Haglöfs Oz Pullover
The good folks at Haglöfs UK have sent me the first installment of test kit (parcel mystery solved).
It’s an Oz Pullover. There has been much written about these since they were launched, the concensus being that it’s a smart bit of kit, designed only for occasional use and fast moving.
Aye, maybe. So far I’m seeing a slickly designed minimalist shell with a tougher than normal polyamide face fabric, an outstanding hood, good articulation and an absence of seams which should aid the breathability and inner surface drying time. No faff in evidence.
I’ll be using the Oz on the mountains imminently and its ultra small pack size and slim fit make it ideal if I’m using the Big Agnes Three Wire Bivy as I might have to sleep in it, or at least keep it in the bivy with me. It’s the green colour I have although the new one will actually come in a nice dark charcoal colour with green zips. As a fan of anything too bright to be worn casually this makes me very happy indeed.
So, more as I discover it.
Paclite Eh? This will be interesting indeed.
It’s frightening how far kit has come. Back in 2000 I got a brand new, top of the range XCR jacket which tipped the scales at just under 1100g. The Oz is 178g.
It’ll be interesting how far I can take it weather wise.
yeah,will be very interesting to see how it copes with some extreme weather.
I was thinking when I got it though, that it’d be pretty easy for Montane to make it more like the OZ (short zip, less pockets etc) and it’d probably beat it on weight. They’d end up with a competitor to their own Lite Speed, though it would feel a more durable jacket.
shuttleworth, Montane used to do the Air Jacket at 360g. It was a cross between the Oz and a Rab Drillium.
Fantastic jacket, eVent fabric, slim cut, outstanding movement, single chest pocket.
They got their fingers burned and dropped it, it was ahead of it’s time. If they did it again it would be lighter as well as things have moved on a little. A shame.
But using the Air in winter means that I know that such light things work inn bad weather. The Oz should be okay.
The protection is great and the condensation is well, paclite, but certainly tolerable.
It looks different to other Paclite 3. The inner face is more noticably dimpled maybe due to the nature of the face fabric, thicker ripstop strand set in a much lighter weave? I was wondering if that will affect the breathability in a positive way.
We’ll see very soon no doubt.
I think if it stands up to the bike use, it’ll be a wee toughie. Here’s hoping.
Working up in Ullapool today at NW Outdoors, what a glorious day from the N side of Drumochter all the way up.
Taran, maybe I’ll have a rant about prices one day from our side of the fence! But not just now ;-)
Gus
That’s a nice run you’ve got up there to Ullapool, passing by some fine lumps of countryside.
Ah man, I’m really pining to get out.
You’re right though Petesy, that green is just sooooo you.
I bet if you laid your kit out in a certain order you could create your very own rainbow.
You did confuse me with one phrase early on “… too bright to be worn casually …” – what does that mean?
“… too bright to be worn casually …” Now Das, everybody has to wear lifestyle colours these days. If you’re seen outside in anything other than khaki, black, grey and the like with denim, then children are allowed to point while the elder youths can verbally abuse you and the late teens can administer a malky if the colours worn reach a bright enough hue.
My current rainbow has a very wide orange band…I blame solar flares.
As you know, my wardrobe is not so much a rainbow, more a kaleidescope – tonight, for example, I went grocery shopping in a charming little ensemble comprising of mid-blue boots, lichen cargo trousers, blood red hoodie, purple ski jacket and navy blue woolly hat – it was dark, I was walking, I needed to be visible – it’s not as if my socks didn’t match!
Hence you are impervious to ned attention.
The Oz was designed for just that kind of activity.
I was part of the kit check team at the WARC at Ft William last year and there were several Oz Pullovers in edidence. Most notably on all the members of Haglofs sponsored Team Bjurfors.
I know at the likes of the OMM and the LAMM they’re becoming more common as well.
The Oz is noticably less warm than other shells, which is great on the move. It’s the most breathable Paclite jacket I’ve used. Standing still in the wind you notice it’s cooler, but keeping low it’s not much of an issue.
Out of all the shells that racers usually go for it’s got the best hood as well.
I think it’s spot on. The pocket is tiny though, you’ll get a few gels in it and that’s about it. But most racing packs have all the useful pockets these days.
One last point, if you want a green one get it asap. It’s discontinued and the charcoal one is on it’s way imminently.
A charcoal Oz – I would have killed for a charcoal Oz when they came out. In fact the budgie green colour was the one thing about it that almost stopped me getting one… but the lure was too great, and now at least the colour has grown on me :)
Seriously though, the Oz has been fantastic. I made the hood much better with wire, but Paclite will always have it’s damp moments, and the arms could be an inch longer to make the thumbloops better for scrambling.
After using it in all weathers from blizzards to sitting at camp in a light wind it’s become essential kit and it goes on 99% of my trips. I’ll buy a new one when the test one expires.
The Haglofs LIM Ozone is a brilliant jacket and I’ll use it much more this winter, but after carrying the Oz so much it feels heavy at 390g. But, I was better off with the Ozone on the WHW than I would have been with the Oz.
Other recent stuff I’ve used has all been good as well, Montane’s Superfly and QuickFire, Rab’s Drilium and SuperDru. eVent is still the best fabric, but Gore’s Proshell is bloody close, too close now to let it be a factor in your choice of jacket I think.
Another cracking Paclite jacket is Haglofs LIM Ultimate, it’s like a slightly beefier Oz. Full zip, bigger pocket and longer arms 250g I think?
I’ve tried stuff from other brands, but either it doesn’t fit me so well or I’ve got issues with it.
Matt, at the front edge of the peak where the stitching is there’s enough room to slip in a bit of narrow wire (I split a bit of speaker down the middle wire and used half of that) into the wee tunnel of fabric that the stitching makes. It runs between the two lines of stitching that go from the crown of the hood to the front of the peak.
It doesn’t work with heavy or thick wire, but with the softer speaker wire it’s amazing how much better it holds its shape and repels wind.
I should do a photie really and stick it on here.
But I’ve been inspecting mine and the stitching is so close to the edge (really fantastic workmanship btw!) that I wouldn’t say I’ve got a tunnel to stick even the thinnest wire through…. :((
Don’t suppose you could stick one more picture up when you’ve got time – showing the underside of the peak, like your second shot there only flipped inside-out?
Now, the underwiring from a bra is a very fine piece of single strand wire indeed with a plastic coating which I managed to get into a ME Karakorum FallLine’s hood many years ago.
If you were at a loose end of an evening like…
But I am making progress. I got bell-wire rather than speaker wire because it seems to hold its bend more like the wire in wired hoods…. anyway, stripped, the wire alone will go in but doesn’t feel very sturdy, and I’m not convinced I want bare wire ends left in there. I got some 1.3mm strimmer cord too and that will go in. The bell wire in its sheath is about the same diameter, but I can’t yet get it in under the top stitch to push it down the channel. I think it’ll be best if I can manage it though…. so a little perseverance for now!