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OUTDOOR RESEARCH WOMEN'S ICELINE PANT REVIEW

23/2/2016

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The Women's Iceline pant is Outdoor Research's new ice climbing pant for winter 2015-2016. The pant boasts many technical features specifically designed for it's intended use of ice climbing in cold and wet conditions.

Outdoor Research Women's Iceline Pant
Size: XS-XL
Colour: Black
Price: $245 USD
Weight: 18.7oz/530g (Medium)

Features: My initial impressions of the pants were that they were packed full of technical fabrics and features.  I'll highlight a few of these features below:
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One interesting feature was the added fabric to cover the lower back area. This flap can be folded down.
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 Interior grid fleece fused with the outer shell give the pants some insulation value.
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The cordura ankle scuff guards.
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Another interesting feature was the Ventia fabric. The combination nylon-spandex allows for great freedom of movement. 
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Internal belt system:
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The venting zippers are a well thought out feature. 
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Instep lace system that keeps your pants down with a harness on and keeps the snow out on approaches.
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Pros: These pants get me many envious looks at the ice climbing areas. The functional features and quality construction creates conversations with almost everyone I meet. 

The lower back flap is a bonus and is a smart design feature of the pants. I keep mine flipped up at all times and it's nice to know when you bend over to put your harness on no snow will be entering!

The front of the thigh vent zippers are useful on long approaches or hot car rides. They work well with a harness on and are easy to open and close with gloves on.  The vents and breathable Ventia fabric are able to regulate my temperature with ease. This fabric performs well in wet conditions - I have never felt moisture seep through.

The tapered legs are nice for ice climbing. They aren't too tight to constrict movement, but slim enough to not get snagged on crampons. The articulated knees are perfect for moving on ice.

The instep lace is like an internal gaiter strap that is fantastic for keeping the pants from riding up when you put your harness on. This feature is genius and I wish all my climbing/hiking pants had this feature.

The polyester grid fleece does in fact keep my system warmer in the winter. As a female who frequently gets cold thighs and butt, I can honestly say my legs have never been warmer ice climbing. I can layer underneath and don't feel any restriction in movement. I tested these pants down to -16C/3F.

The Ventia fabric has not shown any signs of damage or wear, even with ice screws and other sharps near the pants constantly. I generally wear gaiters when I ice climb to prevent crampon holes, but constantly doubt my need for them with these pants. So far, I haven't risked going without.

Cons:
I have never used the two pockets in the pants and wonder if others ever use them as well. Not sure what I would carry in them that wouldn't restrict my ability to climb.  

The cordura ankle scuff guards are great, but for my perfect climbing pant, they would have to come up mid-shin height. I always use gaiters and if I get a slash (normally from walking not climbing), it always comes just higher than the guard is. 

Best Uses: Ice climbing of all kinds.
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These are the BEST ice climbing pants I have ever owned. I would buy another pair in a heartbeat if these ever wore out, which I'm not expecting they will for a long time! Well thought out pants Outdoor Research! Great design!

Full disclosure: I was given these pants as part of Outdoor Research's #ORInsightLab. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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OUTDOOR RESEARCH WOMEN'S ICELINE JACKET REVIEW

15/2/2016

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The brand new Outdoor Research Iceline jacket is a technical ice climbing jacket new for winter 2015-2016.

Outdoor Research Women's Iceline Jacket 
Size: XS-XL
Colour: Black/Rio, Rio/Apple, Ultraviolet/Night
Price: $285 USD
Weight: 19.6oz/555g (medium)

Features: My initial impression of the Iceline jacket was positive. Right out of the package, this jacket has a number of features I have NEVER seen before on any technical jacket shell. The water-resistant and breathable nylon/spandex Ventia fabric is fused with an inner polyester fleece grid insulation. This allows both heat to be trapped and dumped at the same time! 

The Dynamic Reach Underpanels are created to stretch when reaching overhead. The hood has an interesting halo hood cinching system that tightens around the helmet, locking the hood in place. Another cool feature this jacket has are internal wrist pockets for handwarmers. The velcro around the wrists is also aggressive and the internal and external pockets are large.
Iceline Halo Hood
Polyester grid fleece
Hot packet wrist pocket
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The Iceline jacket's dynamic reach underarm panels
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Pro's:  The colour and stylie-ness of this jacket is awesome. When showing it off to other women, everyone wanted to try it on. It seemed like in every photo I took and everytime I went out someone complimented me on the how the blue (Rio/Apple) colour 'pops'.

The polyester fleece grid lining the inside of the jacket is soft and I can say it does add warmth to your system. I wore the jacket from -16C/+3F  to +2C/34F on my test days.

The underarm panels do stretch when ice climbing and there was no feeling of pulling when reaching overhead.  The aggressive velcro wrist straps work well cinched tightly when wearing my gloves that extend over the wrists of the jacket.

Many of my friends were super keen on the hand warmer pocket on the interior jacket near the wrist. I never tried this feature as I wear battery operated gloves, but an interesting feature nonetheless!

The hood easily fits a helmet underneath and the halo hood cinching strap does fit tightly around the helmet. With the strap snug, the hood seems to work like a cohesive unit with your helmet so moving your head in different directions is not cumbersome.

I like the positioning of the pockets, easy to use with a harness on. 


A few of my test days involved wet, drippy conditions. The Iceline stood up to all the moisture and I never got soaked. The waterproof breathable Ventia fabric shined in all weather conditions and was able to manage my varying levels of heat production with ease.

So far I have had no issues with durability of the jacket. The lighter blue colour is showing some discolouration from dirt, but there has been no signs of wear.

This jacket has become my 'go-to' jacket for ice climbing. It has permanently replaced all previous shells I was wearing and has far exceeded all my expectations.

Cons: I would describe the fit of this jacket as 'regular'. I would have designed this jacket with just a inch or two longer length at the back. I never had any issues with the jacket pulling out of the harness, but I like the longer length at the back at the winter for coverage and for warmth. Other than that, this jacket is perfect for what it's made for!

Best Uses: Ice Climbing

Full Disclosure: I was provided the OR Iceline jacket for this review as part of the #ORInsightLab program. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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OUTDOOR RESEARCH WOMEN'S UBERLAYER JACKET REVIEW

7/2/2016

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After trying the Outdoor Research Deviator Hoody in Spring 2015, I fell in love with the Polartec Alpha fabric's ability to facilitate thermoregulation. The highly anticipated Outdoor Research Uberlayer Jacket is Outdoor Research's winter jacket with the same technology. Outdoor Research has designed it to dump heat on the uphill and keep you warm on the downhill, never having to take off the jacket or adjust layers. I was keenly interested in testing their claim and wondered if the hype was warranted. The jacket is Outside Magazine's 2016 gear of the year award winner so my interest was piqued.

Outdoor Research Women's Uberlayer Jacket 
Size: XS-XL
Colour: Black, Elderberry, Hydro
Price: $299 USD
Weight: 16.7oz/472g (medium)

Features: At first look, the jacket looks and feels like a mid-layer jacket of fleece thickness. The Hydro (blue) colour was gorgeous and immediately some key features started to stand out:
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Uberlayer hood with wire brim
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Large internal pockets
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Cozy brushed fleece chinguard
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Quilted inside of the Uberlayer
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Pros: This jacket is amazing! It does what it claims. It prevents you from getting into the two extreme states in winter adventuring: 1) hot and sweaty and then 2) cold and chilled. Instead, it keeps you in a middle state of warm and comfortable. The jacket would heat up when moving (but not too hot) and then cool down when stationary (but not chilled). I never de-layered or unzipped ascending and never added a layer descending. On a summit I never had to add a down jacket while eating lunch and didn't need to even change my gloves as my hands were warm because my core was warm. This NEVER happens! It's unreal. My friends that I was with on the same day were adjusting layers, zipping and venting all day while I wore the Uberlayer. 

On solo missions, I know that I save time and energy without having to stop to delayer or add layers throughout the day.  I also save weight in my pack from having to pack multiple layers that are now unnecessary with the Uberlayer. I need more friends with Uberlayers!

In any temperature, I found that I only needed ONE baselayer underneath the Uberlayer for it to work optimally, even in warm +3C/35F and in cold -16C/3.2F temperatures. I found that polypropelene or polyester baselayers worked better than merino wool in all conditions.

The jacket worked well in mixed precipitation and I was never wet from snow or rain. It worked well in windy mountain enviroments, but I wouldn't forego packing my windshell altogether. So far the fabric has been able to withstand abuse from bushwhacking and abrasion.

I enjoyed the wired brim in the hood, giving it a bit more structure than a regular hood. The chest pocket fit my iPhone perfectly, and the fleece handpockets are very cozy.


I also find myself wearing this jacket as a midlayer for downhill resort skiing, and around town casual in addition to its backcountry applications. Its ability to thermoregulate sets it apart from any other jacket I own and I can't stop talking about this jacket. It has revolutionized winter wear for me. Uber-terrific!

Cons: Weight could be reduced by tapering the shape around the forearms and waist. I felt the excess fabric in those areas was baggy and unnecessary. I prefer a more streamlined fit for technical garments. You can see the excessive fabric in some of the photos below. Maybe I just need a smaller size?

My family members, who hunt, salivated over the possible applications this Polartec Alpha fabric could have for hunting, when there are also many periods of movement followed by long stationary periods.

When ski touring training at resorts, I felt the cold wind fly through the fabric while descending groomers at fast speeds. Normally I would still be warm from the ascent, so it wouldn't matter but if there were high winds I might put on a shell. In the backcountry, skiing speeds are generally slower so this wouldn't be an issue.

Best uses: Winter hiking, snowshoeing, mountaineering, alpine touring, etc.

Outdoor Research has another big thumbs up in my books! Kudos!

Full Disclosure: I was given the Uberlayer jacket to test and review as part of Outdoor Research's #ORInsightLab team. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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    Canadian gal hooked on pursuing outdoor adventures, testing outdoor gear, and a passion for outdoor education.

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