The Adidas Terrex range is tough to nail down. It tends to be highly technical clothing for mountaineering and adventure racing, something Adidas Terrex are involved with at a sponsorship level. As you’d imagine from a company of this size and expertise, the garments, and footwear, that have appeared have been excellent. It’s worth reiterating that Terrex is a specialist brand: high-end goods at a high-end price. It’s not really ware for your Sunday bimble; but the summit of Braeriach on a freezing, spindrift-ridden day you’ll feel bullet proof.
The Advanced is a refreshingly peculiar jacket. The main zip is slightly offset, something I’ve enjoyed on a few Mountain Equipment garments, so the chin is against does not touch the zip, instead it touches a lovely soft merino lining. This comes up above the mouth, so Adidas designers have punched holes in the fabric that helps ventilation around the mouth. Another flap protects the nose – yep, this is a serious weather rain jacket. The idea is that almost no skin would be exposed if you weed wearing goggles – something we’d recommend using on the Cairngorm plateau in snow for example. The hood is one of the best I’ve ever used. It has a stiffened and wired peak, draw cords around the face and a volume adjuster, and like I mentioned, pulls in very well and moves flawlessly with the head. However, the problem with the offset zip (something I’ve observed in similar pieces), and the nose flap, is what to do with all that material when it’s not blowing a hoolie and you need to unzip it a little. I found myself fiddling around quite a bit trying to tuck bits and bobs into the jacket or folding them over, with mixed success, but really there’s not enough to seriously flap in the wind and hurt yourself
What of the rest? It’s made from the new Gore-Tex Pro material, it’s most breathable yet – noticeably so – although it is still pretty crinkly sounding. Confidently, there a no pit zips for ventilation. The only nod to extra ventilation is holes in the Gore-Tex inside the two large side pockets (as opposed to mesh) that let a bit of air through. The pockets are above the hipbelt and big enough for a map. All the zips are satisfyingly chunky with large toggles to pull them up with gloves, and there’s an internal storm flap with gutter.
Despite all the features, the thing I like most about this jacket is the cut. Adidas call it ’Formotion’ whereby the hem doesn’t ride up at all when your arms are stretched up, but a snug fit is important for the effective working of the Gore-Tex Pro too.
This is a jacket, comparable to the likes of the Arc’Teryx Alpha SV, for serious use winter mountaineering. Is it the best in its class? It could be if you can get used to the mouth area – but that needs trying on and some careful consideration if it is fit for purpose.
