![]() We did bring it on a multi-day backpacking trip in Patagonia for testing purposes, but we would have strongly preferred a lighter and more compressible down jacket in that scenario. It’s certainly too warm for active use in mild shoulder-season conditions, and in the winter, would be difficult to stuff down into a pack. That said, the amount of insulation and overall thickness and weight of the jacket limit its appeal for active use. In practice, the Refuge felt more breathable than Arc’teryx competitors that use synthetic Coreloft, including the Atom LT and AR. On one hand, VerticalX is billed as an “active insulator” for high-output outdoor activities like skiing, climbing, and winter hiking. Throughout testing, we’ve treated it almost like a lightweight down puffy and even used it as our primary insulator while backpacking in chilly Parque Patagonia, where it kept us warm down into the 40s Fahrenheit.īreathability is a bit of a mixed bag with the OR Refuge. We consider the Refuge a midweight piece and noticeably warmer than popular lightweight models like the Arc’teryx Atom LT (60g Coreloft Compact) and Patagonia Nano-Air (60g FullRange). Additionally, VerticalX is loftier than most other synthetic insulation types (Patagonia’s PlumaFill used in their Micro and Macro Puff jackets is one exception). But we've worn a lot of synthetic jackets and can say that it’s a substantial amount. It can be difficult to concretely measure the warmth of synthetic jackets given the different insulation types and weights, and the listed 60 g/m2 of VerticalX synthetic insulation denotes the density of the fill rather than how much of it is actually in the jacket (referred to as “fill weight”). Put simply, the Outdoor Research Refuge is a warm place to be. To see how it stacks up to the competition, see our article on the best synthetic jackets. Below are our experiences with the Refuge. It’s too heavy and bulky to be considered a true backcountry companion, but the soft feel, clean styling, and versatile fit give it a good deal of around-town appeal. Their Refuge replaced the old Cathode and slots in as an impressively warm and comfortable piece for casual use and light winter activities like snowshoeing and hiking. ![]() Seattle-based Outdoor Research is a leader in the synthetic jacket market, often hitting a nice balance between price and performance.
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