bought this the other day, tested it out in the evening running/scrambling around a deserted Snowdon horseshoe in a howling 30 mph gale. Absolutely brilliant. Windproof as far as I can tell, super-breathable, terrific on the run. Thumb loops hold the pullover in place when you put your gloves on, packs down really well inside that chest pocket, and the deep front zip and mesh behind the chest pocket gives you lots of variability between protection and breathability. Weight is nice and light and features such as soft-brushed collar are much appreciated. Value at circa 50 quid retail price is excellent for a windbreaker of this quality. Highly recommended.
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also worth pointing out that I'm a sweaty SOB - run rather hot - and I found the breathability excellent, so it really does look at though Haglofs have found the Holy Grail of windproofing and breathability in the same piece. So much good kit coming out of that company right now.
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 And for anyone who has a thing for full length zips or who has super long arms the Zeal jacket seems rather nice too. Basically a cycling version of the Kaza it seems. It adds a full length zip, an extra inch or two of arm length and a few slightly odd features like a couple of lower rear pockets on the back. I'm in the long arms camp and most happy with it after a few trips. Mind you it fits so well I'd be happy even if it didn't perform so well 
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um, yeah, those pockets on the Zeal are a bit odd, aren't they? Surely the hipbelt of a backpack would foul them? Maybe they weren't thinking of using a lightweight backpack for the Zeal, or possibly they were, but had running packs with chest straps only in mind. One of the reasons why I bought the Kaza. Although you do get two extra mesh panels for extra breathability in the back of the Zeal. Which is nice.
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 Bought wifey and myself one(kaza) a couple of weeks ago and got to test it last weekend in Snowdonia myself. The winds were battering us from all sides and a couple of friends had to wear their heavy P**amo jackets just to keep the wind at bay. Me i just pop this little baby out of its tiny package (chest pocket) and Wahey! sorted no cold wind battering my body or heavy jacket to keep me warm. Awesome little piece of kit that will go everywhere with me as you don't notice its weight or pack size. Another top product from  fs!! 
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Yes the rear pockets on the zeal will get messed up by a lot of rucksacks. They're not terribly large either so not sure what would go in them. Actually the rear mesh vents of limited use under a rucksack too - they'd maybe be good for runners using a bumbag I suppose. You'd still lose the pockets of course. I suspect that those features are principally aimed at cyclists. A lot of cycle jackets seem to put a pocket there. That would explain the extra arm length too. In feature terms I'd have preferred a Kaza  However the zeal fits my (very long!) arms nearly perfectly - rather better than a Kaza and a lot better than say a lightspeed so.....
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| Edited: 18/05/09 14:52 |
 I'm hoping to buy one of these,this week. I'll be buying on the internet,so,no chance to try it on. Regarding the sizing;I'm a Large in a Lite-speed,so,my thinking is to get large in this windshirt. What's muddied the water a little,is my Haglofs Barrier Vest,I found a Large in this a bit tight,I went up to XL. An insulated vest and a windshirt are totally different beasts,of course,but I won't need an XL Kaza,will I?
Thanks for any help.
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No, probably not. Sizing for the Kaza is fairly regular: I'm a slender guy of around 5''10 and I fit nicely into a small, as I do for most things. Occasionally I fit into a medium for some things, including some other bits of Haglofs kit, and then I know when a brand has sized down! But no. Large should be fine for you. About the pockets on the Zeal - energy bars or gels? That's surely the obvious, although frankly I always put mine into the hipbelt pockets of my pack (which is why I would never buy a pack without such pockets, and cannot comprehend for a minute why anybody would).
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Thanks for your reassuring words. Now,just to decide between black or 'budgie' (is it?) green........... 90% of my gear is black or dark blue,it may be time for a change
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hell, no, go for the green. Besides, the black isn't black, it's charcoal dark grey. The light green is much more of a strong visual statement, and much more practical on the hill. Some friends of mine in Nant Peris with a half-decent telescope spotted me on the top of Crib Goch in fading light with it, and that's got to be a good 2.5K, quite probably more.
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I suppose that would work. I just checked and they are indeed bang underneath my pack hipbelt. So only going to see use with packs w'out a hip belt or something. Actually I guess they'd make handy enough hip belt pocket replacements then. Pack hip belt pockets certainly rather handy The green seems quite nice to me too.
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| Edited: 18/05/09 20:40 |
Green it is then A bit of a leap out of my black/navy 'comfort zone'...........
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Mine arrived,this morning,I gave it a 'test',this evening. Worn over just a Smartwool l/s baselayer,it performed really well against this evening's strong,cold wind. I'm very pleased,so far. The thumb loops are a new thing,to me,and work well. Thank you for the advice on the sizing,a large is just right (there is quite a lot of room around the neck,when zipped up,a contrast to my Litespeed which has always been quite tight) The green is a nice change,too. This Haglofs stuff is damned moreish Worryingly,I live only fifteen minutes from the new 'store in a store' in Accrington 
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| Edited: 26/05/09 21:59 |
Darwen by any chance .(avatar picture)....
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Yes,Darwen. That's the world famous tower,looking as lovely as ever A wonderful place,offering great views of some our best countryside (and Pendle Hill )
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I live their myself can't see the tower now as its p*****g down.
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