LIM series. Ultralight, fully-featured jacket in 3-layer Gore-tex® Pro Shell • Water resistant 2-way front zip
• Rollaway hood with 3-way adjustability and a laminated peak
• Offset shoulder and side seams to avoid chafing
• Unique pattern cutting for a minimal number of seams and reduced weight
• Shoulder sections in a gorilla grip reinforcement
• Articulated elbows
• Laminated torso pockets with water resistant zips, wind flaps, and built-in moulded and weight-saving ventilation
• Laminated adjustable hem with draw cord
• Cuffs with velcro adjustment
FABRICS:GORE-TEX® PRO SHELL 3-LAYER 313
An extremely lightweight 20D fabric with a mini ripstop low profile structure. Highly packable, soft and quiet, yet strong.
Material: 100% polyamide
Weight: 90 g/m2
If we hadn't had a sneak preview of next year's Haglöfs LIM Ultimate we'd be even more impressed by the current 316 gramme incarnation of their ultralight, Paclite shell jacket., as it is we're just very impressed. This is the sort of application that Paclite was designed for - it's a 'fast mover's' piece of kit with a drop tail for butt protection when running or biking and a minimum of gimmicks. LIM, by the way, stands for 'Less Is More'.
There are some features despite the minimalism including a full main water-resistant zip, backed with a protective flap, a single pocket complete with drain hole and like all Haglöfs hooded jackets, an adjustable hood that's large enough to accommodate a climbing helmet.
The other feature which you'll either love or simply disregard as an irrelevance are thumb holes in the cuffs. They're there to be slipped on under gloves and keep your sleeves from riding up. Of course in the UK that'll mean water running down inside your gloves unless you're prepared to keep them pointing skywards at all times, but it makes more sense in cold, dry, high mountain environments.
Fit is good, albeit cut short to save weight and avoid restricting leg movement, so walkers may prefer a longer style or to team the jacket with a pair of lightweight LIM pants for greater comfort. We also liked the hood and its ability to cover a climbing helmet which makes it an option for clipping to a harness or pack for long mountain routes.
The Paclite 2 fabric used is distinguishable from the original Paclite by dint of its more discreet grey background. It's effectively a highly breathable two-and-a-half layer fabric, with small, polymer dots protecting the membrane from abrasion on the inside.
It's one of the most breathable conventional waterproof fabrics on the market today and despite its lightness, still feels reasonably tough, though we wouldn't recommend extended heavy pack use with the un-reinforced shoulders, though the build quality feels first rate.
The breathability has limits and you'll still get hot and humid when things get really strenuous, but it's appreciably better than other lightweight waterproof fabrics we've tried. One point to bear in mind is that in cooler conditions, the inside of the jacket can feel a little slick and the slight stickiness of the polymer dots mean that Paclite doesn't slide over some underlayers as easily as some shells and feels a little odd if you wear it directly against the skin.
리뷰 2.
We've featured New Paclite on the site already, so let's just reiterate that along with eVENT it's a significant step forward in breathability, though faced with, say, continuous high intensity activity it will still be overwhelmed eventually. In our opinion it's the most effective totally waterproof lightweight fabric around right now. So that's good.
The jacket itself is impressively light and small packing, which is its number one objective. Of course that wouldn't matter if it didn't do its job when needed, but the good news is that in most respects it does. Cut is quite short, almost too short for the OM test torso and we'd advise you to try carefully before buying, the drop tail offers decent protection when biking though.
Mobility is generally good and the top isn't restrictive, if you're going to be climbing though, check to make sure you don't get hem lift when reaching high. It was okay for us, but might not be for you. The hood works well with or without a helmet, making it a good back-up for a technical softshell in, say, alpine mountaineering use.
We weren't entirely convinced by the thumb holes at the cuff. The loops weren't quite large enough for out not particularly big thumbs making them a little uncomfortable, and while using them with windproof gloves produced a good seal, the extra tension on the sleeve also made the hem kift up when reaching high above our head. Again, try carefully if the thumb facility matters to you. Usefully the elasticated cuffs were roomy enough to roll up over the test forearm for added cooling.
Ideally we'd have like some form of venting as well, but more zips would mean more weight.
Verdict
LIM stands for Less Is More and that just about sums this jacket up. The New Paclite fabric is excellent in performance, light and very breathable, though don't expect it to last as long as heavier material. Weight and pack size are both laughably small and while it may not be the lightest Paclite jacket out there, it's very definitely the lightest with a hood that will accommodate a helmet. - the alternatives from Mountain Equipment and Arcteryx are both around 100 grammes heavier.
The hood itself works well and even has a stiffened peak, though it's still not as protective as a full-on mountain jacket item. The rest of the jacket is beguilingly simple, it's cut short particularly at the front, but the drop tail gives some rear end cover. But then that's one of the reasons it's so light, if you want a longer Paclite jacket there are other options including Haglöfs own LIM Gram Jacket. In any case, mobility and reach are both good, though that may depend on your body shape. It would would make a good back-up to a soft shell for mountain use or suit weight-obsessed adventure racers, though it's on the short side for general walking use.
Ultralight minimalistic pant in Gore-tex® Paclite® • Water resistant side zips for easy on and off and ventilation
• Waistband with elastic belt and a sleek buckle
• Zipped fly
• Offset seams at the insides of the leg for a comfortable garment that does not chafe
• Articulated knees and adjustable cuffs with draw cord
• Reflective print
FABRICS:
GORE-TEX® PACLITE® 254
A light fabric with mini-ripstop structure with soft, smooth feel and good lustre. No friction. Carbon-coated inside for better durability.
Material: 100% polyamide
Weight: 80 g/m2
