Cabela's Thermal Extreme Fleece 60 Windshear Jacket
Posted By Mark on Jan 4 '08
Stats
| Waterproof: | Water resistant | Windproof: | Yes |
| Hood: | No | Adjustable Hood: | None |
| Cinch Cords: | Dual Hem | Insulation: | Synthetic |
| Cuffs: | Elastic | Pit Zips: | No |
| Napoleon Pocket: | No | Handwarmer Pockets: | 2 |
| Sleeve Pockets: | None | Zipper Type: | Storm Flaps |
| Inner Pockets: | None | Seams: | None |
| Weight: | 32.5 oz. | Stowable: | No |
| Chin Abrasion Guard: | Yes | MSRP: | $80 |
Fabric(s) utilized: Windshear, Thinsulate
Overview
Cabela’s, “the world’s foremost outfitter,” is well-known throughout the hunting and fishing worlds for their high quality clothing and gear. I’ve tried a couple of their garments in the past, and although they are usually of pretty high quality, it’s usually the fit of the garment that can be a deterrent for me. The T.E.F. 60, while providing a pretty good fit, is not ideal, but it is windproof, and, coupled with a lightweight insulation, is quite warm, too, a good choice for those who want something that’ll keep the wind off, and keep them warm in the process.
Pockets
There are just two pockets on the TEF 60: zippered handwarmer pockets, with draft flaps.
Zippers
The zipper pull on the main front zipper is of a good length, and ends in a solid plastic clasp. This goes for the other two zippers, as well. The main zipper is separated from the wearer’s skin by a full-length draft flap. The zippers are very easy to pull up and down, while staying where you left them. The standup collar is pretty tall, but is nice for cold, windy days.
The Hood
The TEF 60 does not have a hood.
Body Adjustment
The hem is adjusted by means of dual cinchcord cord locks.
Extras
The TEF 60 employs both Windshear, a proprietary windproof membrane, and Thinsulate insulation to ward off the cold winds. It has abrasion- and water-resistant nylon panels on the shoulders and elbows, to increase durability. The sleeves are smooth nylon, to aid in layering when appropriate.
Qualms
As stated previously, the TEF 60 is quite heavy, with all the features it has going for it, and due to the nylon shoulder panels and Windshear membrane, is a lot stiffer than many fleeces. And it suffers from what might be phrased as the Cabela’s curse: wonky fit. I’m 5'10", and a bit stocky, so it could be just me, but I haven’t had a Cabela’s jacket yet that fit me very well. This one is better than most; it’s a fairly good fit, and definitely allows for layering, but I like my clothing to err on the side of the athletic fit, and this fleece doesn’t. It also, I’ve noticed, ends perhaps a tad bit too short for the hem. I think that a lot of my fit problems could be amended if Cabela’s came up with a small-tall fit for their jackets (currently, only medium-tall and larger are available): less bulk in the body, while retaining the fit of the sleeves and length of torso. This also could prove problematic for some: In reading other reviews of the jacket, people noted the lack of pockets on this fleece. I’m not a huge stickler for pockets; handwarmers are fine, but they probably could’ve included a Napoleon pocket, and perhaps an inner, zippered security pocket, in retrospect. Finally, I noticed a potential durability problem: some stitching had started to come undone by the main zipper, at about the height of the handwarmer pockets. I don’t think it would’ve affected the essential performance of the jacket, but it was nevertheless a little disconcerting.
Warmth
On a scale of 1-10, where 1 is a long-sleeved T-shirt, and 10 an expedition-quality mountaineering suit, I’d rate the TEF 60 at a 6. The Thinsulate insulation, fleece layers and windproof membrane add up to create quite a warm jacket.
Waterproof?
No. But with nylon seamless shoulders and a windproof (and thus inherently water-resistant) membrane, you should stay dry for quite some time. I’ve noticed that when it was raining a bit, the drops would get into the fleece pretty quickly, but I’ve never been outside in the fleece for a long time, and I have no doubt that the Windshear membrane would stop the water from penetrating for quite a while.
Conclusion
The TEF 60 Windshear Jacket is packed with features to ensure that you stay warm and (mostly) dry. Nylon panels on the shoulders and elbows add durability; the windproof membrane, full-length windflap and Thinsulate add warmth, windproofness (obviously) and water-resistance; and the superb zippers make for easy on-and-off wear. But, I found the wonky fit a little problematic, and the stitching problem a bit annoying. Overall, however, this jacket is great for cold, windy days.
The Verdict: 7/10
Interested in this jacket? You might also like these other windproof fleeces:
Mountain Hardwear Windstopper Tech Jacket
http://www.backcountry.com/store/MHW0011/Mountain-Hardwear-WindStopper-Tech-Jacket-Mens.html?CMP_ID=SH_FRO001&CMP_SKU=MHW0011&mv_pc=r126
Solid. Four pockets, Windstopper (of course), abrasion panels and pit zips. Nice! Retail: $185.
Marmot Leadville Soft shell
http://www.backcountry.com/store/MAR1162/Marmot-Leadville-Softshell-Jacket-Mens.html
Windstopper, über-soft fleece, and side venting panels. Retail: $150.
