Gear Review: Brooks LSD Jacket

An essential article of clothing for every trail runner

Our awesome jackets. And the awesome mountains. The wind was gusting at 30-40mph in this picture- check out my arm!

Within a month of moving to Colorado, I experienced first hand the craziness of mountain weather. In July, I left my house when it was sunny and 70, and by the time I was halfway up North Table Mountain, a storm blasted in, dropping the temps 30 degrees and pelting me with hail. Although the storm was brief, it reminded me that layering is critical out here, as well as leaving the house prepared. Since I didn't own a good lightweight jacket at the time, I started looking around. I remembered that a friend of mine in Michigan used to wear her Brooks LSD jacket on the coldest of our frigid early morning runs, so when I found out the jacket also weighs in at 4.3 ounces (size medium), and packs into its own pocket, I knew this was the one for me.

Jon loves his Brooks LSD jacket as well at 14,000+ feet

The old adage "there is no such thing as bad weather, just poor clothing choices" comes to mind whenever I'm getting ready to head out for a run. The Brooks LSD jacket's lightweight portability gives you something most jackets don't have -- the ability to take it off and stow it away, or to bring it for a run, just in case. With proper layering (something like UnderArmor cold gear), this would even make a great winter jacket, cutting down on the windchill effect while not causing you to overheat. I've worn this jacket in 40mph wind gusts, and wind chill temps in the low 20s, with only a light long sleeve running shirt underneath.

After living here and wearing this jacket for 3 months, I can say that this is the most useful article of clothing I own. Whenever I head out for a run with a storm brewing on the front range, I shove this little jacket into my waist belt, and if the temperature drops or it starts raining I can get it out and put it on without breaking stride.

It packs down so small! In it's own little pocket, too!

My little jacket-pouch inside my Salomon waist belt

On every 14er we've climbed this summer, this was the crucial piece of warm clothing on which I've relied. I often wear a sleeveless tank with shorts or capris, and then when we break treeline I put on my Brooks LSD jacket and stay warm on the summit, even on the windiest days.

I have an additional shirt around my waist, since my jacket is so warm. I'm only wearing a tank top underneath, and it was probably 35 degrees on the summit

This was the coldest hike we've done. Ryan is wearing sweatpants over his running tights. He didn't yet own his jacket, or else he'd be wearing it

Before purchasing this jacket, it's helpful to know that there are no side pockets. The only pocket is the one the jacket packs into. I believe the logic behind this is that if there was more material for pockets, it would no longer be lightweight. Personally, I don't use side pockets while running. I have other ways of carrying my phone, gels, and water that don't jostle as much as they would in a pocket. For my use, the pack-ability and lightweight qualities far outweigh the utility of additional pockets.

The Brooks LSD Jacket is considered water-resistant. I've only worn it in the pouring rain once (when Colorado was flooding) so maybe that weather was a bit extreme, but it only kept water out for about 5 minutes. Despite owning the jacket for over 3 months, I haven't had the opportunity to test it in a light rain. I did not get it to function as a rain jacket, though, because it is almost impossible to have a breathable, yet water proof jacket, since those two qualities are opposites. I choose breathe-ability.

I have also found that due to its superior abilities at stopping the wind, it is quite warm- especially compared to how lightweight the material is. For me, since I heat up really quickly, I don't put it on until the temperature drops below 40, or the wind picks up a lot, because it is just that warm! Ryan can wear it in temps up to 50 degrees, but he is always colder than I am when running in the cold. For reference, when we hiked Bierstadt- everyone else (aside from Ryan and Jon) had on pants and winter jackets, while I was running around in tiny shorts, a tank top, and this jacket.

Everyone else on the mountain thought I was nuts….I was warm!

Hood: The jacket also has a really nice hood that adjusts in the back, so you don't have any strings in your face. The only negative about the entire jacket is that the hood doesn't have a pocket or any way to tuck it away when not in use. Occasionally it will flap around in the wind, but it usually stays in place when just running.

Ryan unwittingly demonstrating the hood of his Brooks Jacket

Sizing: I bought a women's medium (5'6", 110lbs, long legs). I have extremely long arms with a thin frame, and I have only a few running clothes that have sleeves long enough to cover my wrists. The medium actually fits quite well, and is only a little bit baggy, but since the jacket has a waist-cinch, I can adjust it to fit nearly perfectly. On the windiest days, it will occasionally balloon (see the first picture), but I would much rather have it fit over my long sleeve running shirts, and cover my entire torso down to my butt. Until I can find a tailor to make clothes for my freakish body, I've learned how to deal with funky fits.

Ryan (5'10", 135lbs, long torso)  has a men's medium, due to the fact that his torso starts at his ears and ends at his ankles. Happily, it covers his entire torso, and is only slightly baggy. He may have been able to get a small, but I'm still convinced it would've been too short on him.

This snazzy jacket….

…fits into this tiny pouch

And finally, here is the Brooks LSD jacket in use, on an extremely windy day in Rocky Mountain National Park:


Pros:
- Lightweight
- Packs into its own pocket for easy portability
- Great warmth to weight ratio
- Wind resistant
- Great for layering
- It has a hood for additional protection against the elements

Cons:
- The fit is slightly baggy (but this also means it may fit over more clothing in colder weather)
- The hood should either be removable, or have a way to tuck it in
- Probably wouldn't do to well in heavy rain- it is only water resistant

Overall rating: 9.5/10 (If the hood were stow-able, it would be a 10)