The Xenon got a little lost in amongst the other Rab jackets that came in for my recent Walkhighlands reviews as they all looked a little better featured and for want of a less patronising expression, a bit more technical. However, the light weight, small pack size and rather fetching non-primary colour of the Xenon has seen it jammed into a rucksack or behind the drivers seat of the retro truck regularly as well as pulled on when just nipping out to the shops or up to 300m in the Kilpatricks to check a deer fence in the snow. It’s got an unassuming simple and accessible design that works just nice.
The spec is just what you’d want with Pertex Quantum inside and out for low weight, softness and decent weather resistance with 60g Primaloft One inside for a good level of heat retention and excellent compressibility – all for 352g in this size large.
There are two deep handwarmer pockets which meet in the middle, in an almost but not quite pouch fashion, a zipped chest pocket and a two-way main zip so you can keep the neck sealed to keep out the wind but still vent your core. It sounds faffy and pointless, but it works. The neck is fleece lined and the fit is slim-ish making it a good call as a winter midlayer if you feel the cold or want to layer up warm under a shell at camp. Should be a good summer camp jumper too.
Aye, it is a jumper and there’s nothing wrong with that.