Disclaimer: These products were provided for review. Links to the Highest Peak 3l Jacket W in Velvet and Highest Peak Jacket M in black.
By Ariel Kroon, of the podcast Solarpunk Presents
These jackets were sent to me at the exact right time of year for them: April is generally wet, windy, and colder than I’d like, and the Jack Wolfskin Highest Peak jacket rose up to meet the challenge.
I hate to start off by complaining, but I feel it is a valid critique that when my jacket arrived, it was far too big on me, despite my having measured – with sewing tape! – meticulously before ordering. This actually is not such a bad thing for me, since the coat fits very comfortably over big bulky sweaters and chunky scarves, but I imagine it would not be great for the hiker who is looking for something lightweight to wear at midsummer.
Of course, my partner’s arrived and fits him better, he says, than any rain jacket he has ever had before. Caveat emptor: if you have the chance to go and try these jackets on in person, it will mean a lot more peace of mind for you when ordering online.
The lightweight nature of the jacket, however, is a point worth returning to and dwelling on, because this jacket is lightweight, and SOFT, in a way that I have never before experienced any jacket claiming to be even “weatherproof” to be. The Jack Wolfskin jacket is incredibly … well, light, would be really the only way for me to put it! It doesn’t feel heavy, or bulky, or bunch up, or make that annoying noise when it rubs against itself. The pockets are zippered and DEEP, there are underarm zippers for extra breathability on hot, sweaty excursions, and the hood is also deep, with drawstrings to be able to secure it against the rain and the wind.
Did I mention it’s windproof? The tag on the jacket told me straight off the bat that it was waterproof up to 20,000 mm, with a breatheability measurement of 15,000g/m2/24hrs (I am not actually sure what that means, but it looks very impressive), and “fully windproof”.
Hah, scoffed I. It gets heckin’ wimdy around here; I very much doubted that this material could stand up to the constant sharp gusts in this city. Especially given the coat’s prior claim to breathability – call me a dunce, but how can a fabric be both breathable and windproof? The tag bragged about how it is made from “Texapore ecosphere pro: Our advanced weather protection made with our ultimate sustainable technology.” This read to me like a pile of buzzwords strung together to make a sentence.
Reader, I am put to shame. This jacket is fully windproof. It doesn’t quite stand up to the hot, humid days of July in Ontario, but it IS breathable enough that I didn’t feel like I was peeling myself out of a containment suit every time I unzipped it after wearing it outside this spring.
I wore earlier in the spring on a day that was overcast, about seven degrees Celsius, and windy as anything: with the hood up and the jacket completely zipped up, I was sheltered. I felt cozy. It was an extremely strange experience; would recommend, though.
Jack Wolfskin’s claim of “Environmentally Responsible Innovation” seems pretty solid to me. “Engineered in Germany. Proven in the Wild.” – more like, engineered in Germany, proven in walking and biking the streets of Kitchener, Ontario, during the cruellest month; the Wild has nothing on the wind-tunnel effect of the highrises around here. The jackets’ face fabric and lining is made of minimum 90% reused, recycled, or bluesign-approved fabrics. I did a bit of digging and found that, to put it very simply, bluesign is a materials standard that partners with textile manufacturers to ensure that the fabric is produced in a way that adheres to strict environmental and worker safety standards. The brand is trying to close the loop on textiles completely, and they’re hoping to do that in the next 5 years, according to the representative that I spoke with.
I was also blown away by the fact that, in addition to their commitment to environmental sustainability and supply chain transparency, Jack Wolfskin offers a repair service for its products to extend their life. I have never seen a brand directly mention this before, and it’s right there on the very obvious tags that were attached to the jacket when I received it – that said, when I emailed them asking, I was told that they do not have a repair service in Canada, but they would send me any parts I needed in order to take it in to a local tailor.
The biggest drawback, to me, is that the brand is pulling out of North America altogether, which I only found out after speaking to a representative. The links on the tags that came with the coats were broken, and so it was frustrating to try to find out more about the product – which wouldn’t be an issue for online shoppers, but would pose a problem for in-store buyers or those who purchased their coat from a reseller. I asked the representative who North American buyers should contact for more information, but I haven’t received a reply by the time of this publication.
All in all, though, the product is excellent. I would highly recommend this jacket as it performs incredibly well and the textile sourcing is extremely responsible: it is obvious that Jack Wolfskin is not only committed to making good clothes that are comfortable and performance-ready, but cares about textile waste and is taking action against it.
About the Author
Ariel Kroon is a scholar of crisis (especially as expressed in western post-apocalyptic science fiction), a recovering PhD graduate, a part-time research assistant, thinker of thoughts, and one half of Solarpunk Presents podcast.
You can find her academic and non-scholarly writing at her website, arielkroon.ca, or connect with her @arielkroon@wandering.shop.