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 REVIEWS 01 / 10 / 02
 

Berghaus Yukon Half-Zip Tested

Berghaus Yukon Half Zip

Price: £40.00

Weight: 243 grammes (men's L)

Features: brushed Polartec 100 Microfleece fabric, zipped chest pocket, brushed pocket lining, double fabric collar, Lightweight Lycra binding on zip and back neck, half zip

Light, tidy, small packing and warm enough
You might need more in really cold conditions


We don't normally test microfleece, but given that we just happen to have a Berghaus Yukon on test, we thought it would make an ideal representative of its noble breed and illustrate the plus points of the fabric along the way.

Polartec's 100-weight fleece is half the weight of standard mid-weight Polartec 200 and consequently dead light - the Yukon weighs in at under 250 grammes. It packs down well and happens to be somewhere around the maximum level of insulation that most people can comfortably use under a water or wind-proof shell except in exceptionally cold conditions, which makes it very versatile.

You can also wear it against the skin as a superwarm baselayer, great in the tent or for slumming it in the pub, where - you guessed it - mid-weight fleece is often too warm. Like Polartec 200, it's not particularly wind resistant but wicking and drying are both okay.

The garment itself is pretty much a bog standard, half-zip, pullover style with a nice, double-thickness collar for comfort and warmth and a fit that's not overtight, but fits snugly enough for effective insulation and neat layering. Oh, and there's a zipped chest pocket. Nothing dramatic, no pit-zips, water-resistant zips or zip-off sleeves just a simple, functional garment.

Verdict:Simple, functional, snug-fitting design that packs small and weighs in at under 250 grammes. Most people will get more active use out of a 100-weight microfleece, especially as part of a layering system, than they would from a heavier,w armer fleece, though for extended stops and really cold conditions you might prefer something heavier. Good warmth to weight.

Performance

Value


Berghaus web site

Pushed for time: Simple but nicely made half-zip pull-on with double-thickness collar. There's nothing dramatic about the Yukon, but 100-weight microfleece is a near ideal weight to warmth ration for most active outdoor use, particularly when worn under a shell garment when a lot of people find mid-weight fleece simply too warm for comfort. At under 250 grammes it's dead light too,dries fast, and can also double as a super warm, next to skin base layer. We like.

Know more or want to?

If you'd like to add your own experiences of this product check out our user review system and post your opinions to the world. If you have questions you can mail us direct, ask Richard Gear or try a posting to our gear forum.


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