WE Esperance Women’s Waterproof Breathable Rain Jacket

Some hard shells are designed to spend their lives in wardrobes and backpacks, only occasionally thrown on to provide temporary relief from a passing shower. The Esperance (women’s) and Naturaliste (men’s) are the opposite; completely waterproof, highly breathable, and thoughtfully appointed to keep you dry and comfortable day in day out in the wettest conditions. Finishing at the mid-thigh, these garments shed water away from the legs in a way that waist length coats cannot, minimising the need to wear overpants. Unlike other long coats the hem is almost imperceptible on your quads as you are climbing a steep hill, as both the hand-warmer and cargo pockets are centrally located between the chest and hip. This means that the hem of the garment is light, only one layer of fabric, and all pockets are freely and functionally accessible between your sternum strap and hip harness when wearing a backpack. Inside the hand warmer pockets you will find a secured cord lock, providing single handed adjustment of the waist. This allows for perfect, wearer-specific fit across a wide range of waist and bust sizes. All pockets are secured with YKK AquaGuard zippers, as are the generous armpit zips which provide much needed ventilation during high-output situations. Zip pullers are long enough to provide smooth operation with cold fingers or with gloves on. Moving up to the hood, a peak prevents water from running down onto your face, and a cord lock towards the back of the head gives precise adjustment to its position. On either side of the collar you will find cord locks, operable with one hand, which seal the hood around your face (preventing water entry) and cause the hood to hold onto your head, turning with your head as you move, guaranteeing excellent vision and freedom of movement whilst also resisting the entry of wind driven rain. For the fabric we have developed our new Storm Defence PRO, a supple 3-layer fabric which uses a Bi-Laminate ePTFE membrane sandwiched between a 50d polyester face fabric and a 20d nylon 66 tricot mesh backing. The choice of polyester on the outside of the garment is very deliberate, as polyester absorbs little water (regardless of DWR condition), keeping the face fabric drier and the garment lighter. The ePTFE membrane has excellent moisture vapour transmission (ReT 3.54), a level of performance normally only seen on garments that command ultra-premium price points. The nylon tricot mesh backing keeps the membrane off the body, providing a level of comfort against bare skin (when wearing a tee shirt base layer) that “clammy” feeling 2-Layer laminations cannot. Garment weight is perfectly balanced between being as light as possible and maintaining the long service life expected from Wilderness Equipment. There is no weight compromise in choosing an Esperance or Naturaliste over a waist length lightweight hard shell, and for those who spend their professional and recreational lives outside, the cut, features and performance speak for themselves.

Features:
Fully seam sealed waterproof
Three-axis adjustable hood gives wide range of vision, and moves with head movement
Excellent shoulder room and free reach
Two hand warmer pockets, and two cargo stash pockets, centrally located
Adjustable wrist cuffs and adjustable waist
Long armpit zips for ventilation
Reflective logo on chest, sleeve, and back of righthand shoulder
3-Layer Tricot fabric does not feel clammy against bare skin