Helly Hansen Fissure Jacket

I picked up the Fissure as a snowboarding jacket, but also intended to use it on very cold days as an insulated shell for high activity play (i.e. snowshoeing, XC skiing, etc.). I was also interested in giving the eVent fabric a chance, but wanted to do so in a way that wouldn't kill me if it did not live up to expectations.

Overall I think it is a good jacket. I find that it fits very well, and has fairly high attention to detail. It is definitely designed for snowsports, so has a zip-off hood and powderskirt, water/powder resistant zippers, and venting. As a nice touch on a personal front, I am very pleased that the pit-zips are at an angle, and do not fall immediately beneath the fall of my arm. Feeling the zipper in my armpit all day has always been my primary issue with pit-zips.

As for the breathability, the eVent really seems to work (though I can't say much for durability as I have only had this for one season). It is hailed as better than Gore-Tex, and I would tend to agree that it lets a fair amount of moisture out, once the moisture gets to it.

This is where my one complaint about the jacket comes in. The insulation. The fill gets rather heavy when wet, and holds a lot of moisture. It does a great job of keeping you warm, as all I need underneath is typically a long underwear piece, even down to temperatures hovering at zero. After a full day of active use though, it weighs like 10 pounds (I'm sure there is a little hyperbole here, as I had no way to really weigh it). '

I really like this jacket, and think that if HH swapped out the fill for primaloft, or polargard delta, they would have a damn near perfect jacket.

On a side note, if you are looking for an eVent shell, go find one of those, this is not for you. This is really a serious winter jacket, and not something that you would want for trekking rainwear/mountaineering.