A few months ago I got an email inviting me to the Mountain Hardwear #findingwinter program! Mountain Hardwear sent over the Plasmic Jacket, Ghost Whisperer Down Hooded Jacket and Scrambler 30 pack, but we’ve been hard pressed for winter this year in California.
The Plasmic Jacket is your standard rain jacket for backpacking and hiking. This jacket has two zippered hand pockets, but they sit low on the waist making it not ideal for any activities requiring a harness or padded hip belts, which isn’t really what the jacket was designed for anyway. The jacket is constructed with Dry.Q™ EVAP fabric, designed for better breathability. The zipper is water resistant Vislon Aquaguard. The hood is fully adjustable and can be cinched down. Tabs on the sleeves let you tighten up the wrist openings. Weighing only 9.6 oz, this can be tossed in your pack for windy or wet moments on your adventures.
This jacket is comparable to the Marmot PreCip Jacket, the North Face Venture Jacket or the North Face Resolve Jacket as a functional, low-weight, cost-effective waterproof shell. I reach for this during inclement weather because it’s more sturdy than my Outdoor Research Helium Hybrid Jacket and easier (read: more bearable) to beat up than my Arc’teryx Alpha SL Hybrid Jacket. Despite the breathable Dry.Q™ EVAP fabric, I still find myself wishing for pit zips on rainy days. Sometimes you just need to vent, and you need to vent fast. I’ve found myself in situations where I’m drenched on the outside, and drenched on the inside from sweat.
The Mountain Hardwear Women’s Plasmic Jacket retails for $140 and comes seven fun colors on the Mountain Hardwear website. A men’s version is also available here. Or buy through Amazon. Both are currently on sale!
Lastly, Mountain Hardwear sent out a challenge for some urban exploration. Storms in the mountains meant crazy clouds in the Bay Area. Our sunset this past weekend was spectacular.
The Mountain Hardwear Plasmic Jacket was sent to me for review as a part of the #findingwinter program.
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