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First test: Columbia Compounder Shell jacket

£195.00

Omni-Dry is Columbia’s latest waterproof and breathable fabric, and on paper it appears to stand beside the best that money can buy. With the proud claim that it is ‘more air-permeable than Gore-Tex’ and that it is ‘the ultimate in waterproof technology for the outdoors’, Columbia has clearly set out its stall. The question is, does it actually help hillwalkers ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 4
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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First test: Rab Neo Stretch jacket

£250.00

The Rab Stretch Neo jacket is made from a new Polartec fabric called NeoShell, which claims to ‘fall in the sweet spot between traditional soft shells and hard shells’. So NeoShell is designed to be waterproof and breathable like a hard shell, while maintaining the stretch and comfort of a soft shell. Polartec NeoShell does have some stretch in it, ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 4
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Paramo Velez Adventure Smock

£200.00

Uses Nikwax Analogy waterproofing and works in a similar way to animal fur, driving moisture out and away from the skin. The waterproofing is handled by a DWR coating on the face fabric. The coating retained its water repellence for a longer period than expected, and only really started to wet out in high abrasion areas around the back and ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 4
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Jack Wolfskin Dissenter

£200.00

A stripped-down, tough shell jacket. There isn’t a huge amount to get in the way of the fabric performance – just two chest pockets and one internal. The chest pockets are high enough to use with a pack on, but aren’t mesh-backed, meaning that there are no vents on this jacket at all. In general walking conditions this isn’t much ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 3
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Outdoor Research Furio

£250.00

A hard-wearing shell-style jacket. In use it is as solid as they come, with all the usual tough bits and bobs. The most distinct feature of the jacket has to be OR’s full embracing of side venting. Instead of a couple of underarm zips, this jacket has huge zips that run from the hem through to the underarm. The result ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 4
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Fjallraven Back

£150.00

This jacket doesn’t employ any membrane technology to boost waterproofing and breathability and has strong eco-credentials. Of course, that can lead to a sweaty inside in some conditions, although it proved one of the better non-membrane jackets on test and it does have some great side vents. The jacket does have something of an athletic cut to it, with a ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 3
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Berghaus Bowscale

£160.00

A 2-layer Gore-Tex jacket suited to lower level walking. The less technical styling does mean that you won’t look like a lost mountain guide when out walking the dog. The face fabric is pleasantly soft and isn’t too noisy. There aren’t any vents to draw away the heat, and so it does tend to be warmer than most. The face ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 3
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Golite Malpais Trinity

£180.00

An incredibly lightweight jacket and something that’s better suited to warmer weather use, with its incredible packability and great windproofing. The Trinity membrane which provides waterproofing and breathability works well enough in most conditions and does have a bit of a ruffled scrim layer on the inside to help draw moisture away. It works reasonably well, although the very thin ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 2
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Craghoppers Byron

£150.00

A low-key styled jacket with a 2-layer Gore-Tex membrane tucked away inside to keep the performance levels up. You could easily get away with this jacket in town thanks to its casual looks. The 2-layer Gore-Tex means that there is a semi-loose lining layer inside trapping heat, making this one for cooler days. The fleecy lining to the collar is ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 3
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Regatta Cordite 3-in-1

£170.00

Two jackets for the price of one with this – a shell jacket outer and a removable insulated liner. The removable liner makes it a good bet for casual walks on colder days, when you don’t want to be weighed down by a lot of kit. In use the jacket is fine for general walking use, albeit pretty warm when ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 2
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Mountain Equipment Seraph

£240.00

A really technical-looking jacket with all the features of a top-quality waterproof. It’s comfortable to wear, with adjustment at the cuffs, waist and hem to fine-tune the fit, and soft fabric at the chin to prevent chafing. The hood is fantastic – deep enough for the biggest heads of hair, with adjustment side and back to lock it down tightly ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 5
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Vaude Slight Pro

£240.00

A really lightweight jacket weighing a mere 250g. The fit is generous, easily covering the hips, and there’s plenty of length in the arms too. The fabric feels silky smooth against the skin and is great to move around in. It has a decent-sized hood that swivels well with head movement, and there are baffle adjusters at the back and ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 3
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Sprayway Spectre

£170.00

This jacket is ideally suited to hillwalking. Two-layer Gore-Tex provides the waterproofing and breathability without feeling overly technical and crunchy. When it’s warm there are a couple of large underarm vents to draw away the heat. The cut is quite short but there’s a drop tail to cover your bum. The two waist pockets are long enough to reach over ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 3
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Páramo Aspira Jacket 2011

£290.00

The Páramo Aspira comes in a jacket and smock version, and both are particularly good for cold mountain trips. The unique fabric manages to force water out faster than it can get in through the jacket. In Trail rain room tests conducted at the University of Leeds, we found that Páramo garments were the only ones that kept out water, ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 4
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Mountain Equipment Kongur 2011

£290.00

A frequent winner of Trail tests, the Mountain Equipment Kongur is made from Gore-Tex Pro Shell fabric like many others; but what I particularly like is that you get a little extra length in the body. You can still wear a harness and climb in this jacket, but you just don’t get as wet compared to shorter options. Also the ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 5
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Rab Latock 2011

£280.00

The Rab Latock is made from eVent fabric, and this version feels particularly robust and hard-wearing. It does make the jacket heavier than some others (762g, men’s L), but it’s likely that it will also stand up to abuse far better as well. The feature set is ideal for wet or wintry mountain days, thanks to the four large chest ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 5
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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The North Face Point Five 2011

£275.00

The North Face Point Five is a well-proven jacket made from Gore-Tex Pro Shell, and this year it also benefits from some updates to make it even better. Firstly the seams use narrow (8mm wide) taping, to reduce weight and bulk, and to increase the suppleness of the jacket. There’s some improvement to the fit, too, as well as more ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 3
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Marmot Spire 2011

£250.00

The Marmot Spire is a very well-featured jacket that is suitable for year-round mountain walking. It is made from Gore-Tex Performance Shell, which is not as breathable as Gore-Tex Pro Shell; but it is lower in price, which allows a more durable version of the fabric to be used, as well as allowing the jacket to be given additional features ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 4
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Rab Mountain Dru 2011

£250.00

New for this winter, the Rab Mountain Dru is a more durable and longer version of the Rab Super Dru. So it is made of a tougher version of eVent fabric with further extra reinforcement on the shoulders, sleeves and hem. The jacket is not incredibly long, but it’s longer than some others here such as the very similar Mountain ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 5
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Páramo Alta II 2011

£245.00

The Páramo Alta II is a classic and well-proven jacket for hillwalking. There are a number of features that set the Alta II apart from other options. Firstly it uses a unique material that is easier to repair than other fabrics and it also controls condensation better. In a Trail test for waterproofness held at the University of Leeds, Páramo ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 4
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Mountain Equipment Morpheus/Seraph 2011

£240.00

A well-proven jacket that has frequently been highly rated in Trail tests. The Mountain Equipment Morpheus for men and Seraph for women boast a great set of features that Mountain Equipment is well-known for providing. So you get three large chest pockets that can be easily accessed while wearing a rucksack hipbelt. The pockets are not mesh-lined, so they don’t ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 5
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Montane Venture 2011

£220.00

The Montane Venture has been a popular multi-activity and hillwalking jacket for many years. It is a relatively stripped-down design, which means it is lightweight at 452g (men’s L). The low weight is due in part to this jacket only having two chest pockets, rather than three or more. Also it is quite short compared to others, and all this ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 4
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Adidas Terrex Gore-Tex Active Shell 2011

£195.00

The Adidas Terrex Gore-Tex Active Shell is the lightest jacket in our test, thanks to the use of Gore-Tex Active Shell, which is not the most durable Gore-Tex fabric but is ideal for fast and light performance. As with all jackets made from this fabric, the Terrex is stripped down to the essentials to ensure the jacket is as light ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 4
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Rohan Mountain Guide 2011

£185.00

Rohan is best-known for its travel clothing, but the company also makes some excellent gear for the more adventurous hillwalker too. The Mountain Guide jacket first appeared in 2010 and already it is a well-proven performer. It is made from Rohan’s own Barricade 2-layer fabric with a mesh lining. This is a very comfortable combination, although the use of a ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 4
  • Owners' rating rating is 0
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Craghoppers Kiwi 2011

£175.00

The Craghoppers Kiwi is a well-proven waterproof jacket that sits very much in the general outdoor clothing category. It is a bit heavy at 772g (men’s L), but it has advantages over some lighter and more mountaineering-orientated waterproofs. Firstly it is longer in the body than most jackets, which means you can get your hands in those base pockets while ...

  • LFTO.com rating rating is 3
  • Owners' rating rating is 0

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