REVIEW: The Rab Shadow Hoodie

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 UKC Gear 09 Apr 2010
[Sarah Stirling Rab Shadow Millstone 2, 3 kb]Fleeces ... they're worn by what Billy Connolly calls 'beige people', aren't they? says UKClimbing Assistant Editor Sarah Stirling. Rab modestly call the Shadow an 'extremely versatile stretch fleece'. When I pulled it out of the bag and climbed in it the other weekend, one of my friends had a much more vivid description: “Wow I need a Ninja layer like that!”


...the weather swung to bipolar extremes of whiteout and dazzling sunshine on the Haute Route, we were working hard, rarely stopping unless to put on or strip off ski skins, and it proved absolutely ideal for these conditions...


Rab designer Helen Robinson told me: "It's fleece for the next generation!"

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=2652

 Alex Thompson 09 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Gear: Isn't it just a redesign of the brilliant RAB Phantom?
 Sarah Stirling 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Alex Thompson: Yes, I think so, although I don't think the Phantom had a women's version. The Shadow is more of a shaped design than the Phantom.
 Sarah Stirling 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Alex Thompson: Awesome jacket. Raised my eyebrows at £120 pricetag of this sort of fleece before, but definitely worth it. High cost is because the Wind Pro hard face fabric is really expensive.
 Paul Crusher R 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Sarah Stirling -Assistant Editor: I think £120 is stupid amount for basically a fleece with a hood. I bought a quencua soft shell hoody for £60 and it'll easy out perform this. Bit of a rip off to me.
 beardy mike 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R:
> and it'll easy out perform this. Bit of a rip off to me.

Cracking. And you're basing that on what precisely? Knowledge of both products having owned both and tested them extensively and comparatively? Oh no hang on a second, what's that I hear you say? You've never even touched the Rab product?
 Paul Crusher R 09 Apr 2010
In reply to mike kann: Is that a touchy nerve there? Its £120 for a windproof fleece with a hood. Im basing my argument on that.
 beardy mike 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R: No not really - just am continually mystified by people making comparative judgements on the performance of two products, one of which they've never held, let alone used. How the hell can you even begin to back up what you just stated? You can't - it's an entirely made up statement.
 Michael Ryan 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R:
> (In reply to mike kann) Is that a touchy nerve there?

I very much doubt it Paul.

If you come out with some dumbass statement that doesn't make sense you can only expect someone with more than two brain cells to point out how stupid the statement was.

Best regards,

Mick
 Paul Crusher R 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com: Good flippin god. Yes thanks Mick. Sorry ill remember to use my 2 brain cells next time. Oh im such a dumb ass i know, but at least im a dumb ass with manners.

For such a dumb ass, ill be sure to spend my dumb ass money in a dumb ass way on my dumb ass £60 jacket, because im just to dumb to realise I can get a magic one for twice the price that'll do so much more?



 fimm 09 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Gear:

You've got the sentence "If you imagine a continuum from hard shells down through soft shells to fleeces, this jacket basically sits on the fence between soft shell and fleece" in there twice.
 beardy mike 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R: Paul, you stated that your 60 quid jacket will out perform RAB's Shadow Hoodie. Can you back up that statement? No. Hence it was a stupid comment to make. If you said "crikey - 120 quid for a windproof hoody - I got mine from Quecha for 60 and I'm really impressed with it's performance. Is the extra 60 quid really worth it?" that would not have been a dumbass statement, it would not have been making a judgement on a product about which you know absolutely nothing about. Is that so hard to understand?
 Paul Crusher R 09 Apr 2010
In reply to mike kann: It is simple matter mike of making a judgement, a judgement that is based on fairly simple parameters, its a jumper not a flippin space ship. So i think with my 2 brain cells i can make a fairly sound judgement by looking at the thing. Its either going to keep you warm, keep the wind off you, keep you dry or combination of all 3, and at the same time fit you. And, my gripe (although not altogether a not at sleep loss level) is that people in the outdoors are continually feed this shizzle and have been since the day dot, then you occassionally stumble into manufactures like quencua who just get on with, produce decent kit for decent prices and dont try to pull the proverbial wool over your eyes.
I dont quite know why ive even started this, but i guess i need to justify my entirely made up statement.
 Paul Crusher R 09 Apr 2010
In reply to mike kann: In my opinion mike, i can easily state that my 60 quid jacket ul outperform the rab because ive used mine extensively and know what it does, and by using description of the rab and by looking at thing it is flippin obvious!
 Michael Ryan 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R:
> (In reply to mike kann) In my opinion mike, i can easily state that my 60 quid jacket ul outperform the rab because ive used mine extensively and know what it does, and by using description of the rab and by looking at thing it is flippin obvious!

Keep on digging Paul.

Read Mike's post. It makes sense.
 beardy mike 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R: Look, I know as well as you do that there is a lot of marketing speil that goes with outdoor products - no more than any other product I'd say - I mean look at washing powder or toothpaste - there's no real evidence to show that one is better than the other. However in this case you have made a pretty cut and dried statement, which you can't even back up because you have never used the product in question. I get that your Quechua top is great I also get that the RAB top is great, so why not rather than just dismissing the RAB as crap (lower performance than a 60quid jacket) add something to the debate and explain why you think the RAB is a rip off - at least it would be vaguely productive. Has the Quechua top got the same features, the same fabric, a good cut, is it comfortable to wear etc. At least then you could justify your stance...
 Paul Crusher R 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Tall Clare: It is clare and thats why i hate this place, its the first time ive commented on anything in months and immediately im on the ropes blocking punches from all. but im sticking by my guns on my bashed out post, cause i bet my guns are bigger than yours mike.
 beardy mike 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R:
> by looking at thing it is flippin obvious!

No it's not because you haven't stated the model of the Hoody you're talking about. How about a link?
 beardy mike 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R:
> cause i bet my guns are bigger than yours mike.

Oh FFS. <Wanders off in direction of the pub>
 Paul Crusher R 09 Apr 2010
In reply to mike kann: how we doing 175 over 100? laters.
 beardy mike 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R: http://www.quechua.com/EN/-bionnassay-22599511/

Here you go - is this the one you are talking about?
 Paul Crusher R 09 Apr 2010
In reply to mike kann: I shall endevour next time to fully research, provide evidence and back up with field tests before i express my opinion again that the quechua jacket that you have felt fit to display above is actually better and half is the price of the rab jacket.
 beardy mike 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R: Good o. So it is? Cracking. And how would you rates its breathability, it's fit, pocket placement, hood design, fabric longevity etc... it looks like a nice piece of kit.
 Michael Ryan 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R:
> (In reply to mike kann) I shall endevour next time to fully research, provide evidence and back up with field tests before i express my opinion

Nooooo Paul. Where's the fun in that?

Have a good one.
 Paul Crusher R 09 Apr 2010
In reply to mike kann: "And how would you rates its breathability, it's fit, pocket placement, hood design, fabric longevity etc.." better than the rabs.
 beardy mike 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R: No come on, play nicely. Be objective.
 Paul Crusher R 09 Apr 2010
In reply to mike kann: if your being serious mate. Pockets a bit higher and adjustable hood volume. Thats it. Fitted me like a glove, never sweaty, really wind tight, And its bomb proof. Worth every penny.
 beardy mike 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R: I was. Job done...
 Paul Crusher R 09 Apr 2010
In reply to mike kann: mmm
 TobyA 09 Apr 2010
In reply to Paul R: Paul - I've been wearing a Shadow hoody all week here in the Norwegian Arctic, ski mountaineering and ice climbing. I think it's very good, and because of the wind resistance its more than just a 'fleece with a hood'. Your Quechua one might be better value for money (Decathlon tends to always win on that stake although you can argue all they do is copy successful branded models with non-brand materials), but the RAB one is far from crap.
 Alex Thompson 12 Apr 2010
In reply to Sarah Stirling-Assistant Editor:
Got given mine as a present and it was bought at trade price.
 nufkin 12 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Gear:

Seems to me that everything costs what it does for a reason, and if you think that reason is good then it's worth paying, whatever it is. I'm sure the people at Rab aren't chuckling with glee as they slap a massive price on their new stuff, nor does it seem likely that the people at Quencha are going without food just so they can ensure their new stuff is cheaper. With the exception of Arcteryx's veilance nonsense (and even there maybe it really is so difficult to make a windproof blazer that they need to charge £1000...), companies - outdoor pursuits companies, I mean - charge what they do because it costs X amount to make Y.
It doesn't always follow that more expensive is 'better', but it suggests that more is involved in production, be it in design, materials, production quality etc.
 Sarah Stirling 12 Apr 2010
In reply to Alex Thompson: So you got the Rab at the price of the Quechua. Perfect!
 Sarah Stirling 12 Apr 2010
In reply to nufkin: Yes, that's true. Arc'teryx reckon they pay a perfectionist amount of detail to their gear, eg. they have a higher stitch count than any other brand and 'search the world for the best face fabrics'. They say you can expect 80 days wear from a jacket they make without seeing any wear on it, whereas with other brands you'd get 30 or 40. They say you'd then get at least 200 days of usage out of it before you needed a new one. Whether you need to spend the money to get the perfectionist attention to detail is personal preference!

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...