What's It For?
The Slipstream is a lightweight waterproof jacket designed for all-round and multi-activity stuff rather than hardcore mountain wear. Rab says it's cut short for active use, but it's not as short as all that making it a walking option too.
The Techy Bits
The Slipstream is the first jacket we've tried which uses Pertex's first waterproof fabric, Shield. Generally Pertex fabrics are windproof but only water resistant, but Shield is a breathable 2.5-layer PU laminate that's completely waterproof. The inner surface has a grid pattern which protects the PU layer from abrasion.
The other obvious technical feature is differential seam taping to save weight and bulk. Main seams have full-width tape, but less crucial ones get a narrower version to cut mass.
How It Performed
At a measured 260 grammes the Slipstream is respectably light and packs down small enough to sit happily unnoticed in your pack most of the time. It also comes with a 32g bum-bag, so you can easily take it along on runs and other non-pack days.
When you do need it, it's a no-nonsense, reasonably effective waterproof. Rab says it's cut 'short', but compared to a lot of lightweight jackets, it's actually quite a generous length and gives enough crotch protection for walking use in our case. The sleeves are long too and don't pull up.
Overally the cut is neat, but not tight, for an average person, there should be enough space for a microfleece or similar underneath on cooler days.
The design is quite simple, twin handwarmer pockets are mesh-lined for some ventilation and will take an OS map without problems, there's a simple hem cord and the cuffs are Velcro fastened neatly. One point is that while there's some reflective on the jacket, there could be a lot more and the piping at the frront sits under pack straps making it hard to see if you are wearing a sack.
The hood is decent enough for a lightweight, with full adjustment, movement with head and a wire-stiffened peak. Not much side protection for the face, but that's par for the course with this sort of jacket.
The fabric feels smooth and silky against the skin and is waterproof. Breathability is reasonable, though you will overwhelm it working hard. Then again, pretty much any fabric will give up the ghost when confronted with a hard-working runner or mountain bikers. For walking use, it's as good as most mid-range waterproof fabrics.
Initial Verdict
Unpretentious, effective light waterproof jacket that's long enough for lightweight walking use. The hood is a little lightweight for full-on mountain use, but for multi-acitivity, pack and forget it does the job just fine. The bum-bag is a nice tough, though we've predictably managed to lose ours in the way of all stuff-sacs.
Buy if you want a decently priced, lightweight waterproof jacket that's also long enough for walking use, particularly if you have long arms.
