Outdoor Research Men's Foray/Women's Aspire Jackets Discussions | Drop

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Outdoor Research Men's Foray/Women's Aspire Jackets

FULL DISCUSSION

kaxixi

202

Jan 8, 2019

I own this. It's good. It's thoughtfully designed and robust. This is a good price. Should you buy it? When choosing a raincoat, there is a trade-off between comfort and robustness. New, stretchy fabrics are more comfortable, but compromise a bit on how water-proof they are, and how well they'll stand up to wear and tear. IMO, it's helpful to decide whether you prefer the added comfort, or want to be extra conservative. In the city, or on a hike where the risk is low, I don't reach for this jacket. I have more attractive or comfortable jackets that I prefer, like the OR Ferrosi that dropped on here a little while back, a jacket that isn't even waterproof, but is good enough for a lot of activities. If I'm going for a three hour hike in low forest, through sustained mist, on a day when the low is in the 50s, I don't really care if some water seeps in and my shoulders and arms get damp. I'm taking the Ferrosi. The Foray largely sits in the closet waiting for hikes where I'm worried things might, if I really f*ck up (I'm not, after all, Bear Grylls), get dangerous, such as winter hikes and summits in the Whites, or multi-day treks. That's fine--that's what I wanted the Foray for, and it has more than met my expectations--but I'll readily admit that I would reach for the Foray more if it were more comfortable. I don't mean to imply this jacket is particularly uncomfortable or something... it's not. It's just that modern, stretchy fabrics are more comfortable. The Ferrosi feels great. The Foray wears like a raincoat. (I also don't mean to imply that if you need a raincoat, you should get the Ferrosi. I love the Ferrosi, but it's not a raincoat.) Hope this is helpful.

(Edited)

Jan 8, 2019