Regatta Freebase Insulated Jacket

This Jacket has been supplied by Go Outdoors on a review and keep basis.

If money was no object then I guess I would buy the best and lightest equipment available but as it is , sometimes I have to look at the lower end of the equipment scale; to manufacturers like Peter Strom, Craghoppers and Regatta.

So when I was asked if I would like to review insulated jackets for Go Outdoors I chose the Regatta Freebase insulated jacket.

This jacket is a synthetic insulated jacket which is also waterproof.  The swing-tags have this to say about the insulating and outer materials:-

Insulation - Thermo-Guard


Thermo-Guard insulation is made up of advanced synthetic fibres, trapping air to keep you warm in cold or snowy conditions.

• Soft & Light
• High loft, giving excellent insulation 
• Quick drying, easy to care for

 Outer Material - Isolite 5000

Isolite 5000 is Regatta's waterproof and breathable lightweight fabric to keep you dry and comfortable outdoors.

• Waterproof hydrostatic head of 5000mm
• Hydrophillic breathable system allow inner moisture vapour to escape
• Durable water repellent outer fabric treatment to help water run off
• Superior windproof performance to eliminate windchill 

Having looked at the Go Outdoors website's size chart, I guessed that a XXL would probably be the size I would need.  This proved to be pretty much spot on, as the jacket fits really well.

The jacket is only available in one colour, which is a seal grey with a lime green inner, it has four pockets, two on the hips, one small one on the outside around the chest and one inside.  The side one is situated near the bottom of the jacket and although fairly large, its position is a little awkward as you have to unzip the jacket to reach into it. 

The jacket also has a fixed hood and although this fits quite well there is no way to cinch the hood in, as there are no cord or toggles on it.

It also has taped seams, as the jacket is also waterproof, although it doesn't have a storm flap across the zip, also missing is a beard guard.

I have worn the jacket over the last few weeks, with temperatures around 5-12c  and it has kept me warm, there have been times when walking in it that I have been too warm.

The waterproofness of the jacket has worked well to, I have been caught out in the rain a couple of times and although there isn't a storm flap across the zip and water haven't as yet, got in.

Although this is a synthetic jacket it weighs in at a reasonable 1.5kg and folds up fairly small.

Jacket and ETA Pot

 Pro's & Con's

Pro's

• Synthetic and Waterproof
• Fairly lightweight and packed fairly small
• Has a hood 

Con's

• No storm flap over main zip
• No beard guard
• Hood can't be cinched down

The Regatta Freebase Insulated Jacket is currently available at Go Outdoors for £49.99

Not my annus horribilis, that's probably next year.

Over the last six months, I have been thinking where is blog has been and where it is going, and whether I should continue with it.

I have always stated that it was primarily for me to write up trip reports and have photographs from these trips available for Peter & Keith to see; up until 2009 I spent eight years backpacking with these guys.

Keith, Peter and me somewhere in the peaks

Gradually others found it and started following or subscribing and slowly it built up a reasonable number over the years.

I wouldn't say I was a prolific blogger with rough 350+ posts over six years and the grammar and spelling at times have been pretty bad, there are reasons for this but I won't go into them.

Not surprisingly the most viewed posts are either trip or gear reviews, but then I guess we're all interested in when people have been or what gear they are using.

The last eighteen months have seen no backpacking trip reports posted; the main reason for this, is that after finishing TGO2010 and going back to work, I found that I had to take a fairly substantial pay cut.  It also seems that public transport has become quite expensive especially travel in the South, the cost of a trip to somewhere like Dorset is almost as much as a trip to Scotland but a trip Scotland means at least a week away which then only adds to the expense.  Even local campsites that use to change a couple of pounds a night are now asking £8-12 even for a backpacking tent.

I had hoped to enter the TGO2012 as a present for my fiftieth or failing that do something similar but neither are now looking possibly; although I didn't apply for the TGO as I knew I wouldn't be able to afford to do it.

The only thing at present keeping the blog alive are the equipment reviews and I'm not sure how much longer they will be appearing.

I did try to get out for a couple of trips in the past year but both times they were scuppered due to illnesses in the family.  So for the first time in near ten years, I haven't managed to spend any time in the outdoors.

I honesty can't see next year being any better and the chances of getting out are going to be even more limiting.

There will be at least one more post before the end of the year but after that who know.

If I do manage to do something, I'm sure it will appear here at some point.

Review: Berghaus Terabyte 25

I was contacted by a representative for Berghaus and asked if I would like to review some rucsacs for them, I have the choice of a few but decided that the Terabyte 25 would fit my usage the best.

The Terabyte is marketed as a sac for the urban environment; which means that it has a lot of pockets inside and outside.

Internal pockets

There are two compartments that make up the main body of the sac; one has five open pockets and one large zipped pocket.


The other compartment is designed to take a laptop, this compartment is made up of a material called 'd3o intelligent shock absorption'.  The swing-tag quotes d3o as being 'soft & flexible but on impact its intelligent molecules lock together to absorb impact energy'


This compartment also has a pocket for a hydration bladder with the outlet hole at the top of the sac.


The rest of the sac is pretty much standard for a daysac, a couple of zipped pockets on the outside, mesh pockets on the sides, a hip-belt and chest strap although personally I can't see the point of either of these on such a small sac; luckily both can be removed.


The shoulder straps are a bit on the thin side but are well padded and are comfortable. 

d3o computer pocket

The back has flow technology which is mainly ribbed foam on either side of the sac to create a channel up the middle to allow airflow.


Over the next month, I will be using it as my main sac for work; which means carrying amongst other things, waterproofs, eye-glasses, packed lunch, first aid kit, a kindle, phone charger and assorted batteries and chargers.


One extra to add is that this sac will be compared to a 15+ year old Berghaus Dart 35; as this has been my everyday sac for that time, and as yet I haven't found a sac to replace it.

More can be seen at the Berghaus website.

North Face Resolve Jacket Final Review

I've had the jacket for roughly 4 months now and over the last few weeks it have been getting pretty regularly outings with the wet/damp days we are having.

This jacket was originally supplied by Go Outdoors on a review and keep basis, and the early reviews can be seen here and here.

The jacket has done the job it is intended for i.e. it keeps me dry when its been raining.  And although it hasn't had a great deal of time out on the hills it has had a good workout around town.

The hood problem hasn't been a problem since I fixed it (see second update) using a hair tie, but it would be nice if North Face added some type of hood reducer in future models.

There has been some build up of condensation on my walks to work but nothing that has been that bad, even with a pack on and the rain coming down.

I still think that is jacket is a good mid-price waterproof that works most of the year round.