I thought i would give a review of this product ( Furtech claw) after taking the opportunity on the weekend to try the kit out. And in thanks to all the poeple on the board who helped make my decision easier. The Walk: During a very rainy and windy day in July in Wales i decided to try this puppy out. The weather as mentioned above driving wind and rain, the walk it self is about 3 miles consisting of a continuous climb on the inward leg and a nice and gentle decent on the outbound leg, using my old Goretex jacket i know that i would be wet with sweat at the end of the inbound and the same but colder on the outbound leg. Fit: When i initially tried the jacket on i did have concerns about the closeness of the fit around my shoulders, however after a wash and reproof i found that it gave a little more room around the shoulder area. During the walk i can honestly say that i was not conscious of any restrictions. With this jacket being my first bi directional type i was a bit taken back by the material which in fairness can only be described as soft and comfy. I did wonder if this would work. The Walk: My initial thought whilst starting the walk was how light it felt i only had a tee base layer and the claw and no rucksack. The first part of the walk is probably the hardest and will definitely get the body warm a good test of breath ability and in fairness it worked well, no beads of sweat running down my back and my body temp felt comfortable. As i got further into the walk the front of my jacket became wet but never saturated and still my body core stayed comfortable and still no sweat. When i completed the the inbound leg i decided to take off the jacket and have a look inside and in fairness it was bone dry. The other aspect i feel need a mention is the hood, i found the hood worked well whilst walking into the rain and started to notice the benefits of the clear visor (hood peak) this did allow me to keep my head down in the driving rain but still see where i was going very handy, also the fit is quite snug and comfortable. One other are i like was the venting there seemed to be plenty of options for venting to suit all situations even the oversised sleeves allowed arm venting efficiently. Verdict: I know that small test above is not exhaustive however i am more than pleased with the Furtech Claw and its performance, i wanted a jacket that would keep my dry inside and this did it well. I felt comfortable at all times and will probably only need to wear a thicker base for the winter. If you are looking for a change from shell type jackets this may be worth a look. At the moment these jackets are £130 from FurteckAlso thanks to John B and Parky for your advice helped a lot. Sheridan Soft and comfy clothes convert
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 Hi Sheridan,
glad it worked out for you - seems like a good initial test.
John B
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Please to see the initial review and it worked well for you.
I would stick with the thin base and carry either another thin to add or a thicker to change into in colder weather until you get to know what the performance will be like. the jacket is probably a lot warmer than you think it is i.e. will keep you comfortable over quite a wide range of temperature.
a bargain price too!
Still haven't found an opportunity to try mine yet :-(
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 Well it was really nasty at the salt marsh today, I stood for hours in squally showers birdwatching. Had on Cascada trousers, Paramo Hoodie & Claw jacket - the hoodie is about as much as I can get on under the jacket without losing freedom of arm movement - luckily it was all I needed to stay warm as the jacket does keep the weather extremely well. The hood works very well, the see through visor is a stroke of genius - when birdwatching I can pull the hood forward to keep me and my scope eyepiece dry whilst still having peripheral vision. The design still annoys me though, the volume adjusters are too close together and require some pressure to operate. As I've previously commented on I'd have much prefered two way pit zips and 'not' two way pocket zips, the hip draw cord is the usual design that leave a big free loop that catches on everything - I know this is a design feature as it doubles as a crotch strap - not something I've ever felt the need to use. I still think the arms are too restictive, there's too much bunching underarm and the reason it'll never be my 'smoking jacket for the hills' - the cut of the shoulders, it just feels strange....however once you got a rucksak on your shoulders, hood up against the driving rain...you forget all the niggles and admire it for what it is...very affordable foul weather coat that is inherantly warm, supersoft and makes you smile when the rain starts solidifying. I've just bought a Montane Quickfire for more which is a mere plastic bag compared to the Claw and I wouldn't wear it in winter if you paid me plus the noise it makes would scare the birds away.
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 Great results and a very comprehensive write up, I would like to know how it performs with a full size rucksac on, you know what happens to your back "sweaterama" when working hard carrying a pack/weight to the localised area that the pack sits. £130 to your door.............think this may be the steal of the century Are we going to see furtech written as F**t**H soon as is with the darkside manufacturer you know who( P***MO) Drew Decided to ring the folks at F**T**H today with some pointed Q's on the jacket and whether or not it will work for me as I really fancy one.......CC at the ready!!!!
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it's just like paramo. you get a sweaty back except that, unlike with a hard shell within which your back is permanently wet, your back dries quite nicely due to the extreme breatability of this type of clothing. you may have to reconsider your baselayer to get the very best out of it. i find the jacket slightly warmer than paramo but that would be due to the closer cut. remember the "odd" sizing rathjer than the usual "even". at their curernt prices, these are indeed a steal. by the way, the blue in the review looks rather lurid. it isn't really, i think it is a nice shade of blue.
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Gave mine another work out on the weekend the FTH Claw that is and yes still no problems. The only very slight downside is that whilst the rain was wicking well off the arms some of that went into the base of the bottom front pockets and took some time evaporate but did. I did have my hands in the jacket pockets. I agree with Chria Oates about the restrictions, however i do not notice these ay all whilst walking. Another side note is that i have found the FTH to be a very good windproof, many a cold afternoon watching my local rugby team with only a meduim weight shirt on and warm as toast. And of course no crips packet sounds. Highly recommend. Sheridan
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Took a Claw off Andy's hands and have had a few good outings now in the Black Mountains, Cadair Idris and the Western Brecons. My intention on buying the jacket was to stay warm even in the rain and something that would allow me to vent easily. So I had seen the advert in Trail magazine a few times and checked out Andy's site. First of all I purchased the Talon, but ended up swapping it for a Claw. The Claw is longer with two extra pockets. The Talon and the Claw both look great in real life.
Outing One
My first outing was dry, but windy and the jacket was warm and comfortable. All elements of the jacket worked well including the weird looking hood. In high wind on Hay Bluff it passed its test. Lower down I could adjust the arm vents to suit. The material was soft to touch and I wore the hood outside and not rolled up. I just wore a HH lifa dry long sleeve top. Returned to my car warm, dry and no sweat. Outing Two
Cadair Idris on xmas eve in rain, mist and wind. I made it to the summit hut and felt cold and wet. The inside of my pockets were also wet. So there was me thinking I should be dry. On the descent the rain ceased and I started to dry out. I got back to the car and I was slightly wet and slightly cold. Outing Three
Carmathen Fan in high winds and rain. I spent about 4.5 hours in really bad weather walking head into the wind. When I got back to the car my jacket had wet out and my baselayer was soaked. Summary
So what have I learnt about the Claw. In cold windy conditions this is the jacket to wear, you don't get rucksack rub on the material, the pockets are nice and big and the jacket is well put together except for the wrist loops (I don't use them anyway, not tough enough). In wet windy conditions I seem to have problems with it. During a shower test the main zip does leak, I may even stand in the shower with it on to try and simulate the wet conditions I experienced to see where it leaks. And yes I have reproofed it before you ask. Until I prove otherwise I am not classing this as a waterproof and will be carrying a shell if it turns wet. Two wet outings so far has knocked my confidence !! It is worth mentioning Andy's approach to customer service as he truely listens to his customers and welcomes any feedback good or bad. I intend to perfom more tests on the waterprooofing side of things to understand its limitations. My expectations are probably too high. If anyone is considering buying one of Andy's jackets go ahead and try one. If you don't like it you can send it back. I would be more than happy to receive any emails from you guys to discuss any particular questions you may have. No I don't work for Andy, just know a good product when I see one. P.S I have just ordered an Alta II so I can compare both. Darren
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interested by the wet pockets. were the lower ones wet inside at the bottom by the zip by any chance? i think water leaks in here through the stitching as the pockets are stitched into the seams at this point. either that or it's just condensation pooling there as paramo can do.
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just perfomed the shower test and I can confirm wet pockets looks as if it is due to the zips. I normally put gloves etc into waterproof stuff sacs in my pockets so I am not concerned. The shower test did prove the jacket was waterproof with the inside being bone dry. Water beading quite nicely. So I guess me getting wet on previous outings was due to high winds plus driving rain. Any ideas at what the saturation point is when the jacket becomes overwhelmed ? More investigation required......
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i would guess with prolonged high winds and rain you'd be lucky to find any zip that didn't let water in. relieved about the pockets i must admit. i guess gaian that, like paramo, the jacket can't be overwhelmed. it is very, very difficult to push water through a paramo lining. the outer can wet out but that just affects breathability. at the end of the sleeves, near the end of the velcro strips are drain holes so that when water gets through the outer it can get away eventually so your cuffs don't slosh with water.
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parky have you ever felt the jacket feel cool when wet on the arms for example ? Sounds like it needs another field test in Snowdonian rain as the ultimate test.
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 I've a Claw, and have given it a weeks testing in Snowdonia recently, and suffice to say, I won't be going back to a hardshell. Was warm and dry all week, even when it was persisting down in torrents.
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 I purchased a Talon last year and have giving it a few outings in the worst of weather. It has been soaked through after spending 6 hours in driving rain and wind and even though it was well below zero with the wind chill I didn't feel the cold at all. I really like the way it feels when you have a pack on and it is brilliant in the cold. The only niggle I have with it is the waist draw cord doesn't retract fully after use and one of the draw cords came away completely on the hood. Managed to re-thread it but haven't worked out the best way of using the mass of draw string yet.
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darren, all jackets feel cooler when it rains. the arms present a large surface area for all that lovely rain to cool down. the sleeves make excellent condensation tubes for all that moist warm air trapped beneath a "hard" shell that can't get out.
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 Cold bridging is a term used in civil engineering when the inner walls of a building become cold and damp. It is one of the reasons that membrane garments can suffer from condensation, even in moderate conditions, because the thin fabrics provide minimal thermal protection. FurTech jackets offer far more thermal protection but in cold damp conditions, with lots of wind and water chill, it may be possible for cold bridging to occur. This is exacerbated by the human thermo regulatory system which removes blood flow from the skin in order to stay warm, further reducing the heat getting to the inside of the garment. The solution is to add water repellant insulation over the top or to generate more heat. An OverShell jacket or Group Shelter can help to reverse this process, or prevent chilling when you stop. Cold bridging may explain dampness inside any garment and why people have different experiences of how they perform.
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 Further to that, human skin hasn't got the ability to tell whether it's wet or not, so you can have feet that feel wet - sloshing water excepted - but are actually just cold. Stick your hand in a plastic bag and submerge it in water and you'll feel as if your hand is wet, which it clearly isn't.
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that reminds me andy. any indication as to when the trousers may be available?
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