VR Lite Alpine Maya Jacket - RAB
3rd Jul 2014
Introduction
I have two young boys so whenever we are out and about I am invariably carrying my kit and theirs, be it spare jackets on a day-walk, or full camping gear if out overnight. It means that I'm a stickler for lightweight gear. If I can save 1-200g on each and every piece of kit I am carrying then we're talking kilos in total.
Lightweight
The VR Lite Alpine Maya fits snugly into the lightweight category at 300g, that's probably half the weight of its replacement.
Features
It's essentially a full sleeved, wind-proof, water resistant insulated, zipped jacket with a hood. The sort of thing that's absolutely ideal for climbing, but also worth throwing in for a bike ride or run. It's no down jacket and won't keep you toasty warm around the camp fire, but is designed for wearing whilst being active - or at least during the pauses in your activity. It packs down to a nice and compact size so means that putting it in a bum bag or running rucksack is perfectly practical. The outer shell is wind proof and also does a great job of keeping light rain out - it's not a fully waterproof jacket and isn't suitable for heavy rain. That said, even in heavier rain it takes a long time for the water to wick through the insulated lining and actually penetrate. It's clearly been designed for use whilst wearing a harness as the pockets are high on the chest - personally I would have liked two more pockets at the usual level as the reality is that the jacket spends more time on without a harness than with, but that's a small quibble. The pockets are zipped. There's also a neat hood which hangs low and doesn't foul on the back rim of your helmet.
Summary
All in all I'm thoroughly impressed. Retails at £124.99 - a fair price for a very good jacket that is a jack of all trades.
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