"March is just winter with more daylight," a friend told me this week as we shivered mid-run.
When I'd packed my happy-hour run clothes that morning I'd fixated on the number 60. That number was the daytime high. What I hadn't looked at was the evening temperatures, after the sun went down, the wind would pick up and everything would stop being so spring.
I'd thought about grabbing the Gust jacket on the way out the door, but decided it would be to warm. I was wrong; I was freezing.
The Gust, Icebreaker's new soft-shell jacket for spring has turned into my security blanket. It's a 3-in-1 jacket (rain/cold/wind), which we love because you know how much we like versatility.
The jacket is a combination of "merino inner for next-to-skin comfort, a polyurethane middle layer to protect against the wind, and a polyester outer layer to ward off the rain," according to the product specs.
Review:
Icebreaker's Arctic water-resistant merino jacket will keep you dry, inside and out
The polyester front does an excellent job blocking wind, while the 39 percent merino, 45 percent nylon and 16 percent elastane back allows for good breathability. The polyester extends down the tops of the sleeves to help keep your arms dry.
Function: This jacket has some heft at 260 g/m² (gram per square meter), noticeably heavier than my beloved Patagonia Nine Trails paper-thin shell. When running, it's best suited for temperatures below 40 degrees. Cyclists and those who live in wind tunnels could get away with wearing it at slightly higher temperatures. But for me, unless it's wicked windy, I can usually wear the Gust between 30 and 40 degrees with just a short-sleeved shirt. Anything above 40 degrees and I'm a melty mess.
Fit: I gear-tested a women's medium (I'm 5'6" and 130 pounds) and while it is a tad roomy, I've come to like the extra freedom. The women's version is cut with a slight A-line shape, which is great for the 98 percent of women who have hips. The hem in the front hits two or three inches below my hip bones and past my tail bone in the back. This means spending more time running and less time tugging the jacket back into place.
Quality: The Gust lives up to the high expectations I have for Icebreaker. The stitching is clean and the high-quality materials look like they'll hold up for the long run (which is good, because this jacket will set you back some serious $$$). But it's the details that really impress me. Besides reinforced zippers to keep out the wind, the Gust even has a flap over the media pocket to keep rain off the vertical zipper. The top half of the back of the jacket is two pieces, a merino under-layer with polyester on top. The two layers allow the top half to vent, which helps keep you cool and dry.
Cons: This jacket screams runner, so unless you're the nerdiest of the runNerds, you probably won't want to wear it as an everyday jacket (unless the dress code is technical casual). Like other Icebreaker gear, the price is pretty steep. It'll last several seasons, but you'll have to save your pennies. Lucky you if you find it on sale.
Wish list: I'd love it if this jacket had some kind of reflective detail on the polyester top half. Some of you won't want to be seen -- I'm thinking of you downrange -- but in the city, my goal for night running it to resemble Tron. I really hate getting hit by cars.
I think a great (HUGE) upgrade for the Gust would be to add a double front zipper. As the temperatures got warmer, I desperately wanted to unzip it all the way, but the weight of the polyester front caused it to swing annoyingly all over the place. I found myself leaving the very bottom zipped to keep it in place. I'd love it if I could unzip the top and bottom, but leave it closed in the middle. It would let the jacket breath more while keeping it in place.
Verdict: The Gust has a wider range of temperatures than it's heavier cousin the Arctic, so I'd call this one the better buy. The Arctic is fantastic for below 20 degrees (despite not actually being a running jacket) but is much too hot as temperatures near freezing. The Gust, however, could be worn at colder temperatures by simply adding a layer. (I'd go with Io-Bio's merino zip for a good under-20 degrees combination.)
Get the Gust jacket for $250, vest for $200 at major outdoors stores or at us.icebreaker.com. The comparable men's versions are the Blast and Blast Vest, also $250 and $200.
Sara Davidson is an ultrarunner and our resident women's gear destroyer and no longer has an excuse to skip rainy runs.
