When we first decided to review some Helly Hansen products my first thought took me back to my school days where the ‘cool kids’ would all wear Helly Hansen white and blue winter jackets (or more likely knock offs), the 1990’s North West equivalent of the Burberry uniform you find chaves wearing in parts of Britain today. Needless to say I was slightly reserved at first. The snowboarding brands in my mind were the likes of Burton, Volcom, Forum, DC or Oakley.
After a couple back and forth emails with Helly Hansen UK and going through the website my interest got sparked and I picked out the Peregrine Jacket to try out. It looked smart, had a bunch of features and most importantly it had wrist gaiters to stop snow going up your arm (which to my annoyance my previous snowboard jacket didn’t have). Also the new H2 flow mid-layer was recommended to us. This mid-layer supports Helly Hansens new technology that uses air to provide warmth and ventilations letting you control your body’s temperature. Obviously, they were quite proud of this new product, and we didn’t want to hurt their feelings, besides who were we to deny them.
The jackets found their way to us in Vancouver, Canada, in time for our first resort trip of the season, Big White in B.C. near Kalona. The resort boasts champagne powder, some of the best snow you can get, and it didn’t disappoint. However, along with the incredible snow came temperatures of around -10, and on one of the days -15 with the wind factor. During the trip both the mid-layer and the Peregrine jacket got well tested.
I only wore a base layer, the mid layer and the jacket and I had no problem with the cold at all. At first I was a little worried that the mid layer wouldn’t give me enough insulation because it was so light. I’m use to really layering up when I’m on the mountain: vests, base-layers, t-shirts and hoodies. But I zipped up the ventilation pockets on both of the jackets and the little air pockets of the H2Flow mid-layer filled with warm air, and the insulated 2-layer construction of the Peregrine jacket did their stuff. The only time I got cold was on the chairlift when the wind -15 C wind was hitting my face, I found that if I pulled the hood right over my face I would be fine, I just had to make sure I didn’t miss the unload point at the top. The only problem I had with the jacket was with the front collar, where the top of the zip meets your chin. I naturally rub my chin on this part of the jacket and it left my chin red raw and very sore.
The second trip we ventured on was a 5 day stint at Whistler Blackcomb, BC. This time I can truly say the thermal qualities of the jackets were not tested in the slightest. The runs were chewed up, and the snow was either melting or tuning to ice. It did mean that I had a chance to test out the ‘flow system mechanical venting for optimal comfort’ feature of the Peregrine jacket, which I have to say worked like a charm. At no point was I overheated or uncomfortable.
The jacket has a great little pocket hidden on the inside of the zip. This is perfect for my I-pod, and there is another handy pocket on the arm for your lift pass. One of the features I really like on this jacket is the ‘Recco Advanced Rescue System’, which is a chip that is sewn into the jacket which sends out a search signal, in the event of avalanche or getting lost. Mountain rescuers can use their hand held detectors to find you quickly, either on the ground or in a helicopter. It’s a simple idea, which you don’t even notice and which could really save your life.
All in all I am really impressed with these products. They are proper pieces of kit. Helly Hansen have really put time and effort into producing high quality gear. There are over 15 features in the Peregrine jacket, all of which improve your experience and make your life easier – so you can focus on being on the mountain. Other than trying to stop it rubbing on my chin, I haven’t come up with anything that I would have added or done differently. In addition, I use the H2Flow mid layer all the time: it’s great to wear during football training, running, hiking or cycling. However, I will not wear it skateboarding: the outside layer reminds me of a shell suit, and is pretty thin, I could see it being torn to shreds after the first couple falls. I would leave it at home during any sport your likely to be sliding across concrete.
I guess if I’m rating it I will give both items a 9/10. Slightly different from the chavy school days of past.
