LINK – Ventus Active Hoodie

On a recent adventure to Big Bend National Park, my wife and I were able to get outside and experience several hiking/backpacking trails including the Window, Lone Mountain and the South Rim of the Chisos Basin.  All in all, we hiked around 35 miles in a 3-4 day stretch.  That may not seem like a lot to some, but it was a great way for us to see a part of the park that very few get to see.

On this trip I was able to try out the new Outdoor Vitals Ventus Active Hoodie.  Along with it having the longest name/title of any piece of clothing I’ve ever owned; it also has many different qualities of any piece of clothing (especially outdoor clothing) I have ever owned.  Let me take a minute to go down the description of the Ventus Active Hoodie from the www.outdoorvitals.com website and make some remarks on the claims they have and my experience as to whether or not they are true in my utmost and humble less than expert opinion.

Ventus- named from the Latin origin word for ‘wind’, this lightweight insulated active hoodie vents incredibly well all while maintaining its static insulation properties.

“Ventus” being a Latin word for ‘wind’ is something I’ll have to take their word on.  Latin is not one of my foremost languages which include English and that’s pretty much it (not really great at that one)

“lightweight and insulated” are spot on.  This hoodie is made of material I have never experienced before.  The Ripstop Nylon Fabric is extremely lightweight and packable.  It does not stretch.  There is no elastic in the bottom, so it makes it hard to put on and take off without taking the rest of your clothing off, so you might want to go a size up when you place your order.  Just easier to get it right the first time.  I am on the upper side of a Medium with broad shoulders. Although the medium in the VAH fits perfectly, I almost threw a shoulder out trying to take it off after one of our long hikes (slight exaggeration, but I expect you get the point).

“vents incredibly well” is another experience that I have never had the opportunity to experience.  I have owned other upper echelon pieces of clothing, but none has ever had the venting of this.  No zippers required.  This hoodie has venting under the arm pits that allow cooler air to enter in order to keep your body at the perfect temperature almost the entire time.  The temps were in the 50’s and this was the only clothing I had on top except an undershirt.  The cold air on the armpits was hard to get used to at first as the feeling was kind of as if I was pouring sweat when I wasn’t.  After a short while I enjoyed it and sought the feeling rather than ran from it.

The Ventus Active Hoodie brings a new meaning to “ultralight backpacking”. No longer do you have to sacrifice warmth to get a lower pack weight! This hoodie is something you’ll have with you whether you’re backpacking, biking, traveling, snowshoeing, or during any other part of your active lifestyle!

Utilizing innovative 3DeFX Insulation we were able to create a hoodie that weighs only half of what other traditional insulated hoodies weigh while retaining high warmth value and active body-mapped breathability! Both the 3DeFX insulation and durable Ripstop Nylon fabric of the hoodie stretch with you as you move. This causes tiny coils (much like trampoline springs) to expand- allowing more heat to escape and the hoodie to breathe with you when you need it. When the hoodie fabric and insulation isn’t being stretched with your motion, these coils contract and create an incredible amount of loft and warmth! This means you’ll be able to stay comfortable regardless of your activity levels!

Okay, this paragraph blew me away.  I am not really one that reads descriptions and sure stay the heck away from instructions, but this one caught my attention.  “active body-mapped breathability” is something I have never heard of, but after wearing it, kinda makes sense.  The way they describe this hoodie as it stretches as you move and tiny coils like “trampoline springs” expand and contract truly explain how it moves with you without stretching out.  Stretching out is something I will not put up with and how most of my clothes end up in the trash.  I am not sure what wordsmith came up with this description but their expertise and word knowledge truly hit this proverbial nail on the head. 

Active breathability is further enhanced by targeted & body-mapped placement of insulation and fabrics. The uninsulated underarms are perforated for targeted ventilation in the hottest part of your torso.

Again, the vents under the armpits are new to me, but after a mile or two, I was keen on the cool air entering one of the hottest parts of my anatomy.  “Targeted and body-mapped (there that phrase is again) placement of insulation and fabrics.”  The design of this garment is not taken lightly.  I can’t imagine how many hours and brain power was exuded in creating this.

An unobtrusive insulated hood and lightweight coating on the exterior fabric give the Ventus Active Hoodie the ability to also act as a great wind breaker with amazing temperature control!

The “unobtrusive insulated hood” fits my head better than any hood I’ve ever had.  It wraps around my head and fits perfectly.  The “exterior fabric” breaks the wind and I also watched rain roll off of it as if it was waterproof during a short shower in the woods of northwest Arkansas.

A hidden inner pocket allows you to easily pack up the Ventus for storage in a pack or luggage when you aren’t using it. You can compress this hoodie down to the size of a softball, so between the ultralight weight and amazing packability, you’ll have no problem taking this with you on any adventure. You’ll never be left high and dry without a warm layer again!

A “hidden inner pocket?”  Genius!  You don’t even need a stuff sack as it has it’s own!

Start experiencing the outdoors more light and comfortable now with the newest game-changing insulated hoodie available! No more compromising, stay at a comfortable temperature anywhere and on any type of adventure!

Other Advantages

It is long in the back – The design of the VAH is that it is longer in the back than the front.  One of the things I hate about most outerwear is that it bunches up when you strap on your backpack hip belt.  Since there is no stretch, the VAH is close to your body.  Then you are able to grab and pull it down and it stays down, with no bunching.

Disadvantages

The only disadvantage (and it not really is one) I can find, is that is runs a little small – This is an easy fix as long as you read this review before you order and go up one size.  If you are on the smaller size of a size (figure that one out lol), then you most likely will be fine.  If you want a true to size, snug fitting garment, and don’t want to fight getting it on or off try the full zip version of this hoodie which is the Vario (which I will be reviewing next as it is ON THE WAY!  Yes, I am a repeat customer).