Packability
Strafe emphasizes the small size and light weight of the Scout, and for good reason. At 173 grams, it’s very light, and the chest pocket serves as a stuff sack with its second inside zipper pull. Packed into its chest pocket, the Scout takes up a very small amount of room in my pack:
However, I usually opt to just stuff the coat into whatever tiny space is left after I load my pack.
Because it’s so small and light, I’ve found myself bringing the Scout along on a lot of trips as a “just in case” piece, and I don’t find myself asking the age-old question, Is it worth bringing a raincoat? It seems almost inexcusable not to.
In the past I’ve usually opted to go without and just roll the dice on the weather. But the Scout stuffs so small that I can easily bring it in my fanny pack for bike rides or trail runs, and I can even fit it into a bike seat bag if necessary. On bigger trips where weight and space are at a premium, I can always find somewhere to stuff the Scout without having to worry about it taking the place of something more important.
Performance
So far, I’ve brought the Scout on spring ski trips, hikes, trail runs, and road and mountain bike rides. It’s seen action in everything from a light drizzle, to pouring rain, to a full-on waterfall.
I’ve found that the slim fit combined with the stretch material makes it very comfortable, even during high output excursions. It’s not the most breathable shell out there (none of the jackets in this category are), but it does breathe well for a rain coat.
While things sometimes do get swampy when it’s warm and I’m sweating a lot in the Scout, it feels less clammy than a lot of other shells I’ve used. The lining is soft, and not as stiff and plastic-y as some of the Gore and NeoShell pieces I’ve used, which is a big plus since I’m usually wearing it over just a short sleeve base layer.
So far I haven’t had any trouble with the Scout wetting out, either. At 20k it’s not as waterproof as, say, a Gore Pro shell, but it’s much lighter, and I haven’t had any unwanted moisture make its way in. I’ll be interested to see how long the waterproofing survives my continuous stuffing and unpacking, but so far, so good.
Bottom Line
Strafe’s Scout jacket has indeed become the one piece of outerwear that’s living in my pack no matter where I’m going. It’s so light and packable that there are few compelling reasons to leave it at home, and when the weather goes bad, it performs very well, keeping the rain out while still breathing well enough to keep you from soaking from the inside out.
The slim fit and stretch fabric mean it’s well-suited to a wide variety of activities, and I’m excited to keep bringing it along on hiking, backpacking, biking, and trail running missions.