Fall weather is FINALLY back! We hit 40 degrees last night and it was amazing. With the cooler weather, I was able to test out my new Marmot Trail Wind Jacket this morning. It performed exactly as I had hoped!

I decided my paddle out on Lake Raven this morning would be the perfect test, as I had hoped to primarily use this jacket for cool weather paddling and cycling. I wore a wicking champion short sleeve under the jacket and a life vest over it. It was 41 degrees with a 5mph wind when I put in. I started out in the shade and felt perfect – not warm, not cool, but pretty damn comfortable. A few minutes of paddling put me directly into the blinding sun..I knew this would be the real test. I was thoroughly pleased 20 minutes later as I made my way back into the shade. Even paddling at 3mph in the sun, I felt great. I decided to stop in the shade and let the wind pick back up to see how I managed..and I still felt great. Even by the end of my paddle when the temperature was in the low 50’s I wasn’t at all uncomfortable.

After my paddle, I walked down to the grocery store and back. By the end of the walk, the temp was just under 60. Even with a backpack on and walking mostly in the sun, I never really felt overheated. I was starting to get a bit warm towards the end though.

From these preliminary tests, it seems that my new jacket is going to be perfect for me. My major problem with soft shells and jackets is that I just can’t wear them during any activity. I get way too warm and end up soaking with sweat. The Marmot Trail Wind Jacket appears to have remedied this. It should be fine for walking in temps up to 55 or 60 with just a short sleeve underneath. For activity, obviously it’s good for paddling down to 40, but I’m thinking I may need a long sleeve underneath for cycling. We’ll see!