What's It For?
The Anakin Pro is part of Sprayway's lightweight Versa Lite range of packable lightweight clothing designed to be used for 'climbing, walking, paddling and travelling, whatever the time of year or weather conditions' it says here. So think all-round, lightweight waterproof jacket with a walking bias and you won't go far wrong.
The Techy Bits
Sprayway's head designer, Julie Greengrass, was responsible for many of Montane's ultra-lightweight designs, so it's no surprise that the Anakin Pro is as light and packable as it is. There are no silly gimmicks and components like the cuff tabs have been slimmed down to save weight - no rubber tabs here, just fabric and Velcro.
The fabric plays a bit part too. Gore's Pro Shell material is lighter than previous three-ply Gore-Tex fabrics like XCR because it uses a lighter woven rather than knitted backer, which is also more durable, abrasion resistant and slides easily over mid and base-layers for a mobile relaxed feel.
It's not as breathable as eVent in our opinion, but Gore fabrics are thoroughly developed and carefully tested before release, so it's a reliable option. The only downside is a slightly loud, crisp-packety feel.
How It Performed
Sprayway has pulled a bit of flanker with the Anakin Pro, at a genuine 356 grammes , it's only 10-odd grammes heavier than the Haglofs LIM Ozone, which is one of the lightest Pro Shell jackets out there. But whereas the Haglofs jacket costs £270, the Anakin Pro retails for just £160.
The jacket's light and packs down small and neat into the mesh stuff bag which comes with it. The fit is definitely a little more relaxed than most lightweight jackets, which tend to be aimed at archetypal fast-movers like runners and mountain bikers. That means there's more space for either you or a thicker mid-layer. It's also cut reasonably long, so you do get some crotch protection if you're not too tall.
Because of the looser, more relaxed cut, we treated the Anakin mostly as a walking jacket and it did a good all-round, pack and forget until needed job for us. We liked the large mesh-backed handwarmer pockets, which happily take an OS map and can be used as a venting option if you need to let off steam, on a hard climb or simply as handwarmers. We were a little concerned about potential leaks from the zips, but they have a substantial storm flap and another pair of butted flaps and so far we've stayed good and dry.
The hood is generally good. Interestingly, the main zip slants off to one side to remove bulk from the chin area, which is a nice idea, but unfortunately, the hood isn't big enough for the OM test chin and while you can zip right up and cover up below the chin line, above it we found the chin-piece too tight. One to try before buying, though otherwise the wire-brimmed hood works well and moves with your head.
We liked the simply cuff tabs, which work well, but found the sleeves too tight to roll up to the elbows for extra venting. The fabric works fine, feels good and mobile and while it's not as breathable as some, is fine for most walking use unless you run hot. The venting pockets help there too.
Verdict
Fab value for such a light and packable Gore-Tex Pro Shell walking jacket. We couldn't fault the overall concept, but we did have a few detail issues with the jacket. The hood is generally well designed, but we found it was too tight around the chin, so offered limited facial protection. Try before buying as it may vary according to your chin dimensions. We'd also like to be able to roll the sleeves further than halfway up our forearms.
What we did like was the lightness, packability, generous cut, venting pockets, flexible feel, length and the very attractive price.
Buy if... you're looking for a good quality, bt still affordable, lightweight waterproof jacket made from a high spec fabric particuarly for walking and your chin area is small enough to allow facial protection from the hood.
