The performance of the Heyburn was top notch, but what really sold me on this jacket was its phenomenal fit. At 5’10” and 130 lbs, I have a difficult time finding jackets that fit correctly around my torso and shoulders and are also the right length. Women’s jackets are usually too short and snug around my shoulders when they are the right width, or are far too wide when the right length. I hesitantly ordered the medium, expecting it would be too short for my torso and a little snug in the shoulders. But the medium had a seemingly tailored fit.
First Ascent labels the Heyburn 2.0 jacket as slim fit, “cut closer to the body for a great, active fit with no bunching or binding.” This is very accurate, but was also a bit misleading—I thought layering would be impossible. But First Ascent designs their outwear for “Precision Layering”: the body and sleeve of each successive layer is made slightly longer than the one underneath. This created a wonderful no-bunch fit, whether I was layering with long underwear, a Patagonia fleece, or an Isis down jacket.
My favorite feature of this jacket, though, had to be the hood and the collar. With almost every jacket I have ever worn, I’ve had some serious complications with the hood and my Smith Holt helmet (or any helmet, for that matter). But the Heyburn’s integrated hood not only fit over my helmet easily, it also allowed me to move my head as if I wasn’t even wearing a hood. It is shaped perfectly around the helmet for optimum movement but isn’t too large that it falls down without being completely zipped up.
One big surprise with the Heyburn jacket was the collar. Growing up, I have always been a huge fan of neck/face warmers (or “neckies,” as I always called them). But on a particularly cold and windy day this season, I forgot my face warmer and was skeptical whether the Heyburn 2.0 would keep me warm enough. Fortunately, the collar of this jacket is so tall it completely eliminated the need for a necky. It did a great job of protecting my face from harsh conditions like wind and snow, and the material on the inside of the zipper was also very soft and warm. I’d never been comfortable skiing without a neck warmer until I wore the Heyburn 2.0 jacket.
I was a little disappointed at first with First Ascent’s limited color options for the Heyburn; it is currently available in a bright, reddish-pink color they call Tulip, and also in an off-white. I’ve never been a big pink person, but when I got the jacket I saw that Tulip is the perfect name for the color of this jacket: a beautiful, vibrant and deep reddish-pink resembling the spring flower. Bright blue zippers and Velcro offer a great contrast.
The simplicity of the Heyburn’s construction is one of the reasons I love wearing it so much. This jacket has everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Even the pockets are minimal: two large side pockets, a mesh goggle pocket, and a small protective interior media pocket.
After skiing in the Heyburn this spring, I am completely sold. Not only is the Heyburn 2.0 great on the mountain, its slim-fit and light weight makes it a great jacket to wear around town, too.
The First Ascent Heyburn 2.0 jacket is warm, comfortable, sleek, and fits better than any jacket I’ve worn before. If you’re looking for a shell that is versatile both on and off the mountain, then I would definitely recommend checking out the Heyburn 2.0.