The Patrol Pile Jacket from Helly Hansen is a distinctive multi-use standalone or insulation layer garment made from Sherpa Fleece, writes Mike Gormley.
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Made from Helly Hansen’s eco-friendly material known as Sherpa Fleece, the name immediately conjures up what this jacket is about; keeping the wearer warm when its cold out there.
Aimed at both urban and on the hill use, this is a useful stand-alone topcoat or as the insulation layer under a waterproof or more substantial outer jacket. The Patrol Fleece is available in some quite striking colours, if you like to show up when hiking etc., or in a more subdued blue. The version I have is catalogued up as Black, but as you can see in the pictures there is a lot of white in it as well; the fleece is white and the black sections are a smooth material which usefully is on the areas which will get most abrasion from the likes of rucksack straps and on the lower hem.
I have found this fleece is not one of those ‘cosy feel’ types, but it is warm and works very well with the likes of the HH Odin as a base layer. The jacket has very good sized zipped side pockets as well as two internal poacher’s pockets. The upper arm pocket is well sized and large enough to take a mobile phone. I must commend the front zip, which is by YKK, and for once a decent-sized robust one with pull tag for ease of use. The hem has a adjustable pull cord and the cuffs can be adjusted. There is a fitted, non-fleece, hood which does contain some insulation and has pull cord adjusters around the face to keep it well-fitting in the wind.
[images © Jean Gormley]
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