OR Ferrosi Hoody

My dog decided I needed a new jacket. Could someone who owns one of these comment on how warm it is? I'm looking at pairing it with an R1 for 30-40 degree days (climbing & belaying). Anything you didn't like/I should know about? Open to other suggestions as well.

Not a warm jacket. Just a stretchy, reasonably water repellent jacket. I wouldn't be warm enough belaying in just an R1 + Ferrosi, but maybe you run hotter. The sleeves are long on me (5-9, -1.5 ape index) but otherwise I love the fit. The hood is tight over a helmet.

i've got the pants. the fabric is a light weight strechy water repellent material. they have held up to granite well but honestly they dont block wind all that well. I use them as summer pants. I think there are better lighter wind breakers out there. little insulation value and only partial wind breakage. If its sunny i think an R1 and it would be fine if your moving

Tend to agree w Gunkiemike

Fine with a light insulating layer like R1... if you are moving at such temps, and OK for generally mild weather, but not for hanging around belaying when it's chilly, windy, wet.

I don't find that it excels at anything particularly well. Wind resistant, not wind proof, moisture resistant, not waterproof, Non insulating. That said it's a nice jacket for generally cool mild weather conditions

Have one, put it through the wringer, love it. Use mine for everything from 4-season mountaineering to ice climbing to shoulder season climbing and hiking.

It is a fairly thin stretchy jacket. It's not super warm, which I like because it lets me layer under it. If you're climbing/moving at 30-40 degrees with an R1 under it you'll be fine, but you will be cold belaying. That's the point of a belay jacket, right?

I had mine on for a winter ascent of Hood, probably 15-20 degrees in the morning, and I kept a 60g primaloft jacket and an R1 under it to stay warm while moving.

Wore it climbing in Ouray last week, maybe 40 degrees during the day, climbed in the softshell and an R1, threw a 60g jacket over for some belays.

Climbed multipitch ice in Silverton with it, around 40-50 degrees, and I was warm enough at the belays with both hoods up.

Ive got one for sale for cheap if you want to try it. I love the jacket-just have several of them.

I think the hood over a helmet kinda sucks. It works, but I feel it isn't cut high enough, and as a result "pulls" up on the jacket through the shoulders. Not everyone feels this way, I might have a giraffe neck or something.

Do you already own a windshirt? I feel like conversations about "... which jacket... " can't be divorced from what is already in your quiver. If you already own a lightweight windshirt, then something like the Ferrosi is a good next step.

If not, then I'd like hard at the Black Diamond Alpine Start. I tend to run hot (relative to others) and have been happy with it. It's a smidge lighter material, more like a stretchy heavyweight windshirt (or superlight softshell). I find that I'm using this more and more and a proper softshell less and less. For 30s - 40s in the shade I end up wanting to put something on over it if I'm belaying.

The ferrosi is my favorite climbing jacket. It's so durable, I have been climbing with it for years and not any wear hardly on it - and I beat it up. For me, it's lightweight for summer climbing and a good layer in winter. It's thin and lightweight but keeps the chill / wind out. In the winter, when I climb in the temps you spoke of, I wear it over a baselayer (or two) to climb and put a patagonia nano puff for belaying. Hood fits over or under my helmet too. But i'm a girl, the mens fit may be different I wouldn't know.

The Ferrosi is one of my favorite technical pieces. IMO it's exactly what a softshell should be. It blocks wind and light precip, breathes incredibly well, and is super durable. Also dries fast when it gets wet. It is not a warm jacket, but I think that is the point. For my purposes, I use it as an outer layer to take the place of both a windshirt and a heavy hardshell. I wear mine as an outer layer for backcountry skiing, with just a baselayer under on the up and an Atom Lt on the down. I also wear it for climbing with an R1 type fleece under, warm enough in that setup for climbing and belaying in mild (40+ degree) conditions, any colder and I'd want either more insulation underneath or a belay puffy over the top at stops.

I will agree that the hood could be better. It fits over a helmet, but definitely pulls up on the shoulders like Jared says.

[Edit] To add that the below just echoes Tobin's thoughts.

I've had the opportunity to test around 17 soft shells in the last 2 years and the Ferrosi is my favorite if you want something that gives a great level of breathability while still providing a little wind and weather resistance.

I think it's a fantastic bargain for the price as well.
You can read more of my thoughts on it here .

If you want a little more weather resistance, I would look at the now discontinued BD BDV Hoody.

For climbing and belaying in temps that cold, I think the BD Dawn Patrol or Atx'Gamma MX would be really good. The Gamma is a bit warmer but still breathable while the dawn patrol is a pretty no frills shell that's a little more versatile imo.

If you don't need a ton of breathability, I really like the Patagonia Adze Hybrid Hoody. It's the most stretchy mobile soft-shell I've ever seen and is really warm and weather resistant and it doesn't break the bank.

My ideal climbing system in that temp range is to have a warm down sweater for the belay, then climb in the R1 + Ferrosi. Having a lightweight synthetic (Pata nano puff, Atx' Atom Lt, Pata nano air) to wear over or under the Ferrosi is super awesome. If I were buying stuff from scratch, I'd save money by getting the Ferrosi and add another insulated puffy to my arsenal. But that's just my 2c!

Jeremy

Jeremy Bauman wrote:My ideal climbing system in that temp range is to have a warm down sweater for the belay, then climb in the R1 + Ferrosi. Having a lightweight synthetic (Pata nano puff, Atx' Atom Lt, Pata nano air) to wear over or under the Ferrosi is super awesome. If I were buying stuff from scratch, I'd save money by getting the Ferrosi and add another insulated puffy to my arsenal. But that's just my 2c!

Agreed! I couple mine with an OR Cathode and it's a great combo. In <20 temps you can put the puffy under and still have enough breathability to stay dry. Warmer and just climb in the R1 + Ferrosi, use the Cathode for belays.

Obviously if it's cold enough to wear the puffy under, you need a warmer coat for belays, or you are on the go nonstop (mountaineering).

My Ferrosi has taken a beating and looks great, but if I see them go on sale I will buy another to stick on the shelf for when mine dies. Awesome piece.

Tangential topic, but the OR Helium Hybrid is a really nice superlight wind jacket if you need the protection of a softshell but not the durability.

The arc'teryx psiphon sl is like $15 more than the ferrosi and outpreforms it in almost every way, windproof, weatherproof hood, lighter, packs smaller etc.

Also the hemlock that keeps it snug under the harness is phenomenal. I climbed with it in december in RR and just put an R1 under it for rappels.

I think the Rab Sawtooth is better in every way. I've had every version of the Ferrosi except for the new one and thought they were all "meh".

here is the new OR Ferrosi. outdoorresearch.com/en/cata…

Ferrosi is one of my favourite pieces as well. I use it alot in the spring and fall, with just a base layer underneath when I'm on the move. It's not a warm jacket by any stretch of the imagination, but blocks enough wind and deals with light precip alright. Very breathable too.

The fact that the ferrosi isn't wind proof, or waterproof, is its greatest benefit. For those who really push themselves, running that red-line just under sweating like crazy, pushing "fast and light" to their personal limit; the ferrosi lets your body work at the very point where body-generated moisture and heat meet the threshold of cold-wet and cold-dry. The result is that, with the right layer underneath, you can ensure that in most conditions, you can put out max effort and still maintain the best-case moisture and heat management scenario. It's a niche jacket for those who like to run hot. I have loved it with an ultralight basebsyer running hard in a humid 34 degrees, and with a down mid layer in bone dry -40.

Awesome jacket