Features
The Firefly's spec is closer to a full mountain jacket than most
Paclite jackets, so you get big twin chest pockets with
water-resistant zips plus a similar external chest pocket. There's a
waist cord as well as a hem cord, which again is unusual for the
breed and significantly if you're a climber or alpinist, the hood is
large enough to take most climbing helmets and is wired and
stiffened, though it can also be rolled down out of the way.
The pockets, by the way, aren't mesh lined, so while they can't be
used as vents and the added material adds a little weight, it also
means that they can't allow water through to your body.
In Action We seem to keep on saying it, but Mountain
Equipment's recent jackets are some of the best thought-out designs
on the market and the Firefly is no exception. The cut was excellent
for us, offering good freedom of movement even with a harness and
pack, but with minimal billowing, though a friend with narrower
shoulders found the top half of the jacket sat slightly
oddly.
We like ME's semi-drawcord waist as well. The shock cord only
tightens the back of the jacket, which pulls the front flat and neat
for an easy view of your feet and minimal bunching under harness or
hip belt. Nice.
Another plus for us is the very competent hood design. It's not
quite a full mountain hood, but it will take a climbing helmet,
albeit without total facial enclosure, if that's your bag. It also
fits well without a helmet and, because of the way the rear volume
adjuster grips your cranium, moves with your head as you turn it.
The rest of the detailing's great too. The main zip flaps - one
outside and one behind the zip - are stiffened, so there's no
irritating folding of fabric or catching of thin material in the
zipper. The big chest pockets are great and well above harness level,
though in a real deluge, we'd expect some leakage from the exposed
water-resistant, urethane coated zips. The map pocket - though we're
not sure you really need it as well as the chest pockets, takes OS
1:50,000 and 1:25,000 maps in its stride.
Weight is very reasonable for the level of protection and as we've
said before, the latest version of Gore's Paclite offers better
breathability than anything else we're tried apart from Lowe Alpine's
eVENT prototypes. It packs down small too.
This may not be the lightest Paclite jacket out there, but for
full-on mountain use, we reckon the excellent and more protective
longer cut plus a good, helmet-compatible hood, give it the edge over
lighter, more minimalist designs and at a cost of only 100 grammes in
extra weight.
Fit for us is great and unrestrictive helped by the semi-corded
waist and features like the big pockets make it an option for alpine
use where you want quick access to snacks and nick-nacks without
fiddling with your pack.
The New Paclite fabric plays another dependably breathable
blinder. Bear in mind though that the lightness comes at the expense
of some long term durability, so for sustained pack use or thrutchy
climbing, you'd be better advised to opt for a heavier fabric like
XCR.
If you were going to quibble, you might want more venting options,
though we didn't find it to be a significant problem and if you're
more into mountain biking or running, something with a shorter cut
and drop tail would make more sense
As a lightweight complement to, say, a technical soft shell layer,
that'll still offer full weather protection when needed or as an
ultra-lightweight mountain jacket though, the Firefly's hard to
beat.
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Value
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