathable this jacket is, I tend to be a sweaty mess when walking so I'll see how it copes! 

A big aspect of this jacket's design is the decision to only have the 2 crossover chest pockets (Napoleon pockets). After walking around town in this jacket I keep going to put my hands in non-existent pockets, not a negative per se but certainly something I'll have to get used to. Chest pockets are much more harness and climbing friendly as reaching across you body doesn't change your centre of gravity so much and they're above your harness so you can still get in them. What Rab have done with the crossover pockets is good though - where some jackets would have a mesh backing to the pocket, Rab have used the NeoShell on the inside too! This makes a nice close-to-waterproof pocket.

- one of the Rab "Napoleon" crossover chest pockets, note the use of NeoShell on the inside -

The fit of this jacket is lovely, Rab went for the regular fit and it works perfectly. I've been trying to get the jacket to ride up but it just sticks where it should and you get plenty of flexible arm movement - great for climbing! 

Field Testing

We've had some crazy weather hit Devon and the South West over the past few weeks, this has provided some great testing conditions for the Stretch Neo. Water beads brilliantly on the surface and falls away easily with little soaking into the fabric, after 20 minutes in sustained heavy rain the jacket turned a shade or two darker in some "heavy flow" areas (hood, chest and outer arms) but maintained the barrier and no one water got through. When the jacket is fully done up with the hood tightened it feels like a very safe space with little rain working its way in, it has a great hood that fits well around my face but can also house a helmet when needed.

They've gone for the widely used YKK AquaGuard zip on this jacket which has been known to fail with heavy rain - to back up the zip they've put in a rear storm flap and "rain drain" to make sure that water doesn't get in through the front door. No water beat the zip on my outings but this is something which shows up after some time and can bring down the longevity of the jacket. I've never had a problem with YKK but some people have suggested for such a technical jacket Rab would've been better off with WaterTight zips - never had a problem with either brand so I don't mind the YKK zip on this jacket.

Breathability with this jacket is superb, it stays dry on the inside and it doesn't feel like a sauna between the jacket and midlayer. I haven't had the chance to really push the breathability due to the cold weather, I'll let you know how it handles the summer rains when they come! If you're going to use this jacket in the cold then, from what I've experienced, you'll be fine. As with all waterproofs it has a cotton label or two inside which can suck up the moisture - not a huge complaint, but find a new material! There are no pit zips on this jacket which could cause some moisture build up when you really push hard, perhaps Rab wanted to save weight and see what this fabric could do?

Highly windproof jacket, I've worn it a few times with just strong winds and it does well, it feels like a solid barrier between me and the gusts. What I often find with waterproof fabrics is the focus on just that, waterproofness (new word?) without as much consideration for the windchill, I'm glad the material has an equal focus on both of these factors as one can easily undermine the other.

In general use the jacket has far exceeded expectation, it always sits well and maintains contact with the next layer down - this keeps the warmth in and the cold out! The great cut helps with climbing as I don't find myself having to constantly pull down the jacket. Big cuffs allow for any size of glove to be worn with this jacket, unfortunately the velcro pulls are a little thin and would be difficult to handle with a cold, gloved hand. I'll include a photo so you can see for yourself. Another tiny problem is a small bump in the jacket when it's fully done up - I find it rubbing against my nose and causing a small amount of irritation - not a huge pain but something that shouldn't be there in the first place. In the initial thoughts section I commented on just having the Napoleon pockets, after some use and getting to grips with them I've decided they were the perfect choice for a jacket like this - big and almost waterproof, plus they're the perfect size for a map. By losing the other 2 pockets they've saved weight and it's one less orifice for water to get in to.

- Thin velcro wrist tab - 

- Almighty nose rubber. Not a major complaint but I've found it niggling me a few times - 

Positive points

• Super fabric, deserves the title of holy grail!
• Great cut
• Excellent workmanship - top build quality from Rab
• Chest pockets are big and lined with NeoShell
• Really breathable 

Not-so-positive points

• Small bump when jacket is fully done up which can rub my nose
• Thin velco tabs on the wrists

Summary

A fantastic jacket from Rab with plenty of thought put into it regarding placement of pockets and the cut of the jacket. I immediately had a huge amount of confidence in the jacket straight from the word go, the brand Rab has earned that after years of putting out top products. Everything (bar the little things) about this jacket work well and with each other, great fabric partnered with great design and build quality. I'm really impressed with what Rab have produced here and I look forward to the ongoing testing of this jacket (further gear revelations are posted on my twitter, link at the bottom!)

I'd definitely and wholeheartedly recommend this jacket to anyone heading off to mountains or rainy places.

Many thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the review! 

~ thanks again to OutdoorKit.co.uk for providing this jacket, please check out their Facebook, Twitter and Rab brand page ~

Want to talk about equipment and argue over GoreTex, eVent and NeoShell? Like my Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

Review: Berghaus Mera Peak Jacket

Review time! Today's review is the Mera Peak Jacket made by Berghaus, from what I can gather on their website it is manufactured within the UK.

RRP - £260
Weight - 741g

Berghaus description - "Classic Lightweight 2 Layer GORE-TEX Performance Shell Jacket"

Initial thoughts

Straight out the box there's a really nice feel to this jacket, it feels like a proper hard shell and it's got the recognisable sound of Gore-Tex too! It's a good weight, feels comfortable while wearing it and as with most Berghaus products it's well made. I'm quite a big lad so I went for the xxl and it is big! I could have probably got away with an xl but managed to tighten it in using the various toggles to get a tight fit. Other Berghaus products in this size are a big smaller so I'm wondering why the cut changed so much.

To sum up the initial thoughts, feels like a tough jacket and well made. I remember hoping for it to hammer down with rain when this jacket first arrived!

Field testing

Another piece of kit from the 2012 Scottish trip! Strangely for Scotland it didn't rain until we'd been there for 4 days!

On the 2nd night of the expedition it begun... the famous sound... tap, tap, tap on the tent! At last! The rain was here and it didn't stop! From the 2nd night through to arriving at the minibus on day 3 it poured it down. This jacket was on from first thing in the morning till the minibus and I managed to keep pretty dry!

Setting off on a gradual climb I had some trouble with being too hot in the jacket so I decided to take the hood down and keep it zipped up, it managed to keep my torso very dry even with the hood down. In hindsight I should have done the pitzips before taking the hood down but I tend to run pretty warm in general so I wasn't too worried about a cold head!

With this level of waterproofing the challenge lies in making it super breathable so the person wearing it doesn't get covered in condensation from their own sweat, I think Berghaus and Gore-Tex did a pretty good job in this aspect, only on the big climbs did I find the jacket locking in a lot of moisture.

Positive points!

Great feel to the jacket
Tough Gore-Tex
Pit Zips
Plenty of pockets

Not-so-positive points!

Big size!
More breathable, a fault of most jackets, still!
Price is a bit high

Summary

A solid, well made jacket that is great for conditions in the UK - I'm not sure how this jacket would fare in more extreme weather. For the price I think you could find something better but if you love Berghaus and are loyal to them then it's a winner.

I'd recommend to a friend but would make sure they look around for a better price than the RRP.