The North Face is about to unleash pretty much the lightest
waterproof jacket we've ever seen in the shape of the new
152-gramme Triumph Anorak. And they're backing it up with the
sub 90-gramme Hydrogen windproof jacket.
The company reckons that the Triumph is 'surely the lightest, most
compressible waterproof on the market' and, if the specs are correct,
it does indeed undercut both TNF's own 200-gramme DIAD Jacket and the
even lighter Haglofs Oz Pullover.
The Triumph uses just two panels of waterproof, breathable Hyvent
DT fabric for the entire jacket including the hood. That's some
pretty fancy pattern cutting and means that the number of weight and
bulk increasing seams have been reduced with 50 per-cent less
stitching and taping, but also - says The North Face - reduces the
number of potential weak points leading to a stronger jacket.
The Triumph retails for £130 and should be in
store imminently. It looks like an ideal buy for anyone who prizes
lightness and packability for fast-moving use. Strictly speaking
Montane's 100-gramme Featherlite H2O jacket is lighter, but it lacks
a hood and the fabric is, we think, less waterproof than the Hyvent
DT.
When things get windy...
Joining the Triumph is the new Hydrogen Jacket, a
wind-resistant shell that packs down to the size of a tennis ball,
comes with its own stuffsac complete with belt loops and weighs in at
87 grammes for men's sizes and just 73 grammes for women. It has a
water repellant treatment as well, so should shrug off light showers
just fine.
In the shops shortly priced at £65. More details of The
North Face range at www.thenorthface.com.
Lindy Lin
