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A highly breathable wind shell is a great piece of gear for backpackers and aerobic athletes. It works like an extension of your skin, creating a microclimate in which your thin summer insulating layers work in a mostly dry, wind-free environment. End game? You stay comfortable longer in threatening environments.
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This extremely versatile garment can be worn from deep winter as a midlayer or aerobic shell or tucked into a backpack in summer as a part of a foul-weather layering system.
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This year, Outdoor Research released the Helium Hybrid Jacket. With its waterproof/breathable Pertex Shield+ in the shoulders and hood and super breathable stretch nylon arms and torso, OR puts water protection only where absolutely necessary. We tested it to see where it washed out.
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The Gear: Outdoor Research Helium Hybrid Jacket
Price: $125
Available: Now
Where To Test It: This chameleon of shells is useful everywhere spring and summer storms threaten.
Who’s It For: Climbers, backcountry skiers, hikers, mountain runners, mountain bikers.
Boring But Important: Fabric: Pertex Shield+, 2.5L, 100% nylon, 30D shoulders and hood. 100% nylon ripstop fabric body. Average Weight: 5.7oz/161g in a men’s L.
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Materials: The big difference from other windshells is the jacket’s waterproof/breathable Pertex Shield+ hood and shoulders. Seams are sewn and taped. This provides stormproof protection where you are most exposed yet breathability where you need it.
The nylon body has a soft, matte finish and fits somewhere between a light soft shell and a slick nylon windshell. It stretches a little, which you can feel when you wing your elbows. The fabric has a good Durable Water Repellent finish which, if recharged regularly, should continue to repel showers.
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Hood: Borrowing from its parent Helium line, the Hybrid incorporates OR’s Halo Hood. Two shock cords—one from the chin and another from the brow—tunnel around the face, joining at ear level. A single cord circles back around the head where it can be adjusted single-handedly. The hood is capped with a plastic-reinforced brim and a wire rim.
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Pocket: A single mesh chest pocket with a horizontal zipper can be inverted to stow the jacket. The pocket has an internal port for your electronic device. A thin cord is sewn inside the pocket with a small plastic clip to hold a key. Or this can be used in climbing the clip the jacket to your harness.
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Jacket Body: They have elastic cuffs that can accommodate your Popeyes should you want to roll them up. A single drawcord cinches the right bottom hem. The full length zipper is paired with a storm flap that rolls over the top, forming a zipper garage. A 2-inch chamois is sewn in to protect the chin. The reflective Outdoor Research logo provides front and back visibility at low light.
Made In: China
Killer! You know the jacket was designed by soggy Seattleites; the hood means business and effectively balances peripheral vision. Full range of motion and solid protection from strong wind or rain.
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Flaw: Not much. Some parts seem over-built. The nylon bungee cord, the metal rivet around the bungee, and the cord locks and zipper pulls could be smaller.
First Impressions: A windshell is a critical part of your kit. For short runs, I prefer not to have a hood. I can go lighter and save pocket real estate. Same for backpacking, when I’m certain I’ll already have a hooded hard shell. But for get-it-done-in-a-day endeavors in mountain environments or a questionable forecast, the Hybrid just makes sense.
Who Should Buy It: People looking for a mountain windshell in mixed conditions or temperamental environments where wet weather happens.
Contact Brand/More Beta: Outdoor Research Helium Hybrid Jacket
—Steve Graepel is a contributor. Our “First Look” column highlights new gear arrivals at GearJunkie.com. Photos © Monopoint Media LLC