Article by Matt Kolat
Arksen Idun Jacket (£495) & Arksen Polaris Softshell Trousers (£275)
Introduction
If you’ve never heard of Arksen, worry not dear friends as I am here to get you acquainted!
Arksen is a British brand specialising in design and build of marine and overground adventure vehicles. Yes, that is fancy speak for building ships, yachts and super cool jeeps. I mean it does not get much cooler than this unless maybe you’re building spaceships but that’s asking for much, isn’t it.
I feel like my words won’t do Arksen justice and therefore I encourage everyone to have a peek at their stunning website describing all the above mentioned marvels of technology. The site is full of videos with National Geographic level production content, please find a link here
Calling themselves the “Emporium of Adventure” they soon will be curating expert led adventures and master classes as well. And as we all know there is no such thing as bad weather for an adventure, only a bad set of clothes.
Enter Arksen Apparel. To match their groundbreaking, technologically advanced vehicles Arksen decided to enter the gear market and sent me a couple of items to put through the paces in the Scottish Highlands, below are the results.
Arksen Idun Jacket - £495
Features
It goes without saying that in general the designs of Arksen Apparel are very eye-catching and brave. They are not trying to follow the market but rather trying to make the market follow them or at least that’s the impression that I am getting. Let’s have a closer look at some of the features of the Idun jacket.
First let’s have a look at the hood. When I am picking my next hardshell jacket the first thing I look at is the hood. Not only does it protect you from the rain but most of all from the wind. Therefore it is important that it's big enough to fit your head, with a hat, insulated hood and helmet on it. However simultaneously it needs to be sinchable enough to reduce itself tightly around your face to aid trapping of heat.
Safe to say that, as per the previous picture, Arksen ticked all those boxes. The hood has two cables in the front and one in the back to give you full control of its size depending on the scenario.
Idun has two large external pockets positioned quite high on the body which is great as they don’t collide with your backpacks hip belt. The pockets are very big and comfortable, fitting a map holder or a few smaller items, gloves or a hat. The sleeves have branded, rubberised cuff adjusters which not only do their job very well but also look really cool.
The material used throughout the jacket is called C_Change and has been developed by a company called Schoeller Textiles of Switzerland. According to my research it has a 20k/20k waterproof rating.
All the zips are made of YKK Aquaguard preventing water from entering during heavy downpours and very importantly the front zip is two way - top marks for that, especially useful in winter conditions.
Like most hardshells this jacket does not come with a stuff sack but rolling it up into its own hood was a doddle.
Fit
I’ve opted for my usual size Large and the Idun fits me very well. I was able to comfortably wear it as a standalone piece on top of a base layer as well as with a single insulated jacket. I’ve even managed to briefly wear it with two insulated jackets underneath but that felt a little tight.
This jacket is however not intended for extremely low temperatures (below -10C / 14 F) and I was not expecting it to perform with two insulated jackets underneath - no harm done. The only thing I had with regards to the fit that perhaps the body of the jacket could be an inch, inch and a half longer, the sleeves however were the perfect length for me.
Performance, Conclusions and any Comparisons
A little bit unfairly I have tested this jacket in the Scottish winter.
Why unfair? Because this is not a jacket intended specifically for winter conditions. I have tested it on 3 separate hikes here in Scotland. On one occasion it rained but at all three the ‘feels like’ conditions were between -5 and minus -12 degrees Celsius (23-10 F). On all occasions, the jacket performed really well in terms of waterproofness and windproof ness.
I’ve worn it in tandem with synthetic and dawn insulation and both worked as expected. The hood is excellent even in high wind and the massive cuff adjusters were very easy to use even in high winds while wearing mittens.
It’s very refreshing to see that brands are looking elsewhere when it comes to hardshells as in the past I’ve only worn Gore-tex or Pertex jackets, this fabric, the C-Change performed just as well.
The only thing I would recommend, if Arksen makes an Idun 2.0, is to make the body of the jacket slightly longer.
It is of course a luxury item given the price but you get a unique material, great performance and great looks. So if the price is not an objection I would highly recommend the Idun Waterproof jacket if you have an Arksen yacht - it will go very well with it.
Jokes aside it performed very well on some windy and cold hikes - great product I would give it a rating of 9.5/10 only a small reduction for the ever so slightly too short body coverage, but I am splitting hairs here.
Arksen Polaris Softshell Trouse £275
Features
Apart from the lovely hardshell jacket, Arksen sent me a pair of their softshell trousers, which I was very keen to test as normally I wear summer trousers in the winter with long underwear underneath. The Polaris trousers looked warm enough to handle Scottish winter weather solo, without another layer underneath.
Arksen describes the fabric and trousers as follows:
"Polaris is a mountain trouser precisely engineered to enhance adventure. Wind and water repellent, our recycled polyester fibres use advanced cooling technology to regulate temperature and permanently wick moisture away from your skin, making every step on your journey as comfortable as your first. Blended with recycled Lycra® in a relaxed fit with darted knees, "
The Polaris is made of is Coolmax OEKO-tex which I have never heard of, but have since become a fan of. On the outside the OEKO-tex feels smooth and on the inside has texture which feels very cozy and comfortable.
Polaris has two hand warmer pockets, one cargo pocket and one back pocket. They are big enough to store a phone, compass, wallet. I found the cargo pocket very handy, I’ve kept my compass in it and I could grab it without lifting my jacket as is the case with hand warmer pockets on any pair of trousers and not just in Polaris.
The lower legs are fully cinchable making the trousers applicable to different sports, not just hiking or simply for casual wear in the winter. For instance the shape of your hiking boots will not affect the applicability of these trousers because you can cinch the leg down or loosen it depending on the need.
The waist has an integrated belt with a Fidlock.
This is an excellent design choice because not only did I not have to fiddle with a 3rd party belt to get the right fit but also the Fidlock is fully magnetized. It clips into place which makes a big difference if you have to make adjustments while wearing gloves and your dexterity is reduced.
Fit
Polaris fits long, unless you need more space than average in the waist I would suggest sizing down. The fit in the lower leg is very generous however it can be cinched down. This makes me think that Polaris could be a very good option for skiing but I have not tested them in such a scenario.
Waist wise they are about average but because they include the integrated belt you have a large leeway there and when picking the right size I would focus on the length.
Despite the extra length, the trousers sit at the right position, on top of the boot because of the synching - no problems to report as far as the fit is concerned.
Performance, Conclusions, Recommendations
Despite not wearing gaiters I have somehow managed to keep the trousers relatively clean to a point, where I’ve managed to fall into a bog (that’s Scottish for a swamp to my US readers).
Sadly, I have not taken any pictures post the bog incident but it was a great test for one of my personal favourite measures when it comes to hiking trousers - how quickly do they dry? I religiously don’t wear waterproof trousers - for a simple reason - they almost always run too hot for me. If the rain gets really bad I put on a pair of overtrousers. Happy to report that despite their relative heft the Polaris dried very quickly and I did not feel hot in them, which was a mighty relief.
In terms of temperature applicability, I would consider them a winter trouser perhaps applicable to some of the shoulder seasons if temperatures drop. I would wear them standalone for temperatures between 5 and -10C (41F - 14F) and with an extra layer for anything below. I am quite a warm person and felt really at home in the Polaris.
The fit, as I mentioned, is relatively relaxed and I was a bit apprehensive if that would affect me in windy conditions but I am happy to report that it hasn’t.
Also important to note that the relaxed fit allows wearing multiple layers underneath the Polaris which is great news for when the temperatures drop or for people who get cold easily - they will be able to layer up without an issue.
I don’t have any recommendations with regards to any changes, this is a very good and reliable winter piece of kit and super stylish as are all Arksen Apparel items.
Maciej 'Matt' Kolat- 38 years old, hailing from Poland but pounding Scottish pavements and trails on the run and hiking since 2007. Mainly runs shorter distances on pavement 5-10 km and reserves longer runs for beautiful Scottish Glens. Matt’s opinion sometimes may differ from other RTR testers as he is the slowest of the bunch (5k at 25:38). Matt also uses running as a way to stay healthy having shed 100 lbs so far (and counting).
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