UKC

Has anyone used the Jotnar Garm soft shell jacket?

I am considering getting either the Garm or a Gamma MX, but can't seem to find many reviews of the Garm. How does it compare to the MX? From the feature list they seem very similar.

I want it as a winter layer(mid or outer) and maybe for use in the Alps in the summer, although they both seem a little heavy for summer use. Any thoughts?

In reply to echo34:

The Velcro adjustable cuffs of the Garm would be enough to swing it for me, although I understand the fit of the Garm is very baggy so think about sizing down.

In reply to echo34:

MX has been my old workhorse. It works really well for dry'ish scottish conditions and summer Alps (plus ice climbing in Norway or Alps).

But in the Alps, you need to go high and indeed it can be "too" warm during sunny weather rock climbing.

Another contender would be Patagucci Knifeblade or the newer model Kniferidge. I got the Knifeblade to replace my beat up MX and patagucci Mixed guide for winter climbing this year. Thus far, it looks to tick all the boxes I want...

Oh, and BergFreunde has the Knifeblade at a nice discount (provided they still have sizes).


If you're lookin' for something a tad lighter, patagucci Leviation might also be a good contender.

In reply to echo34:

I have a garm, and so far I'm pretty impressed. I'd say the mx was maybe a little thicker and warmer but not by much. The pockets, cuffs and feel of the garm make it a better all round jacket in my opinion. As said above, take a size down from your normal jacket size as they do come up large.
Incidentally, if you're looking for a large, I'll sell you mine?

In reply to HeMa:

Damn that's a good price for the Knifeblade!! I looked at one a year ago but moved on because the cut was too baggy in the chest for my liking, probably on account of my puny frame. I have the new Kniferidge for this season, which is less well featured in the pockets and hood, but a much better fit in the frame and crucially with taped seams. Looking forward to seeing if it is the perfect balance of weather protection and breathability, as no doubt you are with the Knifeblade. At not much more than £100 it's going to make you wince less when you rip that first hole in it!!

In reply to crustypunkuk:


I noticed when looking at the new Jottnar stuff that they say something along those lines on their website about the Garm. Getting sizing right, or at least consistent, seems to be surprisingly difficult for firms - The Wild Country gear I reviewed recently http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=7603 really showed this and WC note they are pretty sure they will have it consistent for next years range which is great. My experience of Jöttnar is that medium fits me well but the Bergelmir is what I would call a big medium whilst the Hymir is slimmer in the trunk and waist area - even if there is plenty of room for big shoulders. So its interesting that the Garm is being noted as being a less "athletic cut". I wonder if they designed it to be more casual (which seems a bit unlikely with Jöttnar) or whether for whatever reason they came from the factory a bit bigger? I wonder if the sleeves are long enough for medium wears to size down to a small for example?

In reply to HeMa:

Bergfreunde, Bergzeit and Exxpozed are the go to sources for most outdoor stuff at the moment.

In reply to TobyA:

I would guess in both cases, it's because the design is done by free lance designers. Jottnar is a small company and Wild Country have only just started on the "soft goods" road so I would imagine neither have in house designers nor the budget to work on set fits and patterns hence inconsistency across garments. As they get bigger/more established I'm sure they'll get better.

In reply to galpinos:



I wouldn't hold my breath for it. While Riisto'Ryx has quite consistent sizing and fitting schemas... they did do the americanization of their sizing a few years back...

And Patagucci has been consistant at not being consistant on their sizing. Even if the model name is the same...

In reply to HeMa:

All companies make errors but Pattagucci medium normally fits fine, as does medium in Arcteryx, and i'm a large in UK/Euro brands.

The bigger brands do try to define slim, regular fit etc, not have two garments essentially the same size but totally different.

In reply to galpinos:


I once had a Loose fit Patagucci in medium that was quite snug and oddly enough the same years Trim/slim fit small... that was way too baggy...

So I've given up. Best to try... I can be anything from small to large between brands and sometimes even within the same brand.

I tried a Knifeblade a couple of years ago, I liked it but found the hood was quite restrictive over a helmet for me, also the springs in the adjusters didn't seem strong enough to hold it in place. That is a very good price for it though.

Do the forearm pockets on the Garm get caught on things when in use? These put me off the Garm slightly, as I don't think I would ever use them. Is the sizing similar to the Hymir?

In reply to echo34:

The Garm is massive. I'm 6ft and pretty slim and it swamps me a bit even in the small size.

In reply to HeMa:

Wow glad I spotted this, that is a good price for the Pata jkt. Just had to order a Kniferidge. Have the Ascentionist Jacket which was a much earlier version and its been amazing for 5 years of climbing (winter/summer/alpine) skiing etc.