[pct-l] re: GoLite Coal

[Brett Tucker" <blisterfree@earthlink.net (Brett Tucker)]

Saskia writes:
>>And another question: those of you who have used the golite Coal
insulated parka, do you think it stands up well to 'abuse' as we
subject it to while hiking? In short: is it sturdy?<<

The GL Coal is more of an early/late season garment than something I would
consider taking on a PCT thru-hike. Although it is very warm for its weight,
moreso than a comparable fleece garment, this Polargard 3D-filled parka is
still a pound's worth of garment that probably won't receive much use other
than possibly at night in the High Sierra and far northern Cascades. You
could use it in conjunction with a somewhat thinner-than-normal sleeping bag
and thereby hide some of its weight. Then again, you could carry an extra
item of clothing that might receive daily use, (wind jacket, extra polypro
shirt) and accomplish much the same thing. I used my GL Bark wind jacket on
the PCT for two seasons, and found that it performed several jobs very well:
blocked wind, rebuffed insects, reduced UV exposure, added warmth. In my
view, this is a much more useful item for a mild-climate trek.

The Coal has a 1.1oz ripstop shell, which would be a thinner material than
most wind jackets, for example. Actually it repels wind reasonably well,
even though that isn't its primary job. What it could really use (and they
may have added this feature since I last checked) is a drawcord at the hem
in addition to the existing waist cord. Cold air will rise up into the
jacket from below, despite what they say about cold air falling.
Nonetheless, for a pound, it's a worthy jacket (in the right season), and
after 2 years of frequent, though often pedestrian use, the only notable
wear that mine shows is a compression of loft along the parka's back. (Due
to the pressure of a backpack.)

- blisterfree