June 21, 2010Outdoor Research Tested by Magalie – Ferrosi Hoody Softshell: Repels wind and sweat

I come from Montreal but when I was 6, we moved to Mont-Rolland in the Laurentians, which is where I grew up. Knowing that, you’ll understand why I have a passion for the outdoors. I was surrounded by nature my entire childhood and today I spend as much time as possible partaking in activities that take me outside. I’m back in Montreal now and I’ve been working at Altitude-Sports.com for 3 years. My time outdoors has given me the opportunity to test many of the products we sell. Depending on the season, I love going for walks and bike rides during the week; I use weekends for snowboarding, snowshoeing, camping and treks. I recently took a course to get my hunting permit. Since the hunting season hasn’t started yet, I’ve been practising at a shooting range. I took advantage of that to try out my latest acquisition and share with you my experience.

I tested my Outdoor Research Women’s Ferrosi Hoody.

Here are a few characteristics before I tell you what I thought of it.

1. The Cordura®/Lycra® softshell has a durable water repellent finish. The fabric is also highly breathable and abrasion resistant. Its elasticity allows for easy movement.
2. The top of the shoulders are made of a tougher nylon while the body is more supple and elastic.
3. It has two zippered-hand pockets and a left side zippered-arm pocket.
4. The hood is adjustable thanks to an elastic that goes around the head.
5. A waist band means you can make some adjustments.
6. The main zipper is off-centered so as to avoid chaffing your chin.
7. You can stuff the coat in one of its pockets.

The 24th of April 2010, my husband and I headed off to a shooting rang in Terrebonne for some clay pigeon shooting. It’s quite the enjoyable sport and it’s certainly action-packed. Shooting a 16 gauge ain’t no joke. It was sunny but still a bit frisky out. I was just wearing the short-sleeve shirt and the Ferrosi. It was perfect because the coat totally cut out the wind that was coming from the fields. Since it is not insulated there was no excess heat. I will admit that it was almost too hot outside to wear all day, but at the beginning and end of the day, it was perfect. I really like its elasticity since I’m always moving when I’m shooting clay pigeons. This way, the coat stays in place and follows my movements. Once the day ended, the temperature had dipped quite a bit. That’s when I put my Ferrosi back on to enjoy a pleasant evening on my balcony. Had it been colder, I would have simply put on my Icebreaker GT 260 Quantum Hoody and everything would have been perfect.

This summer, we’ll be travelling to Portugal. You can be sure that I’ll be taking my Ferrosi. Really small, light and versatile especially, it’ll be quite useful on the shore in the evening when the wind picks up, not to mention protecting me against light drizzle.

Outdoor Research Ferrosi Jacket Femme

I’m also looking forward to wearing it all year long, for cycling, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
The only drawback I can think of is that the sleeves are a little short and the hood isn’t very spacious. I’m 164cm and weight 52 kilos. I have small shoulders and a 32” chest. I took an extra small. Everything is perfect except for the sleeves and I have a hard time believing someone with lots of hair will be confortable with the hood, but its no big deal.

It’s an awesome jacket thanks to its versatility and I’ll be taking advantage of it for many years.

Catch you soon,

Magalie