Article by Matt Kolat
Inselberg Gauss Jacket - £170
Introduction.
Inselberg is a New Zealand based brand focused on making outdoor clothing that is equally functional as stylish. It strikes me as a brand aimed at younger audiences, only because the majority of their clothes are black/grey/beige. That said however, the owner, Jarlath assures me that once a year they do release clothes in more traditional, more “garish” colours, beloved by New Zealand’s Mountain Rescue and yours truly. My previous experience with Inselberg was very positive, please find Sam’s and mine multi-piece review here:
Fit.
My experience with Inselberg is that they offer two types of fit. I’ve previously reviewed their Infima jacket, which has a spacious fit, very similar to Patagonia. I’ve gotten a size Large and it fits me well but was on the looser end - but this can be beneficial when it comes to layering. The Gauss fits a half size smaller, closer to the way Montane products fit me.
What I liked.
What I liked about the jacket the most are the hand warmer pockets. They are located slightly higher than in a casual jacket which stops them from colliding with the hip belt of your pack.
The jacket is very breathable and water resistant (not water proof), the sleeves are precurved which stops the jacket from riding up. That prevents the jacket from riding up when raising arms, for instance when scrambling.
The fabrics used are very stretchy. I’ve used the Gauss as an outer layer with only a t-shirt on, during milder weather and also as a mid layer, under a hardshell on a windy and rainy hike. I was particularly impressed in the second scenario with how breathable the Gauss was and how easily it wicks my sweat.
What I did not like.
Honestly as usual, Inselberg prepared a top notch product. At a very strong push I could probably say that the jacket is pretty low on features. But given that this is a thin, late spring / summer / early autumn piece of kit one would not expect lots of bells and whistles.
The price of the jacket is on the higher end of the spectrum, at £170 it is firmly at the top of the spectrum in its category, but that’s a subjective matter dependant on individual circumstances.
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Tester Profile
Maciej 'Matt' Kolat- 38 years old, hailing from Poland but pounding Scottish pavements and trails 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).
Europe only: use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all products, even sale products
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