Outdoor Research Helium Jacket
Hardly Inert
The best rain jacket is one that you don’t know you’re carrying in your pack and when you’re wearing it, you can’t tell it’s on. The Outdoor Research Helium is one of these jackets, achieving that holy trinity of outdoor gear design – light, minimal and functional.
When it rains, the Helium shines. Like any waterproof-breathable shell worth its salt, this jacket sheds precip like a champ while minimizing the greenhouse effect inside. Wearing the Helium on a sleety trail run, I found that the inside misted up a little, but I never overheated. The cut of the jacket is fitted and it lacks side pockets or pit zips to cut down on weight and minimize interference with a hip belt or climbing harness. A single slash pocket on the chest is big enough for a couple of Gu packs or a cell phone. The hood is adjustable and would accommodate a helmet. Outdoor Research uses Pertex ripstop fabric for the Helium, which is durable while staying supple and not crinkly like so many rain shells.
At seven ounces, the Helium lives up to its name, weighing about as much as your iPhone. The jacket compresses down to the size of a deck of playing cards and stuffs into its own hidden pocket. A reinforced webbing loop lets you clip it to a carabiner to stow on your pack. So you can go backpacking for a sunny week and never regret taking the Helium along. But when is there ever a sunny week when you’re backpacking?
Buy Now: $140
