I have been using the Kiwi Long Jacket from the Craghopper’s workwear range for close to 3 years now and it’s become my go-to bushcraft jacket over the winter months. During the warmer months, I still keep this jacket in the bottom of my pack but I am more likely to wear either the Fjallraven Skogso or Abisko jackets as they are just that much more breathable and comfortable.
A note on choosing a waterproof jacket
When choosing a waterproof for hiking and backpacking it is often worth spending a bit more on a waterproof jacket, as when you are out on a barren hillside with 40mph winds and driving rain you really do want something that is going to stand up to it all. The two major specifications you would look at then would be hydrostatic head and breathability. Hydrostatic Head (HH) is a measurement of waterproofing and durability where the waterproof membrane and fabric are placed under ever increasing water pressure until they fail. This is expressed in terms of the size of the column of water that would create that pressure. For example, the minimum to be considered waterproof is 1,500mm HH, but anything under 5,000mm is unlikely to be any use at all as an actual practical jacket. It is important to note that it is not only a ‘waterproofness’ test but also a stress test of the fabric. The higher the HH, the more durable, long-lasting and waterproof the jacket is likely to be. Mid range jackets tend to be in the 15,000mm range and higher end jackets upwards of 20,000mm (e.g. Gore-tex). Breathability is slightly more complicated, as it is an indication of how well sweat and water vapour can escape from the inside out, this is often measured in grams per metre squared per 24 hours (gm/M2/24hr). I won’t get into details here but essentially, the higher the value the better the fabric will cope with vigorous activity.
So, where does this particular jacket fall in the ratings? According to the stitching on the cuff, the waterproof membrane is Craghopper’s in-house waterproofing; AquaDry with a Hydrostatic Head of 15,000mm. Breathability is a bit more difficult to pin down a number but given the lining and weight of the jacket, I would hazard a guess that it is not amazing either. However, all of this hydrostatic head and everything is clearly important when buying a hillwalking jacket but I would argue that they are not as critical for a bushcraft waterproof.
Bushcrafting by it’s nature often takes place in woodlands where it is unlikely that you will be dealing with sideways torrential rain as trees often provide at least some protection, additionally, you much more likely to be static and have a tarp or shelter set up to protect you. Therefore the role of the jacket becomes a waterproof to keep you warm and dry on short trips away from camp to gather resources, rather than something to protect you from hours of rain. Paired with a water resistant wax jacket or similar, breathability also becomes less of an issue as unless it is really pouring down wearing a wax jacket is much the better option for breathability. If it does come pouring down and you need that proper waterproof, you are also unlikely to be worrying too much about overheating… The most important factor in choosing a bushcraft waterproof, then becomes durability. Your average high range waterproof jacket is not designed to be dragged through a bramble patch or used to carry armfuls of firewood through dense woodland, which is why a budget friendly, solid waterproof that you won’t bemoan a bit of spark damage, becomes a pretty good looking option.
Which is why I ended up choosing the Kiwi Long jacket, which has definitely lived up to my expectations so far. There are no doubt better jackets made by brands such as Ridgeline, which I may upgrade to in the future. However, for now, I am happy just seeing how many more years I can get out of this. For a detailed overview of jacket features and the rest of my review, you can check out my Youtube review below.
All of the clothes and equipment I review are products that I have bought myself and used for at least 6 months. I believe in making reviews that reflect real-world use of the kit and not just an overview of the features, as such I will not pretend any item is perfect and I will endeavour to give you my honest opinion based on personal experience.