The REI Flash Stretch Rain Jacket is a fairly priced 2.5 layer waterproof/breathable raincoat loaded with options that hikers will respect, significantly for winter climbing an shoulder-season use. It has a two-way adjustable hood with a entrance invoice, pit zips, zippered mesh-lined hand hotter pockets, a zippered chest pocket, a excessive neck with a chin guard, velcro wrist closures, and hem adjusters to forestall drafts from beneath. The jacket is made with a stretchy recycled material with a delicate exterior hand and coated with a non-fluorinated DWR.
Specs at a look
- Gender: Males’s (a girls’s mannequin can be out there)
- Waterproof/breathable: 2.5 Layer
- Membrane: Hydrowall
- Weight: 17 oz in a dimension medium (19 oz in a males’s XL, examined)
- Again size: 31″
- Pit zips: Sure
- Adjustable hood w/brim: 2-way adjustability
- Helmet-compatible: Sure
- Pockets: 3 (One inside chest and two hand hotter (all zippered and mesh-backed))
- Stuffs into hand hotter pocket: Sure
- Hook-and-loop wrist cuffs: Sure
- Seam-taped: Sure
- Hydrostatic Head and MVTR: Not Printed
- Match: Runs very giant. I’d contemplate downsizing even.
- Supplies: Recycled polyester
- Exterior DWR: Sure (non-fluorinated)
Building
The Flash Stretch Rain Jacket is a 2.5-layer waterproof/breathable jacket. This implies it has an exterior material, a water-proof/breathable membrane, and a half-weight inside liner that’s thinner than a 3rd full material layer however nonetheless supplies good breathability and protects the membrane. In distinction, a 3 layer jacket makes use of a heavier inside material and is barely extra breathable The advantage of the two.5-layer development is that it’s lighter weight.
The outside material on the jacket may be very delicate and has a number of stretch constructed into it so you might additionally use this jacket for extra dynamic sports activities like downhill snowboarding or mountain climbing that require a mix of excellent climate safety with wonderful vary of movement. While you run your hand over the surface, its laborious to consider that its not a softshell jacket as a substitute of a completely waterproof rain jacket.
Rain Jacket Options
After I consider rain jackets for climbing and backpacking there are just a few options that I search for, no matter whether or not the jacket is made with a water-proof/breathable material or not. These embrace an adjustable hood (1 manner or two manner), pit zips, and whether or not the wrists have hook-and-loop closures or elastic ones. All of those options are essential for climate safety, regulating your heat degree and the quantity of perspiration you expertise. You need to have the ability to handle your heat and perspiration degree throughout a variety of temperatures, wind speeds, and path situations by zipping and unzipping openings and masking and uncovering your head and wrists.
Jacket Hood
The hood on the Flash Jack is helmet suitable, so it’s outsized, however it additionally has a two-way adjustment system so you’ll be able to shrink it right down to human dimension. This consists of neck toggles that allow you to management the scale of the entrance opening to maintain the wind out and a rear quantity management wire that permits you to scale back the scale of the top area. These two controls are the most effective you’ll be able to count on on just about any rain jacket no matter value. As well as, the jacket has a entrance invoice that may hold the rain off your glasses and the neck has a delicate face protector to maintain you comfy when the entrance zipper is closed and the hood is scrunched down in dangerous climate.
Pit Zips
The perform of pit zips is to assist vent extra warmth so you’ll be able to keep away from perspiring. Perspiration isn’t at all times dangerous, but when it’s cool exterior, it takes further power in your pores and skin to evaporate the moisture and may chill you within the course of. The Flash Stretch has fairly lengthy and vast pit zips that you need to use to open to vent extra physique warmth to forestall overheating and sweating. I run scorching and hold my pit zips open nearly on a regular basis, apart from very chilly climate the place I batten down the hatches to remain heat.
Wrist cuffs
Wrist cuffs are one other essential temperature regulation function that’s essential year-round. The Flash Stretch has outsized hook-and-loop closures so you’ll be able to seal the ends of the sleeves off. The additional giant wrist tabs are good to be used whereas sporting rain gloves or mittens.
I view wrist cuffs as important for climbing in rain, significantly when used with rain gloves or mittens since you’ll be able to safe them across the gauntlets to retain heat and keep dry. The alternative is true too: you’ll be able to vent warmth by opening up the wrist cuffs and pulling your sleeves up your arm. You’ve got a number of blood flowing near the pores and skin in your wrists which you need to use for temperature regulation and wrist cuffs provide the instruments to do it.Â
Rain jacket comparability desk
Listed here are our fairly priced rain jacket suggestions for climbing and backpacking.
Match and Weight
The Flash Stretch Jacket runs decidedly giant. I examined out a dimension males’s XL, which match effectively over my colder-weather climbing layers, however would have been manner too large for summer season use. For those who’re in between sizes you may wish to purchase each to get the correct match.
Advice
The REI Flash Stretch Rain Jacket is a fully-featured waterproof/breathable rain jacket with a delicate and stretchy exterior material that makes it good for energetic sports activities use, from climbing and backpacking to downhill snowboarding and mountain climbing. It has a helmet-compatible two-way adjustable hood, giant pit zips, and hook-and-look wrist cuffs for climate safety and temperature regulation. Its solely detrimental is its weight, which is comparatively heavy in comparison with different rain jackets, particularly should you’re like me and carry one on a regular basis, however by no means get to make use of it. However should you’re on the lookout for one rain jacket that can be utilized year-round on the town, on the paths, and on the slopes, the Flash Stretch Rain jacket is an efficient choose should you can dial within the sizing you want. And the value, particularly throughout an REI member sale, is true!
Disclosure: REI donated a jacket for evaluate.
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