The Men’s Crew Hooded Midlayer Sailing Jacket (v 2.0) was originally developed as a waterproof insulation layer for sailors, writes Mike Gormley.
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A couple of things on this one to begin with. I really like this jacket and took it with me on our long trip away, where it proved ideal, and now back in UK in winter I use it a lot. But, if you read the Helly Hansen publicity info on this jacket, to me they really don’t do it justice. It’s definitely much more than just a sailing jacket and certainly more than a mid-layer. This jacket is light and very packable so ideal for those ‘just in case days’, which we had plenty of on our trip to the Southern Hemisphere.
Come the time to put the Hooded Midlayer Sailing Jacket on, the first thing that I took notice of was how easy it is to do this. This sounds a small thing but it helps a lot if you have a fleece or other mid-layer on. The reason for this simplicity of donning is the inner arms are lined with taffeta, so they slip on with ease.
The insulation is provided by Polartec which is always a good thing. One would expect a sailing jacket to be waterproof, and I have had it in some proper rain as well as sea spray during recent January storms while walking on the coast, and it has certainly proved to be well up to spec.
It could be argued this jacket intended to be a mid-layer has been designed a bit on the short side for wear as a top garment, but that depends on your take on this and on usage. For example, if a harness wearer on a yacht this is good and alternatively if in and out of vehicles a fair bit the length is also spot-on. However for long days out on the hills you need to make sure you have good protection in the middle region and/or waterproof trousers, though for my use it has proved perfectly fine.
The collar is great and zips up very well, offering really good protection, and in recent stormy weather it has proved to be perfect. The zip is one that intended to resist seawater so another small but good detail. The hood comes up over the collar which again is good. I found the capacious hood works better with a cap on under it, or perhaps if you have a helmet on this will fill it to keep it in place. Without either, for me it does tend to droop over my eyes a bit.
The inner side of the collar, most of the inside of the jacket, and the pockets are soft fleece lined for added cosy feel. All the expected parts have adjustments so I have been able to fine tune and keep the weather out when needs be. Some of the materials are recycled, which I consider is good news.
Available in seven colours and eight sizes, from Small to 5XL, all in all the HH Men’s Crew Hooded Midlayer Sailing Jacket is a very handy multi-use jacket from a well-respected provider. I rate it highly.
Editor’s Footnote: After chilling out (you might have noticed chill appears to be Mike’s favourite word) back in the UK during January following his Southern Hemisphere trip which took him to the south of New Zealand’s South Island, our intrepid explorer is now on his way out to Bydalen in Arctic Sweden to try out garments from the newly issued Nordic Combat Uniform. Watch this Gormley’s Gear section for more in due course. In contrast I should shortly be heading back out to Arabia as at this time of year I much prefer hot & dusty to cold & wet. Joint-Forces Team member Carl has opted for the middle ground and hopes to join the NATO Allied Reaction Force on STEADFAST DART 2026.
[images © Jean Gormley]
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