Kathman-who you might say.

Well, Kathmandu are an Australian and New Zealand outdoor brand. Down under they are very popular and well known, with shops in most cities. And they have very good reputation.

So why are they not massive over here in the UK? Good question really, because it turns out they make some excellent kit (see the recent XT DriFILL jacket review as another example). They currently have retail outlets in London and Bristol - more can only be a matter of time.

I haven't owned or used Kathmandu kit before, so was excited to see how this jacket would fare against the likes of my Rab, Patagonia and Hagöf Jackets. It comes with some very impressive stats, not least a 30,000mm hydrostatic head waterproof rating as part of the Kathmandu X-Series range. I had confidence that it would cope with everything the British weather could throw at it.

Taking it out of the packaging I was immediately impressed with the weight of the jacket - a mere 390g. The feel is soft, yet strong and robust. The finish was to a very high standard too, and there are definitely no corners cut with regard to the build quality.

Putting it on for the first time I was a little unsure if I had ordered the correct size. My worries soon disappeared though, as the jacket zipped up with enough room in the cut to allow a good range of movement, but not so much that I would sail away in windy conditions.

As a product, the Orcus is aimed at your typical hill walker who wants good kit at an affordable price. It's a jacket with all the pluses of a high-end mountain jacket, while also including features such as cable management for your headphones.

In fact, Kathmandu have managed to create a jacket that I'm happy to use for popping down to the shops in winter as an everyday jacket, while also being more than comfortable in at the top of mountain on a wonderful Welsh winter day.

That being horizontal rain and winds that try to chill your bones.

I've worn the Orcus at every occasion that I could. Going on the weekly shop, off to the climbing centre, even going to meetings - any time I could wear this jacket I did. Some days were windy, some wet, but the jacket was right at home in all weathers.

Although it has all of the high-end technical specs, it is robust in everyday life and does not look out of place walking down the street. It's comfortable to drive wearing it, and the large pockets will easily hold keys, wallet and phone, with room to spare.

So it ticks the 'everyday' box, what what about a more intensive test? With a good friend I headed around one of our favourite walks, Pen y Fan Horseshoe in the Brecon Beacons, on a wet and windy day in February. Covering all of the peaks and expecting to get a good drenching at the top of each!

The peak cap on the Orcus helped to keep the rain off my face while my chin stayed almost completely dry and comfortable due to the fleece chin guard at the top of the zip. The howling wind only touched my hands and the jacket kept me warm and comfortable. The extended length cuffs help to keep your wrists dry and warm, and have a Velcro adjustment to get the fit just right. The internal pockets are all a mesh construction to help with keeping the weight down and also allow venting.

Overall the Orcus stood up to the conditions very well and could easily have handled more.

On a day down in the Yat climbing, the jacket slipped on easily when we had a small shower and with the 2-way zips allowed me to continue belaying. With the alpine design, it kept out of the way of the task in hand and the helmet compatible hood slipped over my Petzl Elios with ease.

All the zips on the jacket have been designed with thought, and are easy to handle with big thick gloves on. The toggles around the base of the jacket are the same, as are other adjustment toggles on the Orcus. The hood adjustment is simple with a pull out and down to lock it in place.

When the weather is nicer it comes with a handy little stuff bag to pack it away in your rucksack.

Having had a long and hard think about what improvements I might potentially make to the jacket, it's a very short list. There are three things I would tweak, but I can live with all of them as they are anyway.

Firstly, the lack of hook when the hood is rolled up is a minor annoyance. There is a hook to hang it up but you need to have the hood unrolled, or you can use the storage bag instead.

Secondly, the hood roll-up toggle is a fiddle to do while wearing the jacket. I ended up leaving the hood unrolled, but that's not the end of the world.

Finally, I'd move the main pockets higher up on the jacket as not to conflict with rucksack waist straps, as is the case with the Kathmandu Jardin Jacket.

Even so, the build quality, price and performance of the Orcus as-is far outweigh the minor improvements that could be made.

To make this jacket a lightweight, waterproof and breathable alpine jacket, Kathmandu have used their NGX3 fabric. On paper this is expected to give as good protection as, if not better than, high-end Gore-Tex.

Only time with the jacket will show how it compares to my Gore-Tex Haglöf. At the moment though, I'm very impressed with the protection it offers - along with the fit. The minimal seaming and positioning helps keep any rubbing to a minimum.

The only features that aren't on the XT Orcus that are on higher end Kathmandu jackets are pit zips and RECCO Rescue devices. What you get on the Orcus for your money is a lot!

Pros

Well-made, quality look and feel. Superb NGX3 fabric which is lightweight, breathable, waterproof and windproof. And all with an excellent price.

Cons

Pit zips would be nice, and the toggle for rolling up hood could be better.

Recommended Use

A realistically priced jacket for avid outdoor enthusiasts and everyday use, yet still a useful jacket for the more adventurous.

Ease of use:
Performance:
Feature design:
Build quality:
Value for money:
9.2