My favorite rain jacket…

Outdoor Research Apollo Waterproof Jacket

As far as essentials are concerned, especially when you know the weather to be inclement where you’re travelling, having a trusty rain jacket to keep you protected on the trail is an absolute must.

On our recent trip to Isle Royale, this little beauty certainly got put through the wringer, and it performed incredibly well since we had precipitation (sometimes serious downpours) throughout the 11 days we were on the island.

The worst of the days was when we were headed from Lake Desor South to Hatchet Lake and it was coming down like a Rainforest, and this jacket really held up to the hype.

Field notes:

• Extremely durable – This jacket is built like a tank! Multiple times I ran into situations where I was bushwhacking in the rain, and thought for sure I was going to get it snagged and torn, but every time I came across something I thought was going to rip it or do some damage to it I was wrong. It stood up extremely well, and I’m not light on my feet.
• Ultralight – It’s not an exceptionally heavy jacket (at only 12oz, which is very respectable), but if you’re a weight conscious backpacker this one weighs in a little more than your ultralight series.
• Comfort – I really enjoy that it has slightly longer arms. For a big guy like me it’s good to be able to roll it up a little and clamp it down the the Velcro wrist locks. Plus I really like the fact its vented – both in the armpits and in the hoodie itself. It was very breathable, and at the same time protective. Plus there’s a lot of room to move around. It’s not so clingy that it sticks right to your mid-layer.
• Cons – I’m ok with the idea of mesh interior pockets, but in Isle Royale it was still warm while it was raining, so while the jacket did its job to protect me and my layers from the rain, I was also sweating a lot because we had 50lb packs we were carrying (read Jaime’s blog on Isle Royale and the fact we had no alternate food sources on our trip). So when we got to one of the tower stations for lunch, I reached in and noticed that the contents were pretty moist – not from the rain, but from my sweat. I would prefer if the pockets were waterproof as well – lesson learned.

Here’s what the manufacturer has listed as features:

DESIGN FEATURES

Fully Adjustable Hood
Pit Zips
Zip Hand Pockets (External and Internal Front)
Stormflap
Left-Hand Pocket Doubles as Stuff Sack
Carabiner Loop
Key Clip
Hook/Loop Cuff Closure
Elastic Drawcord Hem

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FUNCTIONAL DETAILS

Double-Separating Center Front Zipper
Pocket Placement Above Harness
Hook/Loop Cuff Closure
Elastic Cuffs
Elastic Drawcord Hem

All in all I really like this product. Like I said, my only complaint would be that I prefer to have waterproof pockets as well. Next time I’ll use a small zip lock bag to carry my contents in.

Also – be sure you sniff out the deals. The link above goes to Amazon, but currently the ultralight OR Helium can be had for just ten bucks more on that site, so we bet you can find the Apollo cheaper somewhere else. Steep and Cheap, REI Outlet, Sierra, et cetera… Jaime found this beauty for $40! Total steal for such a good product, and it still carries the OR Infinite Guaranty So if anything goes wrong, they’ll replace it free of charge.

Stay safe. Be well. Vote for Biden.

Cheers! ~CK