Weighing in at 470g the Salomon Elemental AD jacket sits in the middle of the field in terms of weight, and uses the company’s AdvancedSkin Dry technology to provide waterproof protection along with breathability. It’s also windproof.
That said this is a surprisingly untechnical jacket by Salomon’s standards. The style and fit are more suited to gentle country walks than mountain adventures, and it’s let down by the stowable hood which has minimal adjustment; whatever you do with it, it is almost impossible to stop it from flopping down over your eyes, which is not just annoying but also potentially dangerous if you can’t see where you’re going.
However, we do like the high, snug microfiber collar and the soft feel of the outer fabric. The full-length zip has a Velcro-fastening storm flap, and there are also storm flaps over the two zippered, mesh hand pockets, which will hold an OS map at a squeeze.
Both the cuffs and the hems are adjustable, and that covers the Elemental in terms of features. So, although the price is pretty reasonable the performance is sadly let down once you put up the jacket’s hood.
