Backpacker Magazine – Fall/Winter Gear Guide 2011

Gear Review: Stoic Vaporshell Hardshell Jacket

This shell is a good lightweight option for when you hit showery weather and need solid waterproofness and breathability.

by: Nancy Prichard Bouchard

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• Apparel
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“This shell is a good lightweight option for when you hit showery weather and need solid waterproofness and breathability,” says an Oregon tester who used Stoic’s proprietary waterproof/breathable membrane on a rainy multiday hike/bike to Crater Lake. On a subsequent hike up a steep, 2,800-foot climb to gape at Columbia River views, the coat packed to cantaloupe size for the uphill, then provided protection from the wind and fog on top.

One tester raves about the jacket’s breathability—even for the long slog up Rainier. “I thought I’d just tuck it away for an emergency,” she says, “but I wore it over several layers in sunny conditions with no moisture buildup.” The shell keeps weight to a minimum with skinny seam tape, even narrower zippers, and a single small chest pocket.

Although the 7.5-inch pit zips provide some venting, testers wished they were longer. The athletic cut is snug over thicker layers. Bummer: The plastic pull tabs on the pit zips came off one sample early in the test.

$129
14 oz.
m’s S-XXL, w’s XS-XL
stoicgear.com


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