Tactical Fleece Jacket Waterproof Softshell Windbreaker

The wind stops here. Steady rain does not.

Six in the morning at the gate, four degrees, and a wind coming straight across the flat. A work shirt does nothing against it. A knit jumper does less than you would think — the wind goes through the loops like they are not there. So you stand there getting cold, and cold hands are slow hands. You fumble the shackle, you drop the spanner, you stop watching what is moving around you. That is where the near-miss comes from, not from the cold itself.

This is a softshell, and cutting wind is the one thing a softshell does better than nearly anything else you can put on. A dense woven face fabric with nothing for the air to blow through, a stand collar that comes up over the back of your neck, and enough pockets that you are not patting yourself down looking for the ute keys.

Two things to know before you decide, because they are the two things this style of jacket is usually oversold on. The lining is a black open mesh, not fleece. You can see it in the interior photographs, and the manufacturer's own artwork panel calls it mesh lining. It breathes well and it will not make the jacket warm on its own. And nobody publishes a water rating for it. There is no hydrostatic head figure on any supplier panel, and the body seams are stitched rather than taped. Treat it as wind protection that copes with a passing shower, not as a rain jacket. We would rather you heard that here than found out at the gate.

What It Does

• Cuts the wind: a tight woven shell stops the draught that walks straight through a jumper or a work shirt. This is the honest reason to own one.
• Breathes while you work: the open mesh lining lets heat out instead of trapping it, so you are not soaked in your own sweat by smoko.
• Carries the small gear: ten pockets in total, including three stacked inside the left chest and a big one across the back.
• Takes your patches: hidden hook-and-loop panels on both chest pockets and the back pocket, so the loop field is out of sight when you are not running a patch.
• Adjusts at the ends: hook-and-loop tabs at the cuffs and a drawcord through the hem close the two gaps a cold wind finds first.
• Runs a cable through: a port links the side pocket to the inside of the jacket for an earpiece or a radio lead.
• Layers over the top: cut with room for a jumper or a fleece underneath, which is how you get real warmth out of it.

Key Features

• YKK zips throughout: the YKK mark is visible on the puller in the supplier's close-up photograph.
• Sealed sleeve pocket: the left sleeve pocket sits on a bonded panel with a rubber-coated zip — the only sealed closure on the jacket.
• Two chest pockets: zipped, angled, each with a hidden hook-and-loop patch field behind the flap.
• Large back pocket: full-width zip across the shoulder blades with its own concealed hook-and-loop panel.
• Patches supplied: a blank black chest patch of 110 × 120 mm and a back patch of 300 × 230 mm, both stated by the supplier as included.
• Three inside pockets: stacked on the left chest, black taffeta with a red bound edge, for a phone, a notebook and a card.
• Two hand pockets: zipped, set into the front panels.
• High stand collar: faced on the inside with a soft napped fabric so the seam is not sitting against your neck. No hood.
• Elastic cuffs: hook-and-loop adjuster tabs over an elasticated inner cuff.
• Three colourways: Green and Black, plain Black, plain Green, in five sizes from S to XXL.

Limits

What this jacket will not do, stated plainly.

• It is not waterproof: there is no hydrostatic head figure published anywhere by the supplier and the body seams are not taped. In steady rain you will get wet through, and the first place it will come in is the shoulders and the seams. If you need to stay dry, wear a rain shell over the top.
• It is not fleece lined: the body lining is an open mesh. Only the inside of the collar is a soft napped fabric. On its own this is a windbreaker, not a winter coat — the warmth comes from what you wear under it.
• No certification of any kind: no standard is printed on the garment and no test certificate was supplied to us. It is not hi-vis, it is not flame resistant, it is not arc rated, and it is not tested to AS/NZS 4602.1 or any other standard. Do not wear it as site PPE where a rated garment is required.
• The patches are decoration: the supplier photographs show hook-and-loop patches including a Russian security-service design and one reading SECURITY. They are costume patches on a patch panel. Wearing one does not make you anything, and in some settings it will get you the wrong sort of attention.
• Sizing stops at 100 kg: the supplier's chart runs S to XXL against 55–100 kg. Above that there is nothing in the range, and the fit is cut on a slimmer block than an Australian jacket carrying the same letter.
• No hood, no vents, no liner: the collar does not stow a hood, there are no underarm zips, and nothing zips out. What you see is what it is.
• Fabric detail is thin: the supplier states polyester and publishes no percentage, no fabric weight and no membrane. We are not going to invent those numbers, so the spec table below says so.

Q & A

Will it keep me dry?

In a passing shower on the way to the ute, yes, well enough. In steady rain, no. There is no water rating published for it and the seams are stitched rather than taped, so water gets in through the needle holes before the fabric even matters. If you are out in weather all day, wear a rain shell over it.

Is it actually fleece lined?

No. The body lining is a black open-knit mesh — it is visible in the interior photographs and the manufacturer's own panel calls it mesh lining. The only soft napped fabric on the jacket is the facing inside the collar. It breathes very well, which is the trade-off for not being warm on its own.

Is it warm enough for a cold morning?

By itself it is a windbreaker, and cutting the wind is most of what makes a cold morning bearable. But there is no insulation in it. Put a jumper or a fleece underneath and it works properly down into single figures; wear it over a t-shirt at four degrees and you will be cold.

What size do I take?

Use the supplier's chart in the Specs tab and work off the chest measurement rather than the letter. The weights beside each size are the supplier's guide, and their own chart overlaps — L is listed as 75–85 kg and XL as 80–90 kg. Sizing on this style of jacket runs smaller than an Australian equivalent, so if you land between two sizes take the larger one. There are no exchanges, so it is worth getting the tape out.

Do the patches in the photos come with it?

The supplier states that blank black patches are included — 110 × 120 mm for the chest and 300 × 230 mm for the back — ready for you to print or embroider. The Russian lettering and SECURITY patches shown in the photographs are the supplier demonstrating the panels, not part of the order.

How long will it take to arrive?

Ten to fourteen days from the day you order, and allow up to three weeks. Regional and remote addresses take longer again. Delivery is free to Australia and New Zealand.

Specs

Size Chart

Taken from the supplier's own chart in the product photographs. The chart does not say whether these are garment or body figures — at 110 cm (1100 mm) of chest for a 55–65 kg wearer they read as the garment laid flat and doubled, not your own chest. Measure a jacket you already wear and compare. Note that the supplier's weight bands overlap between L and XL; that is their chart, reproduced as printed.