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The lightest jacket you may ever see, for those moving fast and light, who need an emergency outer shell.
Black Diamond says:
When weight matters most, the Deploy Wind Shell has your back. Featuring an exclusive 5 denier and weighing in at 48 grams, the Deploy Wind Shell is the world’s lightest, making it the ultimate fast and light piece for emergency wind protection. Featuring the world’s first YKK® Super Lightweight zipper which shaves valuable grams for FKT’s or ultralight missions, and weather resistance that breathes, the Deploy Wind Shell also packs down to a miniscule size and stows into an integrated stuff-pocket in the shell’s collar. Once stowed, the Deploy Wind Shell can fit in the zipper pocket of a chalk bag, or the custom-made Deploy pocket on the Distance packs.
Our Verdict
At 50 grams (for the medium) I can definitely say this is the lightest jacket I have ever gotten my hands on. It is incredibly minimalistic, elasticated cuffs, no hood and only has the zip descending halfway down the torso, making this more of a smock, yet it still has found a way to put a drawstring cord around the hem to cut down further on wind chill. The material doesn’t seem too breathable, but the extended zip is very good at regulating heat. This is definitely more of an “In case of emergency” product. If out running on the moors or high fells and a strong wind blew in, chilling you to your core, I would be incredibly thankful to have this in my pack, as you can guess it packs down to almost nothing, stuffing in to its own collar. That being said I would not use this in an environment such as the woods, because of the risk of snags, the material, though durable is still incredibly thin. I’m a 6-foot skinny gentleman and the medium fitted me perfectly. As an emergency product this excels, however if I was looking for something harder wearing, I would look at the Black Diamond Distances wind shell.
- Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear
Features
- Super Lightweight
- Stows into stuff pocket integrated into collar
- Adjustable hem
Specifications
- Small Weighs: 42g
- Medium Weighs: 49g
- Large Weighs: 57g
- XLarge Weighs: 60g
Material & Construction
- 5D Light Weight Nylon Rip Stop Woven with DWR Treatment (100% Nylon, 19gsm)
- Slim Fit
- Front Length: 29.5 in from High Shoulder Point
- Primary fabric is Bluesign approved
