Outdoor Research makes a great line of outdoor clothing but my favorite piece is the Ferrosi Hooded Jacket.
It’s a great lightweight jacket, I often wear in Virginia’s Spring and Fall. I wear it alone as well as with various underlayers like the Patagonia R2 gridded fleece. It’s a stretchy softshell with a DWR treatment and does well in light rain. There are two zippered handwarmer pockets as well as a single Napoleon pocket at the left chest. The left handwarmer pocket also serves as a stuff sack. Additionally, the hood is adjustable. Recently, they’ve added thumb loops to the design, and I like that feature for when the temperature drops.
The reason I like the Ferrosi most, is the fabric. While they won’t tell me the origin of the material, they do share its content. It’s comprised of 86% nylon, 14% spandex 90D stretch woven ripstop for the body and hood, with Cordura 91% nylon, 9% spandex 120D stretch woven shoulder caps and lower sleeves. That sleeve material is pretty robust.
If comfort and performance didn’t convince you, perhaps OR’s Infinite Guarantee might do the trick. If their product fails to meet your needs at any time, they will replace it.
While the Ferrosi Hooded Jacket is available in a wide variety of colors, mine is in the Mushroom/Walnut combination seen above. The Ferrosi features a standard fit and is available in sizes Small – XXLarge.
Tags: Outdoor Research
I’m a sucker for my Ferrosi jacket. I had their previous model (w/out hood) that I wore for years until it mysteriously went missing. The hooded model is just as good, though there are days I miss the hoodless version.
They make a whole line of clothing in the Ferrosi material, including hiking pants (better than PCU pants for casual use) and a windshirt (1/4 zip). I consider the Ferrosi the civilian equivalent to the L5 PCU jacket and wear the hell out of mine.
Its close to twice the price I spent on my marmout precip rain jacket. But ok, I’ll bite and try one, its a future purchase for the coming fall.
The Precip (I own 2) is a light rain jacket, it’s direct comparison in this line would be the Helium II Jacket (which is significantly more compact), not the Ferrosi. The Ferrosi is a softshell.
Thanks Jon
Any updates on when the infiltrator series will be available ?
Will, as of yesterday we’re hoping to get Infiltrators first part of May. As you may be aware, timelines change, particularly for new product launches. But that’s the freshest dope I got.
Steve, U.S. Elite
Thanks Steve. Mom gave me allowance so I should be good to go when you are. I will keep an eye out.
Currently on sale at backcountry dot com as are all OR winter items.
Coincidentally this was posted minutes after I ordered one. Coyote is on sale at a good price (not a big seller with civies).
I love wearing this jacket while wearing kit because it keeps me warm enough while hanging around without overheating when I’m moving.
They have a significant good guy discount too.
I love my older generation Ferrosi hoodless jacket. I bought it at extreme outfitters about 5 years ago on sale and it’s held up just fine since then. It’s the perfect light jacket.
Man I love my hooded ferrosi. OR’s discount for MIL is super nice too!
I love my Ferrosi Hooded Jacket and am looking forward to the new Ferrosi Metro Hoody. OR still makes the Ferrosi jacket, https://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/catalog/product/view/id/67291/, and if you have a .mil or Pro account, OR has some really great pricing.
OR is also doing gear in Sage Green and an OD-like color called Kale.
Outstanding, that’s been added over the last few days then since I just placed an order with OR. Good gouge!
Also, just noticed they now make their Echo t-shirt in coyote. As soon as those come into stock I’m buying some for work. Those will make wearing 50/50 NyCo in the summer a lot more bearable.
I just picked up the metro a couple of weeks ago. I like it a lot, so much so that I ordered my wife the traditional ferris I jacket and pants. OR gloves are also the only ones I use for work, I keep expecting them to cut off my ability to send them back for a refund since I send them a box of thrashed gloves every quarter.
Other than the colorway, what’s the difference between the Metro and the Jacket? No retailers nearby have it that I know of for me to check out.
The pockets on the Metro are open and it has thumb loops. The standard hoodie has zipper pockets and an additional chest pocket.
The Ferrosi pants are by far the best active wear pants I’ve ever owned. If OR does a Ferrosi pant with cargo pockets my day would be made.
SSD any recommendations from OR for a jacket that can withstand tropical monsoons? To be used for EDC, here in tropical Singapore we get very heavy rains, 30+ degrees celsius weather outdoors and 18-20 degrees indoors (thanks to crazy building ac settings) all within an hour (really no kidding!). layering and purpose specific kits are essential. Thanks in advance
Sounds rough…
A poncho, or fast drying clothing. In that kind of heat and volume of rain, layering doesn’t really work anymore. I’d hate to wear any kind of zipped up form fitting garment that was waterproof enough in that kind of heat.
In a troubled category of clothing, the Ferrosi, along with the Arc’Teryx Gamma, Marmot Approach & ROM Jkt, and TNF Apex Bionic, is amongst a small group of soft shells styles that have withstood the test of time.
Have been debating getting one of these as my beloved Arc’Teryx is starting to peel at the seems. SSD may have just got me off the fence
contact Arc’teryx customer service ASAP for that repair!
OR makes great jackets; I only wish they made them in ‘men’s sizes’ (49″ chest for XXL, really? And a max 35″ inseam? Maybe for the Euro/Metro crowd).
And for all the buffoons rushing to their keyboards to recommend not being a fatbody, feel free to tell me all about your 14″ drop.