One of the many perks of being on Snow Squad is being hooked up by all the awesome sponsors such as, Helly Hansen, the official outerwear of Vail Resorts. The good people over at HH hooked us up thoroughly with the Breacan jacket and Mission mid layer. See if they made the grade after this season’s rigorous field testing.
Mission mid layer Fit – Overall the mid layer has a great fit. I’m 6’1” and have an XL the length is perfect. However the fit is a little bit too long on the arms. This jacket also has a nice deep hood and this was one of my favorite parts about the fit. Overall fit: B+
Style – The green faded plaid pattern is pretty sweet very original. The green accents such as the zippers and trim give it sweet look. Overall style: B
Features – Deep front zipper pockets lined with fleece make it easy and secure to hold items such as cell phones and also keep the hands cozy. Also as mentioned early, the deep hood is great for snowy commutes. All zippers are great quality and have rubber tabs on them to allow you to access your zipper easily. Only con is that there isn’t an elastic or string hood synch which means, if it’s windy, the hood isn’t much use. Overall features B
Performance – The outer polyester shell really is a nice touch it acts as a windbreaker, but still gives you the hoody feel. The top section of the jacket is lined with fleece keeping that core warm without weighing down the jacket. Overall performance: B+
Final grade: B+
Breacan jacket Fit – If you like a bigger and baggier jacket, you’ll want a size larger than you normally would wear. Most HH jackets have more of a skiier fit. On that note compared to my last year HH jacket, this fit is substantially better. I usually get XL and had ordered an XXL after the mistake last season. I’m very satisfied with the fit one size up however. This jacket also has a nice extension on the butt almost like a tail—it’s a nice touch. Overall fit: C-
Style – Once again, the random faded plaid design is very original. Although plaid isn’t my number one go to, I’m totally feeling the Lumber Jack plaid. The layout in the front is a bit funky and all the Helly-Tech logos are a bit much. Overall style C+
Features – All pockets are lined with fleece to keep hands and cameras warm. The zippers are all waterproof so everything inside stays dry. It has a large goggle pocket and one of my favorite features was the ski-pass pocket on the arm works great with the Epic Pass’s RF technology. There are multiple interior and exterior pockets as well as an attached goggle wipe. Overall features A-
Performance – This jacket has out-performed any snowboard jacket I have owned. Helly-Tech‘s XP performance fabric is no joke after enduring some harsh wind conditions in the Sierra. I am overly satisfied with the performance of this jacket. The 15,500 mm waterproof rating is legit. I have pants that are another brand and they are shot and my HH is ready for another season. Their Thinsulate technology keeps your core warm but also breathes well on warmer days. Overall performance A+
Final Grade: B