Sierra Designs Rad Jacket Review

Finding a jacket that is so feature laden that it will be your go to jacket is hard to find...until now! The Sierra Designs Rad shell is a bomber, slightly over-sized shell that's name is what it means...RAD! Sierra Designs Rad Hardshell Waterproof/Breathability: 18,000mm/18,000g/m2 Center Back Length: 31 in (large) Weight: 24oz (large) MSRP: $239 This is one of those pieces of gear that at first I felt was missing the bet, I have a medium (my usual size) and when I put it on I thought to myself  "what the hell?". The sleeves were a few inches too long, the jacket hung a bit lower than most and I felt almost like I was swimming in it. So I took it off and checked the size, twice. Yep it was a medium and no I had not shrunk, so here I am wondering what the hell SD was thinking as I began the testing. No doubt by this time I had decided there was some mistake and I would be bashing this jacket. However what I found is that SD nailed it! Seriously I can't tell you how many times I have purchased a shell and when the conditions get gnarly and I layer up it seems like the shell would barely cover my layering but not with the Rad. The pockets hang a bit lower due to the longer cut and it actually fits well and my hands rest comfortably in the pockets...this was new to me and I dig it. Aside from the fit and feel this jacket is dialed with fully-taped PVC-free seams, 2 interior zippered pockets and 2 interior dump pockets, a center front storm flap, exposed waterproof zippers, condor construction, a helmet compatible, fully adjustable hood with visor, an adjustable hem and cuff, and underarm vents. I really don't see major detraction's with the design other than when I would sit down I would end up sitting on the bottom of the jacket and I think eventually it could cause some wear issues. Yes it may take a bit of time to get used to it and I guess I still feel like a bit of a wank wearing an oversized jacket but all in all it's good. However if you're one of those folks that lost your belt years ago and walk around sagging, hell you'll feel right as rain. To say the Rad is feature rich is an understatement. What I have found is that SD made a leap with the new styling of this shell and they nailed it...kinda like chocolate covered bacon, at first maybe you think it's a bad idea...but then you try it and you're hooked.

Steve Hitchcock Yeti

Yeti is an all around outdoor adventurer, enjoying everything from mountain and road biking, climbing and bouldering, orienteering, skiing, surfing, backpacking, trail running and exploring. Yeti is proud to make his home in the Colorado Mountains with his wife and son.

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Comments

Bonnie! Thanks for the

Submitted by Yeti on Mar 31st 2011.

Bonnie! Thanks for the inquiry. I have yet to test anything of the eVent material in a jacket that is akin to the Rad, so I am unable to write about that comparison. I will say that so far I really dig the tropozone, and most aerobic activities I participated in while wearing the jacket I utilized the pit zips as a means to regulate. As far as I recall I had no issue with the effectiveness of the fabric, and I can say that it worked better than Gore-Tex of like weight. The again the textile industry is so fluid that by the time these words are typed someone will have no doubt released something new!

Your question did pique my interest and I asked around and got a "lesson" in fabrics...

Tropozone is a proprietary “green” laminate that “reduces” the emitting VOCS. I tested the three layer version in the Rad.

Paclite is from Gore a membrane by gore standards is extremely breathable. Due to paclite construction- there is no need for a liner fabric- this is what makes it so light- some would call this a 2 layer or a 2 ½ layer.

Proshell is also from gore is a membrane that laminated to the outer fabric. It comes in 2 and 3 layer constructions and an insulated construction so there is no way to compare exactly- you could compare a comparable proshell jacket…

Gore is bluesign certified.

Event is a membrane – that until the advent of NeoShell most testers found to be the most capable of “breathing” or of having good moisture vapor transport-MVT (with the exception of Schoeller’s c_change)

Now laminate and a membrane are basically the same thing- but a membrane can be hanging between the inner and outer fabric, where a laminate is definitely glued to the inside of the face fabric. Often it is assumed that a membrane is waterproof/breathable.

These is great tutorial from REI Rainwear: How it works.

Now- I would have to say that there is subjectivity in to whether or not one was more or less breathable do to the individual subjectivity. As each jacket made is influenced by the outer material, the “glue”, the construction…

And as I said I really can't speak to a comparison between the RAD and a similar weight event jacket...yet.

Some more thoughts on laminate vs. membrane:

-A laminate is really just the combination of two (or more) thin layers of things that are glued together. Plywood is a laminate. Milk cartons are made of laminates. Toothpaste tubes…etc.

-a membrane is simply a thin film of something: skin, rubber, plastic, etc… in textile applications, a membrane is usually PU, PTFE, Polyester, etc used to make the fabric waterproof, windproof or both. A membrane can be a part of a fabric laminate and often is. But a fabric laminate doesn’t have to have a membrane…we make many that don’t.

-Membranes may or may not be moisture permeable! In common usage in the textile industry, though, “membrane” usually does mean waterproof/moisture permeable.

Have not used a #tropozone

Submitted by Bonnie Schueler on Mar 31st 2011.

Have not used a #tropozone shell before. How did you find breathability compared to eVent or a Gortex? Is this more of a paclite or proshell laminate? I have found eVent to be incredibly breathable. Wore my eVent shell this winter shoveling snow of the roof. LOL Yes, I live in Minnesnowta. ;D

We are loving Sierra Designs

Submitted by My Rugged Kid on Mar 31st 2011.

We are loving Sierra Designs over at My Rugged Kid!

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