The Talus Core from Keela is streamlined evolution of their best-selling Talus Jacket built for fast-paced adventures, says Mike Gormley.
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I have been a wearer of the original Keela Talus jacket for a few years now and really like it. I wear this one a lot, as do many of my walking friends. So, when I heard about this latest and new variant it caught my interest straight away.
Coupled with this, a young friend of mine who has just joined the Royal Marines (and as I write will be being put through what they do best at CTC or Commando Training Centre) was looking for a warm mid layer to go under his uniform top to give some additional warmth when things grew cold. Hopefully more on this at a later date.
The Core Is really little other than a Talus Jacket but without the hood. Some might easily say “Why?” but from my point of view I am not a great user of hoods. It is only when the weather gets particularly foul I use one, and by then I will most certainly be wearing a full waterproof or warm top jacket, so with this in mind a hood on a mid-layer is seldom used and will merely get in the way and add unnecessary bulk and a bit of weight; a ‘double hood’ would also just be a bit of a nuisance. So, this is the area that the new Core sets out to address; as I see it anyway.
The Talus Core I was given to test arrived on a somewhat autumnal day, so putting it on to try I immediately gained benefit from the 60gsm Primaloft Gold; this insulation is excellent. Light, cosy warm and, as an added benefit, it has a significant resistance to water ingress in its own right. Had I gone out in the shower that passed through I would have expected it to keep this out. I quite often get told by members of our moorland training group how resistant to rain the Talus is for a technically non-waterproof jacket. On the outside, the fabric is Flylite Ultra which offers excellent breathability, and wind resistance.
As a mid-layer the Core will not only offer a really effective added layer of warmth in cold weather but if your top layer gives up the fight against the rain, the Talus will give you a fair bit of additional protection. My immediate reaction to the Core is that it is a bit like a gilet with arms. I am not really a gilet wearer but can see the benefits, though feel they really should have arms – so here we are. The Core is a good stand-alone jacket with a very usable chest pocket, though not so on the Ladies version. It has a huge inner pocket and two very useable hand warmer pockets.
Following my various trips out locally and on Dartmoor, we headed up to the Lake District and there I got to make full use of the Talus Core and all it expected capability. It performed really very well in the classic autumnal weather, of sun interspersed with often quite heavy rain, when I sometimes did not put an additional waterproof on just to prove the point. I was most certainly was not disappointed. The Core never showed any signs of letting the rain though.
The Talus Core is currently only available in black, which will suit many end users and to all it is a very universal colour. It is a very light in weight and packable which is another important aspect and all adds up to a great evolution by Keela.
[images © Jean Gormley]
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