Hmm, one of my old high school classmates would have a short trip taking that route; probably just over a half a day. I got word from him that he had completed his 30th consecutive 100 mile run between Christmas and New Years. He said that this year was his slowest (understandable) at just under 18 hours. I assume he probably wouldn't have to pack very much at all, huh?
Brent, that is a sport unto itself. Not sure I'd ever want to do that, but some speed hikers also do long distance running. I'm more of a meandering window-shopper sort of hiker who strolls along at about 3 miles per hour on pavement, or about half that pace through fields, on trails, etc. For roadway day hikes, if the lovely Mrs_Bob is not with me, I'll push up to 4mph and work up a nice sweat.
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First Impressions ~ FIRST ASCENT Accelerant Jacket by Eddie Bauer
I've had this odd jacket for less than a month, and I call it odd because I'm not really sure what it is supposed to be. But it seems to do a lot of different stuff. It is like a cameleon in that it seems to take on the characteristics needed for the task.
Despite the nylon (?) facing and the Priimaloft insulation, this is NOT a 'hardshell' jacket. It is NOT windproof. It is NOT waterproof.
First off this is a LIGHTWEIGHT jacket. About half the weight of a typical cotton/khaki spring windbreaker. But it has Primaloft insulation in the front and back panels for warmth. Then it has stretch
vent panels down the sides, and up through the underarm and then back down the underside of the arms to keep you cool. But then it has a stretch hood as well as extendable cuffs with thumb-holes for warmth. So it keeps you cool and it keeps you warm?
Like I said, its an odd jacket. But I'm really beginning to appreciate it for all it offers and I can see why a couple different outdoor/adventure magazines named it an Editor's Choice.
If the temps are above 30-degrees-F and you are out and about and active
(X-country skiing, hiking, etc), this little jacket will keep you warm without overheating assuming you have a baselayer and a shirt or sweater over your baselayer. If the temps are above 40-degrees-F and you are sitting on the sidelines at a football game and the wind is blowing, even just a little bit, you will probably be pretty darn cold by the end of the game. This is clearly a jacket for ACTIVE wear, not for casual wear.
The side stretch vents keep you from over heating when being active but do little to keep you warm if you are just sitting, standing or strolling along window-shopping downtown with your spouse. You can see the fabric detail below, the bright green (it is available in more subdued colors) 'shell' covers the insulation and adds a bit of wind resistance but the softer gray/blue stretch material offers no block for the winds and minimal insulation. Being a stretch material they also help to keep the jacket from moving around too much, this is designed to fit you, not necessary be stuck to you, but clearly you don't want it moving around under your backpack or riding up on your while you are climbing, hiking, or skiing.
You can see the hood in the photo below, which is a different type of stretch material. The extendable cuffs with thumb holes are the same material as the hood. The hood fits well and moves with you, rather than one of those hoods where your head rotates inside the hood. This is a well designed hood! Its also thin enough that its not obtrusive, you can wear it under a hat, it doesn't prevent you from hearing, and as I stated, but cannot understate, it actually moves with you! The photo also lets you see the areas where there is insulation in the jacket. Those areas have the shiny inner fabric and include the whole back panel and the whole front, plus the tops and sides of each arm. I should point out that if you wear a mid-layer shirt/sweater you will be holding your cuffs when you insert your arms into the jacket sleeves as some fabrics will 'stick' to the stretch fabric along the underside of the sleeves. But once your arms are in the jacket the sleeves don't ride up or bunch. Further, the extendable cuffs are a nice feature for a bit of added warmth, but area also easily folded into the arms and thin enough not to become obtrusive.
The zippers are water resistant, but the jacket clearly is NOT designed for the rain. Snow may shed off it, but this is still a 'softshell' design and works as both a MID-LAYER and a LIGHT OUTER LAYER.
Insulation is Primaloft 100.
My FIRST IMPRESSIONS of this jacket are VERY FAVORABLE. They are only available at selected Eddie Bauer stores that sell their FIRST ASCENT line of clothing, or on-line.
GEAR UPDATE: First Ascent ACCELERANT jacket:
Been using the First Ascent ACCELERANT jacket more lately and it really impresses me.
Today I had some errands to run, some work with my tractor outside, some tasks outdoors and I was dressed pretty lightly in a Koppen polyester baselayer, a button down shirt and then the First Ascent ACCELERANT jacket. 6" of snow on the ground, mid-20's temps, occasional wind gusts but not steady wind.
The First Ascent ACCELERANT kept me warm in the car, kept me warm while I was active and for the most part kept me warm when I was in the tractor seat too . . . but this jacket is clearly designed for ACTIVE wear and not for PASSIVE activities. Sitting in the tractor seat is NOT really active and when the wind caught me it cut right through the jacket
(remember, this is NOT a wind breaker but it does have some wind resistent panels in addition to some very breathable panels). While I was more active, attaching a heavy implement to the tractor's 3pt hitch and moving around I had NO issues with keeping warm. The hood, while fairly light and thin, did an excellent job of keeping my ears, and neck, plus my head warm.
In my earlier review of this light weight jacket I called it a chameleon in that it was adaptable to a lot of different circumstances and I think that may be a very good description. Its light, and capable and adaptable and becoming a very handy jacket. Now I'm thinking that I need a new, lighter shell that will team up with the First Ascent ACCELERANT.
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