OMM Kamleika Smock

A few days ago Katy left a comment to ask what I thought of my OMM Kamleika jacket, which happens to be the only waterproof jacket that I have with me, thanks to something of an aberration when we left home for this trip.

First off, I should clarify that it’s not the jacket that I have (even if I call it a jacket) it’s the smock, and I bought it with two purposes in mind. Firstly, because, as much as I love my Paramo jackets, I don’t trust them to keep me dry in the wettest of weather, so, on backpacking trips, I like to carry something very light and waterproof as a back up. Secondly, I was after something very light to take on our PCT jaunt, where it was unlikely to rain more than a few times (as it went, we didn’t even see a rain cloud in our five weeks, never mind get rained on).

It’s not a highly featured jacket. It’s got a narrow cut, a hood that isn’t quite long enough for my long neck, a very deep two-way front zip and one chest pocket. The cuffs are elasticated, without any adjusters, but they do have thumb loops.

And how have I found it? Well, it’s very light (225g for my size small), which is my main requirement as I have carried it much more than I have worn it.

Being made out of a soft, stretchy material (not a hint of crisp-packetness about it) it’s as comfortable to wear as a sweater, but I can’t say much about its waterproof or breathability qualities because I’ve only worn it in the rain a couple of times (one of which was monsoonal) and I would be surprised indeed if a waterproof jacket didn’t keep my dry on the first few times it got wet.

The real test will be that of durability and it’s going to be a while until I can comment on that.

So, sorry Katy, not much of a review I’m afraid!