It was another faux-Christmas morning in Ireland that yielded another fresh parcel delivered in the post. I grabbed the package from the front desk of my Galway hostel and I ran up to my room, trying to pry the lid open. Failing, I threw caution to the wind and I ripped the plastic to bloody hell, and lo and behold my jacket had arrived just in time. This time around I worked with Millets for this upgrade of my gear, and I couldn’t have been happier with the experience. The weather has started to change in Ireland to chillier temperatures and stronger winds, so it was time that I start dressing warmer. When I left for this current trek through Europe, I started in mid-April in Spain, where I traveled to Morocco, southern France and Italy following, so it only made sense to bring summery articles of clothing – and without going into detail, I was grossly unprepared for fall in Ireland, UK and Iceland!
I didn’t have to search long until I found exactly what I was looking for – something sleek, lightweight, easy to pack up (if need be) durable and of quality, and I struck gold with my choice. Typically I like to purchase my garments in person – not because I’m one of the lone men out there that likes shopping (because I’m not) – because I would rather try on the items before spending loads of hard-earned money on them. Sure, sure – I could always return the items ordered, if I was to find myself being unhappy, but that’s a whole load of extra time wasted... But since I’m traveling in very rural parts of Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland, I found it important to just go ahead and take the chance. Lucky for me, it all worked out.
Now, now – this jacket. First off, I’ve always heard good things about Berghaus products and I am able to confirm (at least as far as this jacket goes) that their quality is fantastic. Whipping the jacket around myself and thrusting a hand in through the arm hole, I donned on the jacket and managed to feel immediately conformable and snug within it. It’s material is strong, but soft, and lightweight (which is, as I said, what I was looking for), and just simply felt good. For the following few weeks, I’ve been wearing it everywhere, from village to village in Ireland, up the coast of Northern Ireland and during my treks around the gorgeous and wild Scottish Highlands. It’s a great jacket for medium to chilly weather, especially when you’re hiking, as it blocks the wind well and keeps you feeling fresh and dry – it even has special zips that can be undone to allow for some breathing air under your arms.
Now, now – this jacket. First off, I’ve always heard good things about Berghaus products and I am able to confirm (at least as far as this jacket goes) that their quality is fantastic. Whipping the jacket around myself and thrusting a hand in through the arm hole, I donned on the jacket and managed to feel immediately conformable and snug within it. It’s material is strong, but soft, and lightweight (which is, as I said, what I was looking for), and just simply felt good. For the following few weeks, I’ve been wearing it everywhere, from village to village in Ireland, up the coast of Northern Ireland and during my treks around the gorgeous and wild Scottish Highlands. It’s a great jacket for medium to chilly weather, especially when you’re hiking, as it blocks the wind well and keeps you feeling fresh and dry – it even has special zips that can be undone to allow for some breathing air under your arms.
As with all of my gear reviews and opinions expressed about anything and everything, I always write about the good, the bad, the pretty and the ugly... While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the design and workmanship of the jacket, I do have to say that in quite cold weather, this jacket won’t keep you warm – while I was in the northwestern areas of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, there were some very bone-chilling, wet days, and the only way I was able to use this jacket, while conquering the cold is to have a few layers underneath as well. The other point I’d like to touch on is the vibrant colors that Berghaus chose for its zip-lines and hood seem a bit eye-catching, but not in a real positive way – although, that’s just part of their style, I suppose. I’m a simpleton – all black would be fine by me. But all in all, I definitely recommend this jacket – it feels good, looks good and as far as I can tell so far, it will last you a very long time.
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