Made of a Gore Windstopper outer and an 'inso/therm' polyester filling, the Grendel is intended for days when strong wind chill is your main opponent, possibly tinged with the odd light shower. Consequently it makes a great thermal layer to take on mountain adventures, despite weighing more than 500g. If hills are your passion then read on to discover more.
It's hard to summarise why - perhaps it's the casual yet functional design, or the fairly judged price tag, or the hardy synthetic filling and the spongy comfort that it communicates - but the Grendel makes for a charming companion on mountain adventures. It's only on the warmest and calmest days that you could conceivably make a strong case for leaving it at home.
Storage is excellent, courtesy of four extremely large pockets. There are two at hand-level and another two at the chest: one internal, one external. Both are large enough to carry a map and the internal pocket also doubles up as an in-built stuff sack. It's quite hard work to compress the Grendel enough to zip it up convincingly, but it's an impressive feature nonetheless.
Adjustment comes via dual drawcords at the hem and neck and rear-based drawcords for the excellently comfortable and insulated hood (complete with bendable inner wire). That hood allows excellent movement and peripheral vision when done up and conveys a feeling of total security too. Very reassuring in strong winds.
The cuffs are made of a stretch fabric which extends along the underarm and down the sides of the jacket, giving decent levels of breathability and movement as well as looking rather stylish too (in our humble opinion).
It's not as warm a jacket as down alternatives, and its water resistance mainly comes through virtue of its being quick drying, but the Grendel still makes an excellent windproof and thermal layer for rests and camps and its synthetic hardiness is extremely pleasing too.
Note that the women's version is the Vela jacket.
In conclusion: what seems like an honest workhorse of a jacket is actually much more versatile, capable and desirable than you might assume. A savvy buy all round.
