Outzer test of the Tétras jacket by Josh13

10/10 - Premium and eco-responsible

FIELD

For this test, I wanted to try this jacket in all my activities: hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, climbing, trail and mountain biking.

So I dragged this jacket on all my adventures, that's the reason for such a late return on my part. Hoping that it will be as exhaustive as possible and that it will answer the question that we are all asking ourselves: Am I going to drop almost €400 on a windbreaker? The answer in the lines to come.

I am 179cm tall and weigh 82KG. The brand sent me a size XL. To choose at first glance, I would have taken an L.

Today, I still don't know which one would have been best suited for me.

HIKING

Simple, family hiking route, 10 300D+ terminals, cool and dry weather. I'm not very cold, it's 10°C, I only have a microfiber polo shirt under my jacket. The sleeves, long for the cut, bother me when walking. I have to tighten the wrist straps, which I don't usually find very comfortable. The loose cut is a plus, despite the rise in temperature during the ascent, the jacket breathes well, I am neither hot nor cold. The fabric cardboard is still quite present at this time, so I don't have lasting memories of this release.

Wet route, 17KM, 400mD+ in woods 6°C. I leave with my microfiber t-shirt and an undershirt. During the ascent, I happily take off my undershirt. With mittens and poles, the slightly long sleeves are ultimately nice to avoid getting your wrists wet with the humidity of the vegetation. The jacket is very pleasant to wear, perfectly water-repellent and breathable. The large pockets allow you to slip in the phone which, despite the pockets being open at this time, will never get wet.

No interior pocket but you don't feel the need to open the jacket so the large exterior pockets are a good idea. The loose hood falls a little over the eyes, it must be adjusted properly at the back of the head and on the sides. Too bad, it takes away the dark look of the monk's hood to resemble Tom Thumb but as a famous director would say "in the woods, no one will hear you scream" or it was in space, I don't remember...

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Usually, I wear an indestructible windproof jacket that we affectionately call "ptitkaoué". For the occasion, I replace ptitkaoué with our test jacket.

The loose fit is great for carrying the bag, back and waist straps without feeling trapped in a trash bag. The hood fits the helmet perfectly, it's really great. After a long climb, I started to feel very hot despite the 3°C outside and my summer jersey underneath. No worries, the openings under the arms are there for that and compensate for the tightness of the bag's waist straps (which prevent ventilation from below). A little freshness found, we leave again.

At this stage I am very surprised that despite the branches, the brambles, the single pruned with a billhook, the jacket does not show any damage.

RACKET

Let's go snowshoeing to the resort. Overcast weather, -6°C, no wind, heavy snow, powder. Progression on snowshoes is not the easiest, you have to find your way most of the time but it remains manageable. Under the jacket, I have a thermal and a sleeveless down jacket. The wide sleeves allow you to wear winter gloves without any problem. The Velcro fasteners allow you to tighten the gloves. The jacket, longer at the back, allows you to cover your kidneys even when you are squatting and that's good.

The range of movement is not restricted in the hips or arms. comfort remains exceptional. The zips don't get wet, you can roll around in the snow without any problem. Well, if there is a problem, the collar which goes up very high creates a snow shovel when you don't adjust the hood and you roll around in the snow with the children. brrrrr.

During this outing, I didn't have to complain about the cold or the heat, no condensation, a real pleasure. carrying the backpack remains very pleasant.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

Going cross-country skiing on a sunny day with no wind -3°C, I decided to do without a down jacket and put on ptitkaoué under Lagoped . Strategic error, ultimately this jacket remains a windbreaker, if nothing insulates, it won't do it and that's not its job. Cross-country skiing, like snowshoes, is very accessible with this equipment which, because it is ample, allows any eccentricity of use such as falls, bowls, peels and other joys of a sliding mode of movement.

CONCLUSIONS

It is extremely well thought out, nothing is missing, the zips are in the right place, are the right size and even a little climbing session does not scare it, the double zip closure allows it to be reopened from the bottom which allows to put on the harness.

I must say that I am really won over by this jacket which suffers from no fault except its price. So finally, I'm going to start looking more closely at slightly more expensive equipment that will hopefully be more durable and who knows, I might be able to take advantage of the repair service from LAGOPED because in the end, if a 400€ jacket lasts longer than 5 100€ jackets, it's not a bad investment...

So for the Ayatollahs of hiking who tell me that this jacket is not made for mountain biking or that there are technical tools adapted to snow, I can only advise them to try, adopt and change of opinion.

For all the others who, like me, use their clothes for everything and anything, we can truly say that this product is made for you. When I can no longer patch up ptitkaoué, I will take this jacket to go riding in the winter. In the meantime, it allowed me to continue training this winter, going out in the rain, snow or cold. Its only limit was trail running for which I found no comfort but we are used to wearing tight-fitting textiles for these activities...

Special mention for the fleece-lined hat, super comfortable and which always calls out "My dad has a hat with a chicken..."

Published on Outzer.fr