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 | | Stormy Afternoon at Lake Song Kol | | by Hamish Fenton |
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Rab Vapour-Rise Trail Smock Tested |  | | 
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Rab Vapour-Rise Smock
Tested
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Price:
£100.00
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Weight: 477 grammes (men's
medium)
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Features: Pertex
Equilibrium outer with micro wicking inner. Shield
water-resistant treatment, two venting mesh-lined chest
pockets, drawcord hem and venting Velcro cuffs, two-way
chest zip, wired peak hood which zips into collar. Women's
VR jacket also available, but no smock version.
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Great compromise between protection, breathability and
moisture management.
Slightly tight across the OM test shoulders...
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 The
Concept The idea of a windproof and water-resistant outer shell
married to a thin, insulating microfleece inner is nothing new, it
first emerged as a cooler alternative to pile / Pertex garments like
Buffalo.
Completely windproof outers however, often fall down when it comes
to breathability. Rab's Vapour-Rise kit uses Pertex-Equilibrium
instead. It's not completely windproof, but the pay off is better
breathability combined with excellent wicking qualities thanks to the
structure of the material.
The promise is a garment that offers decent weather protection and
some insulation but still allows enough breathability and wicking
performance to stay comfortable in milder conditions.
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Features The VR Trail Smock - no relation to the magazine - is
a relatively straightforward bit of kit. the fabric we've already
dealt with, but it comes in a slim, smock form complete with wired
hood. and a neat, deep two-way neck zip. Cuffs and hem are adjustable
and the pockets, while still fleece backed, are mesh lined for
venting.
 In
Action Think lightweight microfleece levels of warmth but with
far greater weather protection and add in great wicking and good
breathability and you won't be far wrong. It's all helped by a slim,
close cut that keeps the high-wicking liner near to your body and
helps performance. That does mean that more amply cut users might be
squeezed out and we found the shoulders almost too tight, so try
before you buy.
We used the VR Smock both over a baselayer and directly next to
skin and found it worked really well either way. The Pertex
Equilibrium outer is wind resistant rather than proof, but still does
a good job of keeping the chill at bay and really scores with
excellent breathability and wicking. The Shield DWR treatment works
well and you don't need to resort to a shell until it's really
bucketing down and, if you're working hard, maybe not even then.
It's decently warm too, but a combination of being able to roll
the sleeves up, a whopping great venting zip with a two-way zip to
prevent the neck gaping open and mesh-lined pockets mean that you can
usually avoid overheating. We also found that the breathability and
wicking of the VR meant that you could layer a hardshell over it
without excessive sweatiness.
Finally the lined roll-away hood with wired peak is great for
stops and on cooler days, though it obviously doesn't offer as much
side protection as a full-on technical hood. Other details are well
thought out, the pockets don't obstruct harness or pack use for
example.
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We tend to use kit for as long as it takes to form a balanced
opinion on how it works, but the really good stuff sneaks into our
pemanent outdoor wardrobe, which is where the Rab VR Smock is
skulking right now.
If you're built slim to athletic-medium and have a tendency to
overheat in fully-windproof tops, then the VR is near perfect. It's
an ideal compromise between warmth, protection, breathability and
venting performance that we've used for everything from
mountaineering to mountain biking.
If we had to suggest improvements, we'd ask for some Pertex
Equilibrium Stretch panels to improve fit over a wider range of body
shapes and take some of the tightness out of the shoulders, but
really that's just quibbling.
The bottom line is that while it's not cheap and it's not flash,
Vapour Rise is massively effective. Just good, no-nonsense kit that
works so well you mostly forget that you're using it. And that's what
it's all about.
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Performance
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Value
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Pushed for time
Brilliant balance of protection, insulation,
breathability, wicking and venting performance in a simple,
no frills, but higly effective package. Only quibble is the
slim fit which is great if it suits your body
shape.
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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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