After a trail run up Nethermost Pike a couple years back, I decided that (a) carrying a 32L pack wasn't ideal for trail running (obviously!) and (b) carrying a large belay jacket as an extra layer for a stop at the top was also less than ideal. So aside from getting a cheap Karrimor pack for trail running (and general use), what was ideally needed was a lightweight insulated layer.
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| Running up towards Nethermost Pike (my fellow trail runner ahead of me as usual!) |
So what was the answer to my insulated conundrum? Especially on a day which was fairly grim and where a down jacket wouldn't be ideal. The answer was a lightweight insulated layer.
The Aplkit Heiko has done this brilliantly. For its size and weight it gives a lot of warmth.
The jacket has since been updated from the version I bought (with a few changes including now being 100% recyclable) but its basic concept as a lightweight warm jacket (without a hood) is still the same.
The jacket has 60gsm of Primaloft Silver ECO fill which is about right for a lightweight jacket. I wouldn't want to be relying on this in winter conditions as a 'duvet' jacket obviously, but for a jacket that gives you instant and quick warmth the Heiko is ideal. The pockets are warm, there is a slight 'cuff' rise at the neck, there's a hem adjuster to snug the jacket. My version of the jacket has an outer top pocket - this has been moved inside the jacket for the latest (2020-2021) version. There's a bit of 'chin guard fleece', a zip 'port' at the top of the jacket, some glove-friendly zip pulls too.
In terms of colour, my version is in a nice navy blue with an orange inner. The jacket (as of December 2021) currently comes with a more 'earthy' blue or green colour - more befitting of looking and being environmentally friendly / blending in. Not currently so good for being seen, unlike mine!
One time leading a walk on Dartmoor, I was with a girl who hadn't come fully prepared. She was getting slightly worryingly cold because her *not very* waterproof had leaked (she hadn't told me this had happened until I'd asked her directly initially). I got her to remove her waterproof and stuff it outside her pack then put on the Heiko which I'd brought as a spare layer. Although we didn't stay out much longer, she was absolutely fine and warmed up in the Heiko despite it raining, until we made it back the couple of miles to the car.
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| Just another day on Dartmoor! |
So where and when has this jacket been used. Well, one use has been as an extra layer in an old church building where my church meets to do tech - that's seriously helped on occasion! But mainly as an extra layer on general walks and cycles when the temperature has been chilly but not cold - think more 5 to 10 degrees C than -5 to 0. But obviously everyone is different and gets warm / cold at different rates.
As someone with a fairly athletic build, I tend to get warm very quickly and cold very quickly. The Heiko has given me enough warmth every time I've used it. The one time I did use it in very cold temperatures was cycling the 'Granite Way' on Dartmoor with the weather hovering around 2-3C but with a windchill of much lower! The Heiko came in very useful.
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| On the Granite Way - way colder than it looks! |
Overall the Heiko is one of my favourite jackets. In terms of fit, I'm 5'11 (just!) and with an athletic build and a medium is perfect. I don't wear it that often and don't compress it that much to prolong the warmth of the synthetic fill. But it's very compressible (the latest version fits into its own top pocket) and has been one of the best purchases I've made. Highly recommended.
