Berghaus' lighweight multi-activity jacket uses the new Gore-Tex Paclite Stretch fabric for claimed improved fit and comfort, it says here...
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Berghaus Paclite Endurance
Jacket Tested
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Price:
£175.00
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Weight: 394 grammes (men's
medium)
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Features: Gore-Tex
Paclite Helium and Paclite Stretch fabric, Paclite Microtape
seams, Paclite stretch techn9ology for improved fit,
Bergnomic cut, full length zip with double storm flap, hook
and loop closure, foldaway mountain hood with volume
adjuster and wired visor, two large front pockets with water
resistant zips and mesh pocket bags for venting, external
Berghaus Simplex stretch mesh pocket for quick access,
elasticated and adjustable hem draw cord, laminated hook and
loop adjustable cuffs.
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Decent hood, nice cut.
Stretc Paclite looks nice but has limited functionality in
this jacket.
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The Concept It's a multi-activity jacket which Berghaus says
is designed for anything from mountain biking to adventure racing, so
basically any sort of fast-moving activity. It doesn't use the
harder-wearing Paclite Cassis fabric, so we'd steer away from heavy
pack or climbing abuse.
The stand-out feature of the Endurance is the use of new Gore-Tex
Paclite Stretch fabric - you've guessed it, Paclite fabric with, erm,
stretch - for 'improved fit and comfort', it says here.
Features Berghaus now has five different Paclite tops in its
range, more if you include women's options and travel jackets, what
makes the Endurance stand out is the use of Paclite Stretch panels
across the upper back, at the forearms and at the hips.
The rest of the jacket is a distillation of other effective
Berghaus features, so you get the slimmer, more athletic Bergnomic
cut, a double storm flap, venting pockets and one of their strange
external stretch spider mesh stowaway pouches with a neat, welded
surround.
Other nice touches are the hem cords, which can be adjusted to
change the tension at either the front or back of the hem
individually and this year's 'must have', the new Gore Microtape
which increases the breathable area of the jacket and marginally
reduces weight.
In
Action First, this is a very nice jacket. We know this because
every time we used it, people saud: 'Nice jacket mate,' and they were
right. It looks lovely helped by the tapered Bergnomic - is that a
gnome in there? - cut and neatly integrated features like the
protected entries to the two main pockets and that funky extreriro
stretch pocket which you'll either love or hate.
Breathability is good, with the Paclite fabric doing its usual
effective job - we couldn't tell the difference between the stretch
and normal panels by the way. You can still overwhelm it when working
hard, but along with eVENT, it's the stand-out material on the market
when it comes to dealing with moisture from within. The venting
pockets help when it's breezy and you can roll up those sleeves as
well, which we like.
We're less sure about the 'better fit' promised by the stretch
Paclite panels. Maybe if we were burlier we'd have worked them
harder, but for us they really did nowt, though they may have helped
the roll-up sleeves stay in place. That doesn't mean that it's not a
good jacket, we think it is, just that the stretch areas don't do
much and, to be honest, the stretch is quite minimal anway, so it's
hard to see how they could work effectively without a very close
cut.
The rest of the short-cut jacket is cracking. The hood is decently
protective, though you have to use the front drawcord adjusters if
you want it to stay put when moving your head and it's good to see a
wired peak on a lightweight jacket.
Speaking of which, the 400 gramme weight isn't the lightest out
there, but it's still very reasonable.
