Backpacker Magazine – 2010 Editors' Choice/Gear Guide

Gear Review: White Sierra Tempest Tek Jacket

Total rain protection at a happy, happy price.

by: BACKPACKER Editors and Contributors

Tags:
• Jackets
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• Apparel
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• Soft shells
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• Hardshells
|

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In some towns, $65 isn’t enough to buy dinner, but it will buy the White Sierra Tempest Tek Jacket. This 2.5-layer waterproof/breathable shell provided total deluge protection during a hard rain in Colorado’s Flat Tops Wilderness, and the roomy cut and four-way stretch gave testers unrestricted freedom of movement. The adjustable, brimmed hood kept rain from dripping into their eyes.

Tradeoffs for the price? Hand pockets are placed too low, where they fall under a pack’s hipbelt; and breathability is so-so—testers steamed up on hot, soggy climbs. And it’s heavy. But if you’d rather wait out the storm than hammer up a hill in the rain, this jacket is a steal. $65; 1 lb. 7 oz. (m’s L); whitesierra.com




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