December 27

HELLY HANSEN ODIN AIRSHELL JACKET: LIGHTWEIGHT, COMPACT AND SOLID

Posted by Héctor Rubio on December 27, 2021 in trail running gear, trail running spain | Leave a comment

HELLY HANSEN ODIN AIRSHELL JACKET: LIGHTWEIGHT, COMPACT AND SOLID. Our MOUNTAIN GEAR shares today the first impressions lived this autumn-winter by Mayayo, from the snows of the Guadarrama to the Pyrenees.

Helly Hansen bet here on a garment by and for the norwegian mountain rescue teams. The result, a lighter and more compact jacket than its sisters, which we can ventilate to the fullest to take it from the top to the valley.

HELLY HANSEN ODIN 3D AIRSHELL JACKET:
LIGHTWEIGHT, COMPACT AND SOLID

Founded in Norway in 1877, Helly Hansen continues to develop professional garments that help people stay and feel alive. Thanks to the experience gained from living and working in the harshest environments in the world, the company has developed a long list of innovations that were the first to hit the market, such as the first flexible waterproof fabrics more than 140 years ago. Other advances include the first fleece fabrics in the 1960s, the first technical basic layers in the 1970s, manufactured with Lifa® Stay Dry technology, and the award-winning and patented H2Flow temperature regulation system™.

Helly Hansen is a leader in high-performance technical sailing and skiing garments, as well as premium workwear. More than 55,000 professionals wear and rely on their ski clothes, and they can be found in Olympic athletes, national teams and in more than 200 ski resorts and mountain guide operations around the world.

HELLY HANSEN ODIN 3D AIRSHELL JACKET. DATA SHEET

This 2021 the HH Odin range adds up to 30 different clothes, with a complete line of jackets, pants and second layers. It was born by and for an intentional use, as workhorses for those who spend many, many hours in the mountains. As an example, you can see here the HH Odin 9 Worlds Jacket.

To do this, they were developed in tandem with mountain guides or rescue professionals at height, who depend on the products on a daily basis to act and be safe in harsh weather conditions.

This HH Odin 3d Airshell Jacket, in particular, urged the need for the Norwegian volunteer mountain search and rescue team, Norsk Folkehjelp.

Photo: Ida Krestaer

The same as any other mountain patrol groups, mountain rescue requires a lightweight, breathable but incredibly durable jacket that provides protection to withstand many hours of searching under aggressive and unstable mountain conditions. Even more, when your base of operations is in Norway.

That is why an ergonomic design has been developed, which pays special attention to hot and cold spots on the body. Bet on 2-way side ventilation zippers and open mesh panels at the back, to provide maximum airflow around the body.
The range of use in different temperatures is thus significantly extended. Let’s go with the technical details of this HH ODIN 3D ARISHELL JACKET.

Price 380 €. High, like almost the entire HH range. It compensates handsomely if you are going to give it a lot of use, because HH prodcuts have very long lives. For occasional use, other cheaper brands may be a more suitable solution.
Weight 371gr. It seeks to maintain maximum mountain protection, but reducing 100-200gr the weight of its toughest sisters. Meet the challenge.
HELLY TECH Professional fabric of 2.75 layers with 3D back. Polyamide on the outside and polyester on the inside, reinforced with Nylon ripstop. It is a garment of hard work, made to last several seasons giving him cane.
Waterproof 20,000mm. The highest today, practically. Thus it extends its range of use, from the mountain to the valley.
Breathability 15000g/m2 plus additional specific ventilation sides and back. In tandem with the protection above, it extends its use from the peaks to the villages.
DWR C6 and Hydrophilic laminate. Remarkable reinforcement protection against heavy rain. We will have to reapply it every year or so, at least.
Design compatible with/without helmet, backpack and harness. Logical, being designed for search and rescue. It allows you to use the same walking, running, climbing, skiing or pedaling.
Large vertical pockets on the chest: It is appreciated to put / scar things quickly. Including seal skins in cross-country skiing, for example.
Small pocket for mobile / wallet / ski pass on the chest. A simple and very comfortable detail, with internal bellows for carrying.
Self-support pocket That mobile pocket is also where to fold /unfold quickly. It works, but I wish it was a little bigger to fold more comfortably.
Superlative hood: Whether with a helmet or without it, before the blizzard or storm we can adjust it with tanks for closure and leave only eyes and nose exposed. An important advantage when the real bad weather comes..

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HELLY HANSEN ODIN AIRSHELL JACKET.
PERSONAL ASSESSMENT, BY MAYAYO.

Helly Hansen has developed an interesting mountain jacket here, so hard, compact and versatile. This HH Odin 3D Air Shell Jacket, released in 2020 without much noise, consists of a third layer of 2.75L, waterproof and windbreak.

For fabrics, pattern making and finishes, it has performed very well in tours at medium and high pace in the mountains. I would not use it to run a 10k, but it would be a great companion for events such as UTMB or even more alpine, such as the 100k of Canfranc Canfranc or the Ultra Tour of Monte Rosa.

Compared to its sisters from previous series, such as the Odin 9 Worlds or the Infinity Verglass, this 2.75L jacket does not have an internal touch as pleasant as that of the Lifa Infinity membrane. But in return it is between 100-200 grams lighter in addition to bulging much less once folded (see photo below).

In return, compared to the most common jackets in the trainings/races of an ultra trail, that Nylon ripstop, the care of the details (luxury hood, side ventilation) and that solidity brand of the house, promise a very durable and protective garment.
Nothing to do with the durability and protection of a Salomon Bonatti, to put a bestseller of the Spanish trail. A leading garment in its own way, which offers us a similar membrane but with a much weaker “body” thus saving 150gr of weight.

Is it worth paying more and carrying more weight in exchange for more protection and durability? Sure, if you give a lot of cane in the bush. Like all Helly Hansen jackets, they are garments born to last a few years together triscando, climbing, skiing or even going for bread. They are also heavier and more expensive than other options, precisely because of that.

If you only want it as a “demulta remover” or fast and light protection for an ultra punctual, it is not the best option. Garments like the Bonatti or the even lighter Raidlight Ultra MP (Membrane 20-60 and weight 100gr) were born for that and they do it very well.

If wearing it when crossing under the Matterhorn in the Ultra Monte Rosa, or crowning Collarada in the Canfranc is just one of the many days that you plan to take it to the mountain, then it will not be easy for you to find a better solution in quality-price-durability.