Gear Review: Sherpa Imja Jacket

The Sherpa Imja falls into a category of jackets that I've generally scoffed at, until now. Without any enormous insulating or weather-resisting qualities, I've always shied away from lightweight windbreaker softshell-type jackets. The Imja has changed my mind. Native Patagonians are quick to tell you that you are likely to experience a vast combination of weather in a single day when traveling the region. From bright sun, torrential rain, gale-force winds and sudden snow, you must always be prepared for whatever the day might bring. To sum up this whole review in a sentence, in 4 days of backpacking, I wore the Imja for 72 hours without ever taking it off. At 4.9 oz, the Imja is ultralight by any standard and can be packed down to roughly the size of a fist. The sides and underarms sport porous mesh paneling for increased breathability, which I've come to greatly appreciate. The jacket is made of thing, incredibly stretchy material that vents well even when moving quickly with a heavy pack. The jacket does a decent job of deflecting the various forms of precipitation that are the norm in this region and excels when it comes to breaking the wind. I find myself layering the Imja over whatever insulation I'm wearing to effectively cut harsh winds. Like the Jannu pant and older versions of the Lithang jacket, the Imja sports a delightful alpine cut. A slender torso runs long, covering all other layers, and the thumb loops in the sleeves keep your hands warm without hindering any climbing movements that you'd like to do. The jacket has two large zippered pockets (perfect for carrying groceries from Chile's plastic-free grocery stores!) and a third pocket designed for a phone or music player is located on the upper left side. I really like the elastic-enforced hood, which sits securely over others, or nicely under a climbing helmet. I've worn this jacket basically every day for the last three weeks and been very impressed. I've worn it scrambling, backpacking, around town, and climbing and have yet to find something it isn't suited for. The bottom line: The Imja is an incredibly versatile jacket that's become a daily driver for me--it excels when it comes to breaking the wind.