Staying Dry with Forgeline
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As Oregonians Anna and I have had our share of experience with rain jackets, so when we got a chance to try out the Sespe River Rain Jackets from Forgeline we did. I completely understand and exemplify that individuals have individual tastes as to what they want and need out of clothing, and in the age of online shopping have found most manufacturers and retailers leave out the details I'd like to know before spending money on something, so in this article I'll do my best to highlight features of note on the Sespe River Rain Jacket which is available for both men and women with only slight differences between the two gendered cuts.
You've seen us wear these in videos such as the HK USA CC9 Shooting Impressions video and Range Report video below which can give you more of a live-action idea of how the jackets fit our two very different builds.
Who is Forgeline? Is a question that I asked before discovering that decades ago I may have unknowingly been connected to the company you are reading about today. In the period following 9/11 the US military quickly realized it was behind and out of date regarding many pieces of individual equipment that would be needed in the mountains of Afghanistan and other places around the world. Rather than spend the years conventional procurement requires to equip the entire armed forces special initiatives were started to equip certain units with performance gear by adapting already-existing products from the comercial market. This is where the black fleece jackets, rugged boots, and other specialized gear came from you may have seen in some photos. Patagonia participated via the Lost Arrow Project. In 2022, with those needs met, Patagonia's Lost Arrow Project team became Forgeline Solutions, Inc. The same team, tech, and organization now adapting what was developed for advanced military projects to the civilan market.
Learning the origins of Forgeline helped clarify why the Sespe River Rain Jackets have so many features and design elements I like.
The hoods offer a very full coverage including a visor and neck that closes high enough to tuck your face in to hide from the nastiest of weather. An elastic cinch line can be used to shape the hood and tightens on the back of the head.
Inside the collar is a velvety-soft liner that helps take the bite out of the cold when against your neck. It's worth noting that the Forgeline Sespe River Rain Jackets are not lined elsewhere and serve as a lightweight and packable rain shell to put on over other layers if warmth is desired. As a guy who typically runs hot I appreciate this because I always want to stay dry, but don't always want heavy insulation.
The sleeves are tapered at an angle I greatly appreciate. This longer outside, shorter inside doesn't interfere with wrist movement the way a too-long sleeve would, when the arms are bent towards the body. When arms are extended it prevents sleeves from being pulled back as can be seen in the photo below.
Understanding contours and the way the body moves; the realities of wearing and using outdoor clothing seems to be a reality with Forgeline. The back of the jacket contours nicely around the hips to be lower in the back. Much like the cuff, this prevents movement restrictions a longer jacket would provide, but stil provides the much-needed backside protection against rain and does not result in water running down your back and into the top of your pants.
Inside the jacket is a single, nonpleated pocket about big enough for a cell phone,passport, or folded document. While I haven't had a ned for the pocket yet, I appreciate the option to put something small where it will absolutely not get wet' inside a waterproof jacket.
You may also be noticing that the jacket has no insulation or liner. The lack of anything other than a skin means you'll feel rain drops and their temperature if you don't have another layer on, but it also means the jacket is lighter and more packable than something with a liner.
The only other thing you'll find inside the jacket are cinch chords on either side should you want to draw the bottom of the jacket closer to your body.
Overall we're quite pleased with the Sespe River Rain Jackets. At first hold or donning the jacket feels unremarkable, but it's not until you've spent some time in outerwear that you realize that's a good thing for those of us who refuse to let a little weather get in the way of our activities.
The Sespe River Rain Jacket is available in both men's and women's sizes, in a sort of charcoal grey as seen on me, and in a smokey light blue as seen on Anna. MSRP: $329 direct from Forgeline.
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