ProView – Outdoor Research Women’s Ferrosi Grid Hooded Jacket
To test Outdoor Research’s Ferossi Grid Hooded Jacket I took it canyoneering, resort skiing, backcountry skiing and wore it around town.
This jacket shined the most during chilly November canyoneering in Moab. We had temperatures ranging from 20 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit with 10-30mph winds. This jacket was just what I needed on top for scrambling up rocks in the breeze, shimmying through narrow slots and bushes, and rappelling down red canyon walls. It kept the moderate winds out and I was very comfortable with the Vigor Hybrid Hoody paired underneath. Additionally, the material was resilient to the abrasive sandstone that it rubbed on throughout the day.
Outdoor Research Women's Ferrosi Grid Hooded Jacket
Product Description: Ferrosi gained popularity for its super-durable, weather-resistant, stretchy soft shell material, so every season we try one-up our original design with a new way to wear - and love - this industry best seller. So for winter-level windproofness, we're introducing a new spin on a classic with the Ferrosi Grid Hooded Jacket. Hybrid mapped, bonded grid fleece and Ferrosi fabric provide durable windproof protection where you're most susceptible to cold temps, and offer breathability where you need to let sweat escape. A special bonding process keeps the grid fleece soft and flexible, making this piece your ideal choice for climbing, ski touring, and other high-output activity in freezing temps.
Offer price: MSRP: $159.00
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Quality
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Features
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Fit
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Durability
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Summary
While touted for being a cold weather, high-output pursuits, jacket, I found canyoneering/moderate output activities and everyday use in ~30 to 50-degrees Fahrenheit weather to be the areas it shined the most. It could be improved for higher output activities with ventilation via armpit zippers and if truly designed for skiing, could be improved with more pockets. I would absolutely recommend this jacket for canyoneering, climbing, and walking – it is comfortable, stylish, wicking and takes the edge off of chilly days.
Overall
3.8Pros
- Soft micro-grid fleece interior
- Comfortable fit and style
- Abrasion resistance
Cons
- No pit zips
- Few pockets
- Not totally windproof
- Fleece can have a lot of friction with base layers
Features
In November and December, I took this jacket out for some moderate temperature, early-season resort alpine and tele skiing days. In the midday sun, it performed fine and I was a comfortable temperature on the chair with just a couple layers underneath, but in the mornings and in wind I was cold and there isn’t a lot of room to layer a puffy or thick fleece underneath because of the fit. The hood, however, does fit over my helmet, so I was pleased that I could pull that up and have some added coverage on by neck and face on the breezy lift rides. It also did a great job beading wet flakes and was impressively water-resistant. While I think this jacket works fine on the slopes in warmer temps, it wouldn’t be my first choice it inbounds when it’s colder than 35 degrees Fahrenheit or if it is particularly windy.
Alternatively, in January I also took it skinning up Berthoud pass in sub 15-degree Fahrenheit temperatures to set up for our patrol’s Avalanche Level 1 class. The skin for this is relatively short (just over one mile), so I was okay temperature-wise for most of the day, however, toward the end I was feeling hot and wishing I had more ventilation. If this jacket had armpit zips, I would be sold and take it touring frequently. But the inability to increase my heat dissipation without taking it off takes this out of the running for my cold morning skins. In addition, for touring and resort skiing, the ability to stash my gear and snacks is paramount, so an additional internal pocket and a sleeve/forearm pocket could really improve the functionality for these sports.
Warmth
I do, however, appreciate this jacket’s ability to wick sweat with the microgrid fleece lining. I was really happy with how well I was able to cool off without feeling damp and cold after stomping around in the snow, making our pretend avalanche slides and re-doing this avy path ski traipsing seven more times during the day. For layering on our field day, I just threw a big puffy on over it when standing around and then was happy with a medium base layer while doing moderate activity throughout the day.
Functionality
Finally, well not the touted purpose, I found myself grabbing this jacket throughout the fall for daily wear/use as a to-and-from jacket for 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit days. It works great as a light layer for running errands, commuting, and walking the dog because of the light fleece lining to keep the chill out. The only challenge I found with the fleece lining is that it can stick to layers underneath so it’s not always the smoothest pull on and off.
The Final Word
While touted for being a cold weather, high-output pursuits, jacket, I found canyoneering/moderate output activities and everyday use in ~30 to 50-degrees Fahrenheit weather to be the areas it shined the most. It could be improved for higher output activities with ventilation via armpit zippers and if truly designed for skiing, could be improved with more pockets. I would absolutely recommend this jacket for canyoneering, climbing, and walking – it is comfortable, stylish, wicking and takes the edge off of chilly days.
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About the Gear Tester
Kelly Greene
Originally from the mountains of Maine, Kelly has been a ski patroller since she was 16 years old. Her love of the outdoors drove her to a degree in Outdoor Recreation Business Administration followed by an M.A. in Exercise Physiology from Columbia University. Since graduating Kelly moved to Colorado and still patrols, manages a fitness & cycling program for a large climbing gym and works full-time in corporate wellness. When she isn’t helping improve the fitness of others or teaching the next generation of patrollers, you can usually find her on or near rocks – jumping off of them on her skis, avoiding them while guiding friends through whitewater, biking over them, or climbing to the tops of them. Connect with her on Instagram @Kelly_ventures.
