The Zpacks Octa Fleece Hoody is an ultralight hoody made with Octa polyester fiber. Made by a Japanese firm referred to as TEIJIN, Octa fibers have a hole core surrounded by eight projections aligned in a radial sample that appears like a toothed gear. When woven collectively to create fleece, they create an ultralight, extremely porous, quick-drying, non-see-through cloth that insulates by trapping heat air. The result’s a fleece cloth that’s hotter than standard fleece however weighs as much as a 3rd as a lot. Functionally, Octa clothes are much like Polartec Alpha Direct fleece, which is the darling of many ultralight backpackers as a result of hoodies made with it are additionally exceptionally light-weight and heat.
- Gender: Unisex
- Weight: 5.3 oz in a dimension massive
- Zipper: 1/2 size
- Pockets: 1 (kangaroo type)
- Hood: Beneath helmet
- Thumb loops: sure
- Materials: 80 GSM Octa Fleece
- Coloration: Black with blue trim
- Sizing: Runs small (dimension up)
The Zpacks Octa Fleece Hoody is made with 80 GSM (grams per sq. meter) fleece cloth that’s fuzzy on the within with an abrasion-resistant mesh exterior. TEIJIN manufactures Octa fleece cloth in a lot of totally different weights, starting from 67 GSM – 220 GSM, with totally different finishes (scroll to the underside), so that you want pay shut consideration to product specs when looking for Octa clothes or evaluating them. Quite a few different firms have additionally began making Octa fleece clothes in a number of weights, together with Norrona, Arcteryx, and Mountain Hardwear, amongst others, and it’s value surveying the sector to see what’s on the market.
The Zpacks Octa Fleece Hoody has a 1/2 size entrance zipper, thumb loops, and a kangaroo pocket in entrance, which is located excessive sufficient that you could put your palms inside whereas sporting a backpack hipbelt (offered you’re not gripping trekking poles). Whereas the hood just isn’t adjustable, it’s human-sized and suits properly beneath a climbing helmet. The thumb loops present further insulation across the wrists when worn and forestall the sleeves from using up once you placed on a jacket.
Because the fleece is extremely porous, the Octa Fleece Hoody have to be worn with a windbreaker or hardshell in cooler climate, particularly if it’s windy. I’ve stayed comfy right down to freezing (30 levels F) when sporting a medium-weight LS baselayer shirt and an Enlightened Gear Copperfield Windbreaker over the hoody so long as I’m mountaineering vigorously and producing physique warmth. However as quickly as I cease, I’ve to layer as much as keep heat. That’s the identical case with my Polartec Alpha Direct 90 GSM hoodies.
So what are the largest advantages of the Octa Fleece Hoody over comparable Polartec Alpha Direct hoodies? One of many first issues I examined was the Octa’s Hoody’s reactivity to velcro (hook and loop), which is extensively utilized in out of doors gear however latches onto and tears at fuzzy Polartec Aphla cloth. A lot to my shock, the velcro has no affect on the fuzzy inside cloth of the Octa Fleece Hoody. Whereas it does adhere barely to the garment’s exterior mesh, it peels off simply with out disturbing the fibers. I believe that is because of the form of the fibers used to make Octa fleece and is indicative of the improved sturdiness of the material. Time will inform if that is so, however I’ve a robust instinct that that’s the important thing distinction between the 2.
The opposite huge distinction, at the very least on this Octa hoody construct, is the sleek exterior, which is way much less susceptible to abrasion or getting caught in vegetation. Polartec Alpha Direct is a really gauzy, porous, and delicate materials, each in and out, that may simply snag and requires some care to “preserve protected.” It was by no means meant for exterior use however was meant for use as insulation inside an outer shell layer. That’s not the case with Octa, which has a extra sturdy exterior floor engineered for that use.
Suggestion
The Zpacks Octa Fleece Hoody is an ultralight hooded garment made with Octa polyester fleece, which is way lighter weight than standard fleece clothes. It has a wealthy characteristic set, together with a 1/2 size zipper, thumb loops, and a kangaroo pocket that make it appropriate for three-season mountaineering and backpacking as an outer layer in hotter climate or as mid-layer insulation with a windbreaker or hardshell in cool or windy situations. In case you’re searching for a method to scale back the burden of your mountaineering garments, the 5.3 oz Octa Fleece Hoody can present the identical heat as standard light-weight fleece hoody (100-150 GSM) however solely weighs half to a 3rd as a lot! That’s an unbelievable cut price, contemplating the excessive value of ultralight backpacking gear at present.
Disclosure: Zpacks donated a garment for evaluate.
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