In mankind’s timeless struggle against the cold, nothing confronts winter’s icy cold grasp like Mother Nature’s best insulator, down. Utilizing the power of 800-fill DriDown, rest assured the Gnar Lite from Sierra Designs is ready and willing to serve as your fortress of warmth and loft as part of your layering system or solo.
On Performance and Design…
Brutal temperatures call for serious heat, and the Gnar Lite Down Jacket (available for men and women) from Sierra Designs uses 800-fill down to trap all your warm, toasty body heat with a high warmth-to-weight ratio so you can fight off the cold without breaking your back mile after mile.
The Gnar Lite jacket features elastic cuffs with thumbholes to stop cold air from snaking up your sleeves, and the lightweight 30-denier ripstop polyester shell with water-resistant coating won’t leave your down wet and useless if you get caught in a flurry of fresh snow.
But let’s say you do get caught in a flurry of fresh snow. Better yet, let’s say that on a visit to the coast you lose your footing and take a tumble into the vast wetness that is the Pacific Ocean (as our tester may or may not have done). Well in that case, you’ll be thankful for the Gnar Lite’s DriDown insulation.
Simply put, DriDown™ represents the evolution of down insulation. A hydrophobic finish on the down fibers keeps rain, sweat or melting snow from soaking in and turning the Gnar Lite’s fluffy warmth into a useless pile of wet feathers. DriDown stays dry 7 times longer, retains 34% more loft when exposed to humidity and moisture, and dries 33% faster than untreated down.
If that little feature isn’t enough to win your winter heart, consider that the entire jackets fits into a small pouch so you can keep it on hand as an emergency layer or for anytime, anywhere coziness. It’s finished with two secure-zip hand pockets, a cinch cord at the hem, and a solid overall fit and finish.
Notes from the Field…
Let’s get one thing straight, we love this jacket and quickly realized that any critique we had to offer would be little more than tedious nitpicking. So on the nitpicking front, there are those who may desire stretch inserts for added flexibility in their Down Jacket. That being said, we never found ourselves longing for stretch panels, mainly because during more vigorous endeavours we’ve already packed down the jacket and rely upon our lighter layers during more active pursuits.
In terms of overall design, there were two features the Gnar Lite lacked that our team would have appreciated. First, hand-warmer pockets with a soft fabric to keep hands cozy and toasty for the moments you’re traversing the resort plaza en route to a well-earned post-shred meal. Second, a bold Sierra Designs Logo emblazoned right on the chest. Why? Because when you’re sporting a jacket of this caliber you want everybody to know its name.
Bottom Line…
Whether you confront old man winter on a big climb, ski tour, winter camping or snowmaggedon, Sierra Designs Gnar Lite Jacket sets you up right for adventure.
*Gumption Gear Review received a product sample of the item featured in this review from Sierra Designs at no cost, and receives no monetary compensation for this or any related review. The item featured was provided solely in return for our honest views and opinions.