When new gear arrives in the mail I feel like a kid at Christmas. I tear open the packages with reckless abandon and immediately want to play with my new “toys”. The product I was most excited about is inov-8’s Race Elite 220 Thermoshell.
With plenty of cold weather still in the forecast it was perfect timing. I picked a sunny, 27 degree day to take the Thermoshell, my Mudclaw 265’s, and the Race Pro 4 Extreme out for 16 miles on the trails of Mohonk Preserve.

The Details
The main highlight of this jacket is its versatility. A quality reversible jacket is a must when you’re running in the mountains and experiencing varying conditions from start to finish and top to bottom. The reversible options of this jacket are not only about the sweet colors. Reversing the jacket with the Pertex Quantum on the outside provides 10% more warmth. I’m all about more warmth! I started my run with this option – working my way up the mountain.

Reverse option for 10% more warmth

About halfway up the mountain I was working up a sweat and it was quick and easy to shed the jacket and pull it on in reverse. Now I also had the external chest pocket to stash my chia bites for easy access 🙂

The outer and inner layers are constructed with 100% nylon ripstop and the jacket has a polyester fill. The Primaloft is zoned at 40g/m2 through the body and 25g/m2 through the arms and collar. The Pertex Quantum ultralight fabric offers high levels of both windproofing and breathability. They also utilize body-mapped stitching for regulating body temperature.

My Favorite Features
Beyond the options (we all love options) and the jacket being both visually appealing and comfortable enough to sleep in, there are a few more features I would like to highlight:

• Athletic female fit – a contoured fit is a must for performance
• Monkey Paws – I’m always a fan of these thumb loops that allow you to
  stretch the sleeve cuffs to cover your wrist and palm. Keeps your sleeves in
  place and adds extra warmth!
• Weight – not only is the jacket super lightweight (7.5 oz), but it comes with a stuff sack for easy packing
  

  Stuffs into a sack smaller than my kitten!

I’m glad to have this latest jacket in my collection. It serves as a functional jacket before, during, and after runs. And with the winter/spring we’ve been having I’m sure I’ll still get plenty of use out of it before the warm weather arrives!

Skytop Tower at Mohonk

Happy Training!! 🙂