My biggest complaint of two- and 2.5-layer jackets is that they feel clammy against the skin, even if you don’t have a sweat up but more so if you do.

But the Dryzzle’s Gore-Tex Paclite fabric – a 50D polyester blend on the inner and outer – counters this problem and never feels cold against the skin (the main cause of the clammy feeling) and is super soft to the touch. It also offers good breathability, especially when combined with opened pitzips.

My thinking is the fabric might be too soft as an outer choice where high abrasion areas like the shoulders will eventually show signs of wear and tear under the duress of a heavy pack. That said, I did not notice any problems in this area during the testing, so it should be several seasons before any wear presented itself.

The three-way adjustable hood has a small, stiffened visor. I found it easy to adjust the volume with the rear drawcord, getting a snug fit so my head did not get lost in it.

The jacket is baggy, perfect for those times you need to wear a few layers beneath it. Wearing a fleece was no problem, though it was never really cool enough during the testing period to warrant wearing one. I found the size medium I tested to be rather shapeless but the sleeves did hang just the right length to avoid them rising up as I moved about.

There are three external pockets with the chest pocket being a tight squeeze for my topo map. The handwarmer pockets were not easily accessed when I had my pack hipbelt done up.

There are some shortcomings with this jacket, but nothing that would scream don’t buy. The price is good for a technical jacket, the next-to-skin comfort is excellent and weighing just 366g I think the jacket is good for most trips – particularly day and overnighters – though I would prefer something a little more heavy-duty for those serious multiday trips.