Cimalp Blizzard Thermal Jacket Review

The Cimalp Blizzard is a running jacket specifically designed for use in cold conditions.

Although not widely known in the UK, the French company Cimalp have been producing specialist outdoor clothing for over 50 years. With the weather taking a turn for the worse in recent days it seems like a good time to review their Blizzard jacket.

Our winters tend to be mild and wet and for most of my runs I’ll wear a long sleeved base layer plus a waterproof jacket if needed. However, occasionally we get very cold days where staying warm is more important than staying dry. What to wear on days like these? When the Arctic wind blows, a thin waterproof or windproof jacket might not offer enough insulation and a more substantial jacket is needed. The Blizzard fits that bill.

photo of runner wearing Cimalp Blizzard jacket

Cimalp Blizzard jacket, at home in the cold

Features

The Blizzard is a mid-weight jacket; my size S men’s weighed 404g. Don’t confuse it with a thin, ultra lightweight windproof that packs down to the size of an apple, that isn’t its purpose. The CIMAFLEX material is slightly stretchy and has a warm, fleecy feel on the inside with a smoother finish on the outside. The shoulders and upper back have panels of more durable Cordura offering protection from abrasion when wearing a rucksack or race vest. It has a full length zip and there is a reasonably sized zipped, outer chest pocket that will take a folded A4 map, compass, car keys etc. Thumb loops allow the sleeves to be held snugly in place and a high collar helps keep your neck warm. The collar also houses a hood which can be zipped away if you prefer. Reflective details front and back allow you to be seen when illuminated by headlights or head torches. The jacket is wind resistant and breathable and performed well at wicking away perspiration when I was working hard (slogging uphill in deep snow!) My version is blue with black trim, it is also available in red / black.

photo of runner wearing Cimalp Blizzard jacket in the snow

a warm jacket on a cold day

On Test

I’ve worn the Blizzard for several winter runs in very cold conditions. I’ve found it to be comfortable; my size small is quite a snug fit with the stretchy material providing sufficient give so as not to feel restrictive. It really does offer some thermal protection from the biting wind and I like how the high neck keeps the cold out. The CIMAFLEX material repels water and I noticed that snowflakes simply brushed off rather than melting and soaking in although you would still need to wear a waterproof shell in heavy rain. As well as being a good jacket for cold, winter runs the Blizzard would also be a good choice year round when you need a bit more insulation, for example on overnight Bob Graham support where you might not be moving fast enough to stay warm. It would be fine to use for hill walking and its stretchy nature would make it a good choice for climbers too. It also looks good, i.e. not like a running jacket, and I’ve worn it just as a casual jacket.

high neck keeps out the cold

The thing I least like about the Blizzard jacket is the hood; it just doesn’t fit. I’ve only got a small head and yet the hood only covers three quarters of it! Whilst the rest of the jacket is a snug fit the hood is loose. If you face into the wind it blows down straight away!

photo of hood on the Cimalp Blizzard jacket

the hood doesn’t cover my head!

The Cimalp Blizzard jacket has some good features and it offers much more protection from the elements than a lightweight windproof jacket. It is great for cold and windy conditions where it is best used as a top that you know you are going to keep wearing for the duration of your run, rather than putting on and taking off as needed. I really like it – apart from the hood which is useless!

photo of running in snow wearing Cimalp Blizzard

totally warm – nearly!

Pros
Warm, slight stretch ensures comfortable movement, reasonably priced.

Cons
Poorly designed hood.

Weight
404g (men’s size Small on my scales)

RRP
£89.90

Full details can be found on the Cimalp website.

Mud and Blood Windproof Jacket Review

Mud and Blood trail running clothing is designed and developed in North Yorkshire.

In a market dominated by international brands I was interested to hear about Mud and Blood and put some of their products to the test and the cool autumn conditions were ideal for trying out their windproof jacket.

running in the Mud and Blood windproof jacket

Made of ripstop nylon with a durable water repellent coating the smock style jacket is very lightweight (my size Small weighed exactly 100g) and packs neatly into its own zipped pocket.

photo showing weight of Mud and Blood jacket

exactly 100g (size small)

This makes it easy to store and it takes up little room in a bumbag or running pack. Features include a fold away hood which fits into the collar and is secured with velcro, a two way zip, elasticated cuffs with thumb holes and a rear zipped pocket.

On Test:

I wore the jacket for most of my runs over a two week period in both dry and showery conditions. I liked the fit (although fit is always subjective depending on your body shape), style and colour scheme; an understated grey with red trim (also available in neon yellow or white). The hood is a basic design and can’t be tensioned or adjusted in any way and so tends to blow down if you’re running into the wind, a problem I’ve found with several more expensive jackets.

stowaway hood

The thumb loops allow you to pull the cuffs down and prevents the sleeves from riding up and so helps to keep your wrists warm. The jacket didn’t feel as breathable as some other windproofs that I’ve used and there was a bit of moisture build up on the inside during a couple of runs. Having said that the DWR coating did help prevent me getting wet during a couple of short, sharp showers although I would always choose a fully waterproof jacket in heavy rain.

thumbs up for thumb loops

The thing I found least useful on the jacket was the rear pocket which is situated on the lower back like you would find on a cycling top. This made it fiddly to unzip whilst wearing it and I found that I had to stop completely when I tried to put my gloves away mid run as it was impossible to reach behind me and unzip whilst on the move. It you only intend to use the pocket for your car keys this isn’t a problem but it isn’t very useful for gloves, map, compass, gel etc that you might want to access during your run. Also the shape of the pocket is quite shallow (think mobile phone shape) and so it doesn’t hold much. I think a much better design would be to have the pocket on the breast.

rear pocket is hard to reach

At RRP £40 the jacket is cheaper than several of the more well known brands and so offers good value for money.

Verdict:

Neat, lightweight and affordable. Pity the zip isn’t on the front.

More details of the Mud and Blood clothing here: https://www.mudandblood.com/

Inov-8 AT/C SOFTSHELL PRO FZ Review

Windproof running jackets are usually very thin and lightweight and offer little thermal protection to the wearer. The Inov-8 AT/C Softshell Pro FZ is different.

It is made with a mix of materials; Pertex Quantum® which is the type of fabric you expect to find in a windproof and Pertex Equilibrium® which is a stretchy softshell fabric. These materials are zoned so as to give both protection from the wind and offer more warmth than in a traditional windproof. It is designed for cold, windy days when you need more protection from the cold than your regular windproof allows.

Inov-8 AT/C Softshell Pro FZ windproof

First Impressions

“I’d wear that every day!” Rather than being a shapeless windproof the Softshell Pro FZ has a tailored look and it wouldn’t look out of place if you wore it down the pub. The 4 way stretch softshell allows a nice snug fit without feeling restrictive. The jacket feels more substantial than a flimsy windproof and my size XS (well done Inov-8 on catering for us small folk!) weighed just over 300g.

304g for the extra small jacket

Features

The full zip (FZ) makes the jacket easy to get on and off. Two zipped waist pockets allow easy access to map, compass, gloves etc and a drawcord hem allows the jacket to be tightened at the bottom. There is also a small internal hole that allows you to route a cable from each pocket to inside the jacket. This means that you can carry a battery in your pocket and run the cable of your head torch up the inside of the jacket. (oh and you could do the same with your phone and listen to music if you weren’t a fell runner!)

nice features: hem draw-cord, 2 pockets & internal cable routing

One of the things I like most about the jacket is the hood. Often jackets have a hood but no way of tightening it which means that in very windy conditions it flaps around at best or even blows down. No such problems here as the hood has a rear volume adjuster and two elasticated tensioners at the front allowing it to be fastened down nice and tight. This also lets you twist your head and still see where you are going.

adjusting the hood

a hood that stays put!

When not required the hood can be rolled back and kept in position by a small press-stud to prevent it flapping around.

hood rolled and secured

The cuffs can be extended to cover the back of the hands and held in place with a thumb loop. This results in a tight fit which is great for keeping draughts out of your sleeves but if you wear a watch you’ll need to put it on over the jacket if you want to look at it!

photo of Inov-8 AT/C Softshell Pro FZ cuffs

extendable cuffs

On Test

I’ve been wearing the AT/C Softshell Pro FZ for a few months and in a range of conditions including cold, cloudy winter days and crisp, frosty winter mornings. I’ve worn it with the hood up and down and in both still and windy conditions.

Runner wearing Inov-8 AT/C Softshell Pro FZ

on test on a cold winter day

and on a frosty morning

The Pertex® material wicks moisture away even when running fast and the close fitting, stretchy material gives an athletic fit that hugs the body and doesn’t billow in the wind unlike some windproof jackets. The softshell material certainly adds a bit of warmth, so much so that one morning after early fog had burned off I felt a bit too warm.

What would I use it for?

The softshell is not designed as a super-lightweight windproof, it is intended as a more substantial running jacket to be worn in colder, windy conditions. It is great for winter days when you know that you want added protection from the cold. It would also be good for longer runs when you might not be moving particularly fast and thus not generating as much heat, for example on something like a Bob Graham round. It is also ideal for cold days out in the mountains and will work well under a waterproof as an additional mid layer. It is also good for wearing pre or post race and will even look good worn as a casual jacket.

Verdict

The Inov-8 AT/C Softshell Pro FZ is an ideal jacket for cold, dry winter days or for mountain running in cold, windy conditions. It is comfortable and well designed with useful features. It looks good too and it almost seems a shame to wear it for running – I’d happily be seen wearing it to the pub!

More details about the jacket can be found on the Inov-8 website

ideal for a cold winter morning

Montane Litespeed Windproof

Montane Litespeed Windproof Review

There’s one single piece of trail running and fell running equipment that I use more than anything else: my windproof jacket. To be more precise, my Montane Litespeed windproof jacket.

I’ve had one for over 6 years now and although I wrote it’s obituary on a previous blog post, I couldn’t bring myself to retire it and so kept on using it. But now I’ve finally bitten the bullet and replaced it.

out with the old, in with the new!

What do I look for in a windproof? Basically three things: it has to be small, lightweight and not least needs a pocket to stow a section of map and a compass for when I’m racing, training or working. (The need for the pocket is why I prefer the Litespeed over the slightly simpler Featherlite jacket). So how well does the Litespeed meet these criteria?

Size (I’ve got the small): Packed in its own stuffsack it’s about the size of a large orange . I rarely use the stuffsack, preferring to simply stuff the jacket into my bumbag or rucksack in order to best fill the available space.

size of a big orange

Weight: The jacket feels light and the small version tips the scales at 177g including the stuffsack.

lightweight Litespeed

Pocket: The Litespeed doesn’t disappoint here, the chest pocket on the new model is even bigger than on my original, and easily swallows a printed section of map without the need to fold it. The new version lacks the little tab attached to the zipper which makes it tricky to locate the zip (especially if wearing gloves), a minor flaw that I can fix myself.

big pocket easily swallows a map section

Other Features: The jacket also has an adjustable, stowaway hood; to be honest I rarely use this as I either wear a hat / buff or if it’s really hammering down wear a full waterproof. However it’s good to know that the hood’s there for the odd occasion I might get caught out.

little red adjustable hood!

Elasticated cuffs give a snug fit and keep the weather out whilst the adjustable hem can be cinched tight to prevent the jacket flapping whilst running.

adjustable hem prevents flapping

Based on my experiences with my old jacket I can say that the ripstop Pertex is very durable; after 6 years use and abuse it is showing signs of wear on the shoulders under where my rucksack straps go, but there are no holes or snags despite numerous encounters with trees, bushes and other foliage. The durable water repellency has long since worn off, but that is to be expected. The once bright red fabric is now faded but the zip is fine and it’s still windproof – it just looks a bit tatty that’s all, so in the true spirit of fell running I’m still going to use it, just not for best!

So my fading star has been replaced by a bright new light – the Montane Litespeed, my favourite piece of running kit. Here’s to another 6 years!

Montane Litespeed – my favourite bit of running kit

Mammut MTR 201 Micro Jacket

The Mammut MTR 201 Micro Jacket is a very lightweight windproof top.

First off, I was really impressed by its weight – or lack of it – the small clocking up only 81 grams on the scales!

Mammut MTR 201 – very light!

The jacket features a full length zip with a small chest pocket, (a feature I really like for stowing compass, cut down map, gloves etc.) The pocket has an internal hole for headphones (so that you can take your “multi media device” with you to the hills and listen to man made sounds rather than birdsong, the wind in the trees, the tinkling stream etc!) There are elastane mesh panels below each armpit to assist breathe-ability (I think these will be good whilst running but a compromise to the jacket’s wind proofing and thus not so good if using the jacket whilst standing around), a hem draw cord and something called finger gaiters in the cuffs (basically an extra bit of material that might, at a pinch, keep your fingers warm although I can’t see how these would do the job of a pair of gloves!) It is DWR treated to make it shower as well as wind proof and time will tell how long lasting and effective this proves to be. Reflective lettering and logo give a little bit of increased visibility at night. The jacket easily fits into its own chest pocket for storage.

I tested it out whilst trail running on a breezy but sunny October day. In action the jacket was very comfortable and whilst the close fit of the small wouldn’t allow it to be worn over bulky layers, as a running wind proof over a long sleeved base layer the fit was excellent.

Mine is a fetching bright green which matches the MTR 141 trail shoe although it should also be available in black.

MTR 201 – very green!

Overall I was very impressed with the jacket, it fits well (I usually find small men’s size to be a bit big!) and is ideal for wearing on a chilly day when you know it isn’t going to rain. It looks good too – if you like green!

Montane Minimus Smock

I really rate Montane jackets for fell running & mountain walking.

I have a Superfly jacket for long days on the hill where I’m likely to be walking rather than running and my most used piece of running kit is my trusty Litespeed windproof jacket. So I was keen to get my hands on the Minimus Smock, reputed to be one of the lightest, truly waterproof jackets on the market.

My first impression was Wow – that’s light! The kitchen scales showed it to be 144 grammes (for the small) including stuffsack. Take off the weight of the sack and you get 136g. I then weighed my Litespeed which was 145g without sack so the Minimus is actually lighter.

Wow – it’s light!

So it’s minimal in weight but what about features?

The material is Pertex Shield, a highly breatheable, lightweight waterproof fabric with micro taped seams. The zips are YKK (if you’re precious about your zip manufacturers!) Aqua Guard with storm flaps.

When I’m leading a run or teaching navigation I need constant access to map & compass so a pocket is a must. The smock has a handy chest pocket that easily swallows a section of map, compass, gels etc. The interior of the pocket is mesh so you can open the zip to vent if things get too warm. It has an elasticated hood, cuffs and hem (which I prefer to a drawcord) and gives a snug fit when worn over a simple long sleeved base layer.

Handy zip for map & compass

My first chance to try it out was on a group guided run in the Peak District. The weather was cold and foggy with a threat of rain, conditions when I would have normally worn my Litespeed. A few runners commented on the good looks – a distinctive electric blue with orange zips. The day was a stop start affair, frequently pausing to look at the map and so with the chance of getting cold. The Minimus certainly kept out the chill wind and pulling up the hood and running for a few moments made a real difference and I found I quickly warmed up again.

Distinctive colours

I like the idea of a smock; no faffing around trying to do up the zip on a windy day with cold or gloved hands and also less weight and less to go wrong. The zips do have extenders making gloved use more easy.

A second, more rigorous test came when I was caught out in squally shower with hailstones mixed into the almost horizontal rain. It was great to have a hood to prevent rain going down my neck and the Minimus did a great job of keeping out the weather.

The Minimus dealing with bad weather

One thing I’ve struggled with in the past is what to use on a windy day with the forecast of rain. The Litespeed is great in wind but is mine has long since lost its DWR coating and so I need a waterproof as well. I have a Kamleika smock which is great but quite a bit bulkier than the windproof. It seems that the Minimus answers the problem – it’s as light and compressible as the Litespeed and waterproof too so could be the “one size fits all” solution. Whilst supporting a recent Bob Graham round I knew I would be on the go for 8 hours or more and that saving weight in my pack was crucial so the Minimus was the obvious choice.

Races run under Fell Runner Association (FRA) rules stipulate that windproof / waterproof clothing must be carried on certain races. Again the dilemma of “what to take?” is a common discussion point between runners on the start line. For me from now on it’s a simple answer “the Minimus” it’s as light as a windproof but it’s also waterproof.

Any downsides?

There’s no such thing as a waterproof, breatheable jacket! – if you’re running hard in wet conditions your sweat will condense on the inside to some extent. This is true of the Minimus, but no more so than with my OMM Kamleika smock or a Lowe Alpine top I used previously.

The super light fabric seems that it might not be very durable, but only time and repeated use will tell. As with any waterproof it needs to be looked after; washing with soap and reproofing occasionally with Nikwax TX Direct.

My one gripe is that having used the Litespeed for years I am used to reaching for the pocket zip with my right hand but the Minimus zip closes left to right (as worn) so needs the left hand! I’m sure I can live with that.

So for me it’s a winner; racing, training, guiding runs – from now on I’m going Minimus!

Putting the Minimus through its paces

Montane Litespeed my Old Friend

We’ve been together a long time my Montane Litespeed and I.

running in the Montane Litespeed jacket

Seen some good times, some pretty rough ones too and it’s certainly not always been easy, not always fun; Remember that time on Kinder when the visibility was so bad that I had to have the map in hand all day?

Fog on Kinder

Or when we found ourselves thigh deep in snow when I thought it would be a good idea to do a winter run, off tracks in the Peak District – it took us ages!

deep in snow

Or this winter when the wind was so strong I had to wear goggles and the drifts were so high it was incredible.

deep drifts

But we’ve had some good times too; the stunning winter day on Cranberry Clough, just us two and not another soul around all day.

Stunning winter running

And the fantastic views from our favourite run up Win Hill.

Blowy day on Win Hill

Down from Win Hill

You’ve been around the country with me, done loads of races (even won a couple) and always looked after me (a lot better than I’ve looked after you), even on the darkest of nights.

dark nights

Now it hurts me to say this, but you’re starting to fade, to get old, you don’t shed like you used to…. I know, I know, it’s my fault; I didn’t read you right, you always said “non bio and re-proof” but I ignored you and just chucked you in with everything else.

fading favourite

I’ve been looking around recently, seen someone else, a younger model with a lot to offer. It doesn’t mean that I want you to go, you’ll still be there, just that we won’t be spending as much time together that’s all. We’ll still do the odd trip, I’ll take you along on sunny days when conditions are right. Course I still love you, just in a different way.

So, thanks for the memories, for being there when I needed you, for putting up with the conditions and, my Montane Litespeed, for being my favourite piece of kit.