THERE was a time when almost every fisho owned a bright and baggy Columbia shirt for fishing.
While over the past few years the brand has somewhat shifted its focus away from fishing, the new Omni-Heat Reflective range of jackets should again attract the attention of fishos and boaties, especially in cold weather.
I’ve been regularly wearing this jacket for a couple of months while fishing and boating in some cold and wet conditions.
So what makes it different from other jackets? It’s a simple idea and I’m surprised it hasn’t been done before. Omni-Heat is the reflective silver lining fabric inside the jacket that maximises the heat from your body to generate warmth. It works in a similar way to a space blanket, the type used in emergency rescues.
While all cold weather jackets and sleeping bags use your own body heat to keep you warm, Columbia’s Omni-Heat reflective fabric takes it a step further and really warms you up fast.
But there’s more to a jacket than warmth. Breath-ability and water repelling are important factors. Columbia’s Omni-Tech fabric is very water tight; I’ve remained dry in prolonged heavy downpours. It features sealed zippers and a hood for keeping water from running from your back. It’s great on my open boat in rough water when spray is unavoidable.
It’s also breathable. A jacket that doesn’t breathe will make you sweat and create a layer of cold inside your jacket. While I haven’t used this jacket for long walks and heavy exercise, for fishing and boating, it remains breathable and stays toasty warm inside.
The jacket has proven breathable, watertight, warm and wind proof while fishing this winter. That’s a tick in all the right boxes for a jacket with a mid-range price tag of around $200.
Check it out at www.columbia.com and keep an eye out for some innovative warm weather apparel from the company this Summer.
