REI Jacket for Women

[erugs]

I want to replace an aging jacket as well as find a lighter alternative to a Marmot model I wore last winter, which was warm enough, but heavy. The LL Bean Ascent is too snug at the largest size they sell (which makes me feel wonderful, as you can imagine). I've read Backpacker reviews in a recent issue and they think the REI Kimtah is a good buy. Does anyone here have experience with this jacket? The ad says it is a rain jacket, but some on-line reviews are touting that it was good in snow, too.

http://www.rei.com/product/826024/rei-kimtah-rain-jacket-womens

 

[DougPaul]

I have an REI Shuksan jacket (also made from eVent fabric) and like it. Used it on a certain 28hr XC ski trip the winter before last where it worked well.

The Shuksan is higher-featured than the Kimtah and the men's version is currently on sale for less than the Kimtah... So if a men's Shuksan fits you well enough, I'd get it rather than the Kimtah. (Hmm.... Xxl only on the website, but ask at the store.)

Note 1: While eVent is more breathable than most W-B fabrics, it needs to be kept fairly clean to maintain the breathability,

Note 2: There are no pit zips on REI's eVent jackets. People who sweat heavily may miss them under certain conditions.

Suggestion: Read the customer reviews on the REI website--I've often found them to be helpful.

Doug

 

[erugs]

Thanks for the input, Doug. The one you suggest is in stock in Boston, but that's a bit further from Reading, where I might have gone for it. I could get it in "Puget Sound" color (not that it shows what that is). The Poppy is a little too ORANGE.

Re Pit Zips - sometimes I've got to zip them down only to find they were already zipped down. I think they don't do a lot one way or another when your arms are mostly covering them up. How do others feel about pit zips?

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I like having pit zips.

It's fairly well known that I output a lot of heat and moisture. I therefore am a fan of pit zips. I do not believe there is anything in this world that is both waterproof and breathable when I am inside and working hard*. Mostly I wear just a jersey, maybe even short sleeve (with cycling arm warmers). I do, on occasion, above treeline, where very windy, lots of snow on branches, etc., put on a hard shell jacket (EMS Orion Sync), which has pretty big pit zips. When using poles, I am sure that I get some ventilation in there. I also know that if there is a good breeze blowing and it is cold out, I can tell for sure that the zips are open.

Tim
*goes for cycling, XC skiing and hiking

 

[PamW]

I'm with Tim. Pit zips are a must for me in a hard shell. But I am fussy about layers and ventilation, preferring maximum choice. Some people seem much more comfortable than I am with minimal adjustments.

 

[DougPaul]

Thanks for the input, Doug. The one you suggest is in stock in Boston, but that's a bit further from Reading, where I might have gone for it. I could get it in "Puget Sound" color (not that it shows what that is). The Poppy is a little too ORANGE.

They will probably be willing to mail it to you and you can always return it to your local store. (I've been able to do this before when a distant store had one in stock. Customer service at any store can search to find out which stores have an item in stock.)

Mine is more of a darkish red. It is hard to tell how similar the colors are based upon the pics--the color name is "baked saffron". You can ask Becca how fashionable I looked. http://web.archive.org/web/20100916211012/http://www.rei.com/product/802251 Besides, orange may be handy in hunting season or in case you need to be found...

Re Pit Zips - sometimes I've got to zip them down only to find they were already zipped down. I think they don't do a lot one way or another when your arms are mostly covering them up. How do others feel about pit zips?

I generate a lot of heat and sweat quite a bit, but rarely use pit zips. For me, it is only a minor issue. EVent is more breathable than most (almost all?) other WB fabrics, but any fabric has its limits.

Info on eVent breathability and waterproofness:
http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/learn/rainwear+how+it+works.html
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/lp2/waterproof-guide/
http://verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/breathability.pdf
http://www.pitt.edu/~kconover/ftp/Clothing Materials.pdf
http://web.archive.org/web/20040719025505/http:/asc2004.com/23rdASC/summaries/g/GP-21.pdf

Doug

 

[erugs]

Funny. After I wrote about not knowing sometimes whether or not my pit zips were open or closed, I realized that there are times I open them and stick my arms out through them so I'm sort of wearing a vest. It's kind of like how I stick my feet outside of my covers if I'm too warm for a couple of minutes at night from Lyme-related night sweats.

 

[DougPaul]

Funny. After I wrote about not knowing sometimes whether or not my pit zips were open or closed, I realized that there are times I open them and stick my arms out through them so I'm sort of wearing a vest.

I usually just don't wear a shell unless I need it--my baselayer plus any needed fleece is far more breathable than any shell. In summer, I sometimes wear my rain shell over myself and my pack like a cape to ventilate.

It's kind of like how I stick my feet outside of my covers if I'm too warm for a couple of minutes at night from Lyme-related night sweats.

I sometimes do the same with my arms and legs on warmish nights--the body is better at automatically adjusting its heat loss from the extremities than from the core.

BTW, If you didn't see it, I edited some additional info into my previous post.

Doug

 

[DMOutdoors]

I have had the REI Ultra Light Jacket now for just about a year or little more I think, and it still looks brand new even though its been on almost every hike over the course of the year. For me, its been the only jacket (top level layer) I have needed to keep me dry during a pouring rain and has been a perfect outer shell on all of my winter hikes this year. The value of the jacket to me has already well surpassed the $120 it cost. It is windproof and waterproof, and I have not experienced otherwise.

On warmer hikes, I can easily unzip the pit zips and roll up my sleeves on the go, and it essentially becomes a vest keeping my core warm, and I don't necessarily have to stop to remove it to continue unless my body temperature changes more drastically.

They have the Ultra Light Jacket in women's too, and from the picture, it looks like the only difference from the men's might be the print inside the jacket of the woman's. For the Kimtah, the REI website says its sold out. If you do find a Kimtah, I highly recommend you compare it with the Ultra light, they look to have nearly identical specs besides the eVent waterproof coating.

 

[gram]

For $239 I'd expect having the flexibility of pit zips. I was aggravated when REI came up with the event fabric and did away with the zips on a lot of their jackets.