Quark Jacket

 

What is it?

Ultralight shell jacket with technical features. This thing is insanely light at 10 oz, but comes complete with a helmet compatible hood, pitzips, and velcro wrist closures. The velcro on the wrists I find to be vastly more functional that the simple elastic found on most ultralight shells.

The fabric is very thin, but relatively robust. The hood is plenty large enough for a climbing helmet, the pitzips work smoothly, and it packs down really small. Combined with an athletic cut (not baggy in the midsection) this makes the Quark a great choice as summer mountaineering shell as well as a hiking rain jacket. It has a slight stretch to it as well, so it's a great piece of gear to carry alpine climbing in case of a deluge. Vastly more protection than a windshell with not much greater mass!

Pros:
>Low weight
>Fully waterproof
>Packs down well
>Fabric is pretty breathable
>Pockets double as additional pitzips, backed by permeable mesh
>Wrist closures actually work

Cons:
>Comes in a single color (sort of a gun metal gray)
>A little thin for bushwacking
>Hood is sort of baggy when not wearing a helmet

Features

# Conduit waterproof/ breathable laminate locks out moisture and cold while releasing built up heat from your core
# 100% zWeld seams adds a fold to your seams so you get lightweight strength from each bond
# Superlight pit zips are welded and water-resistant to keep your travels dry
# Ergo attached hood with brim and one-handed adjustments make it easy to contour your head for better coverage
# Laminated cuffs with Velcro closures and a hem cinchcord keep warmth inside
#Weight: 10oz

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