Test kit gets a good bit of rotation, I take something different on every trip so I can get used to stuff and hopefully spot the quirks or advantages of different designs. But there’s one thing that’s seen more use that any other bit of kit, constant use in fact as it’s been with me almost every day this year, the Haglöfs Foss.
I didn’t mean for it to become my work jacket. I unpacked it, put it on and headed out to fix pipes and it just kinda stayed there. But, along the way lessons have been learned.
First is the fit, it’s regular Haglöfs, slim with great freedom of movement and good arm length and the features stack up too. There’s two big chest pockets, and there’s brilliant inner storage too as you can see below, I carry tools, Greggs sausage rolls, bottles of Irn Bru and more in there all the time.
You’ll see the inner lining there too, it’s 2 layer Proof, Haglöfs’ own waterproof membrane. In the back of my mind “own brand” used to be labelled “second class”, but it really isn’t anything like it. Fabric is either good or not, and Proof is good. I wear merino baselayers and microfleece midlayers pretty much all the time to work, so I’m using a standard issue layering system and it has to deal with standing around persuading money out of customers as well as sudden or extended hard exertion and keep me comfy or I’ll ditch it and take something else. But the Foss has worked well from day one and been issue free.
The Proof fabric has a hydrocarbon DWR treatment which beads water well even now and is more environmentally friendly that the other options on the likes of Gore-Tex, the face fabric of Proof is also made of 100% recycled polyester. I hate to use the word, but it does make for quite a “green” jacket.
It’s soft to wear but has taken some abuse, and indeed some damage, but it would take me years of hill use to work a jacket as hard as I’ve worked the Foss.
The hood below is Haglöfs three-point adjustable, moves with your head even when only lightly adjusted (as below) and is very protective. The zips might well be vulnerable to very heavy rain on the hill as they’re standard types and have small flaps covering them, velcroed on the main zip. I haven’t had ingress as yet in engineering mode though.
The Foss will never make a hill now, it’s been burnt, torn, it’s got paint and oil stains, but it’s been and will continue to be a great bit of kit on a daily basis.
And, it’s £140. I couldn’t argue with the performance at that price if I tried.
I agree technical kit doesn’t have to be limited to the mountains! I wear a Montane Flux as a general everyday jacket when it’s cold and a LIM Ultimate when it’s raining. Outdoor kit can work really well for everyday use if you choose non mountain colours, plus we’ll be prepared for a freak ice age.
I’m not the kind of guy who would buy a cotton shirt for £75 because it has Armani on it, but would if it was breathable, waterproof and glows in the dark.
The Flux is good eveyday kit, I grab it off the rack quite a lot when I’m heading out.
Outdoor kit should be go-to gear if you think about it, if it’s not they’ve made it all wrong!
I might wash the Foss in the holidays. It deserved that at the very least :o)
Will it be Grangers or Nikwax wash you’ll be using? Are these the only options available and how environmentally friendly are they?
What does Haglofs recommend?
Sorry to go off subject…
Certainly Sharkfin pants do a much better job of keeping my legs warm in a cold shop than do jeans :)
Nikwax is fluorocarbon free. Grangers is fluorocarbon-based, but a “low chain” chemical, which is supposed to lessen the environmental impact. I think Grangers is slightly better, particularly if you can stick the product in question into the tumble dryer for a little bit, but meh.
That’s a better answer than mine, I’ve pretty much abandoned specialist cleaners on price grounds and use Ecover or non-bio washing tabs for all my kit.
But, like ACS says there’s a notion that Grangers is the best option at the money. I’ll need to pick some up for my waterproofs.
But, when I was at Haglofs last week I was suppposed to bring back the “right stuff” for the hydrocarbon DWR on the Foss, which I forgot. I’ll chase it up in the new year so at least I know what it was!
Hi Peter,
I’m looking for a ‘summer’ waterproof, e.g. something I would wear to start a walk in the rain in warmer weather.
I’m looking for something comfier than the sticky non lined waterproofs like Kamleikas, Montane stuff, Lim ultimates etc, I’ve tried a Haglofs Hail jacket and I think the lining would be comfy enough to wear all day over just a Tech T, and I’m thinking of going for the Foss over the Hail due to the pit zips (are they effective?).
Is the Foss going to be a good solution for a comfy warm weather waterproof? Going to proshell seems a little extreme.
Many thanks!
Neil
Hi Neil
That’s an interesting one. I always take the lightest possible jacket in summer as I’ll be carrying it most of the time, and the Foss takes up more pack space that most. But, wearing it from the start of a wet walk over a base layer would be very comfy with its drop-liner and venting options like you say.
The Foss is a lovely jacket to wear, and I think its design does suit summer rain far better than wind driven winter storms.
Proshell is good, not as good as eVent, but it’s much less clammy against the skin that membranes of old, the inner scrim captures condensation well, and it does have a reasonably soft touch too it.
This summer I’ll probably be using a mix of Paclite and eVent smocks, but for setting off in the rain I’ll remember this and maybe think about venting pocketa and the like. Mind you, I’ve just got a smock with pitzips in for test which is right in the middle of those option, but more of that in a wee while!
I don’t think I got to a definitive answer there, but it has got me thinking!