Trail magazine's Graham Thompson judges the Ogre, Morpheus and Kongur Jackets as 'Best in Test' in the annual Trail waterproof review 2009
GENERAL WATERPROOFS
Ogre Jacket (Men's) and Nanga Parbat Jacket (Women's)
Trail Rating 5/5
"Definietly one of my favorite jackets of recent years, and the benchmark general purpose hill walking jacket in my view. There are no changes from previous years and as this was “Best in Test” last year its up to the other brands to come up with something better to shift it from the top slot. It’s a litte longer than the average jacket, so the hem protects your bum from the wet. There is excellent freedom of movement in the jacket, so the hem and cuffs never ride up when scambling over stiles or up crags for example. You get three huge chest pockets, and they maintain superb access even while wearing a rucksack. The hood can be rolled down and secured at the collar, while on the head the fit and movement are incredible. I’ve been wearing an Ogre for years and its hard to see why I should stop.”
GT’s Verdict: "Still one of the best hill and mountain jackets there is for walkers, scamblers and mountaineers”
go to the Ogre product description page>
WINTER WATERPROOFS
Kongur Jacket
Trail Rating 5/5
"I’ve loved this jacket for many years, and now Mountain Equipment has added a Mountain Rescue Team version (the Kongur MRT £320), with extra reflective material and reinforced fabric. The Kongur has not changed much, as its hard to improve such a great jacket. It’s made from GORE-TEX Pro shell, top notch for waterproofness and condensation control. There is a little more length in the body than some other jackets. A double storm flap protects the front zip from rain. Movement in the sleeves is ideal for mountaineering, while the four chest pockets allow hand warming and storage when wearing a harness or rucksack belt. There are pit zips to prevent overheating. The wire peaked hood fits over a helmet and moves with the head. It’s one of the best jackets around. A superb choice for winter, and Mountain Rescue benefit from it too."
GT’s Verdict: "Still the best jacket for typically wet and windy British mountain walks, and now there is a Mountain Rescue version too.
go to the Kongur product description page>
LIGHTWEIGHT WATERPROOFS
Morpheus Jacket (Men’s) /Seraph Jacket (Women’s)
Trail Rating 5/5
"A well proven jacket, the Mountain Equipment Morpheus boasts all the essentials for a hill walker wanting to travel reasonably light. Its made from GORE-TEX Proshell,so you get excellent condensation control. Better still you get a stormflap over the front zip to keep rain out in a downpour. Also the pockets are not mesh-lined and the body is konger than some too. This all means its easier to stay dry in this jacket than in some other lightweights. The three pockets on the chest all easily swallow a map and can all be acessed while wearing a rucksack belt so they can be used to warm the hands too. There’s also excellent freedom of movement in the sleeves which is ideal again for scrambling.The hood is one of the best around, with a particularly good peak, and bett
GT’s Verdict: "An outstanding jacket for hill walking and back packing, but you can get lighter options, which you may deem to be better”
go to the Morpheus product page
The Diablo jacket also scored a high 4/5 in the Multi activity test.
For further information checkout the November issue of Trail magazine or go to http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com
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