{"id":12981,"date":"2017-06-04T01:00:16","date_gmt":"2017-06-04T08:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=12981"},"modified":"2022-01-05T13:25:24","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T21:25:24","slug":"ghost-gear-bag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2017\/06\/04\/ghost-gear-bag\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ghost in Your Gear Bag"},"content":{"rendered":"

My wife and I had planned a self-supported, 50-mile standup paddleboard trip on the Congaree River in South Carolina. I wanted a versatile, lightweight wind shell for the mid-April adventure, figuring it might be cool in the mornings or that a cold front might push through and kick up some wind. So, I got us each the NRS Phantom Jacket. Of course, we ended up with intense sun one day and even more intense thunderstorms the next two days. Chrissy employed hers to cut the breeze when it wasn\u2019t raining and as an extra layer under her rain jacket when the skies unleashed. I had packed a rain jacket and an H2Core Lightweight Hoodie<\/a> so the Phantom stayed in my dry bag, unobtrusive and insignificant, the entirety of the trip.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s how it works when you pack for a trip before you have a precise forecast. You almost always end up with an item or two that you just don\u2019t wear. When that item weighs less than eight ounces, sheds light rain, breathes when things get aerobic, and offers UPF 50 sun protection, it\u2019s easy to toss into your bag whether you use it or not.<\/p>\n

While I didn\u2019t end up using the Phantom for my intended purpose, since returning back to the schizophrenic spring we\u2019ve had in Montana, I\u2019ve worn it for just about everything else I\u2019ve done outside: early (for Montana) spring paddles, post-work bike rides to the brewery, blustery trail runs, and a drizzly 13-mile bike shuttle.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to claim that the Phantom is ultralight. Similar offerings from Patagonia, Rab and others weigh a few ounces less. But we\u2019re talking about a few ounces here, and in paddling, that\u2019s practically nothing\u2014even for self-supported distance paddling. The Phantom comes with what you\u2019d expect from a lightweight wind shell: a simple hood, DWR-treated Supplex Nylon fabric, an elastic drawcord at the hem, and reflective logos on the arms and shoulder.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It also has some paddling-specific features that set it apart from the most minimalist jackets out there. Most noticeably, the H2Core Silkweight fabric on the underarms and side panels allow impressive stretch, making arm and shoulder movements efficient and easy, key if you\u2019re paddling a long day. Combined with a vent that stretches across the entire back of the jacket, the panels make the Phantom remarkably breathable. On a run in blustery, sub 50-degree weather, it took me a few miles to overheat. Taking the jacket off didn\u2019t cool me down substantially, but I barely noticed it tied around my waste.<\/p>\n

The simple hood is comfortable and fits under a helmet or a visor to add either rain or sun protection when needed; although, \u201crain\u201d may be a bit of an over-statement. If it were raining in any real way for more than 15 or 20 minutes, the Phantom wouldn\u2019t keep you dry. But on the aforementioned bike shuttle, I stayed remarkably dry during a full 45 minutes of drizzle, mist and more drizzle. That dryness extended to the microclimate inside the jacket as well\u2014despite riding a mountain bike along a gravel trail, I didn\u2019t overheat and soak myself from the inside out, testament to the Phantom\u2019s breathability. Comfortable thumb loops extend sun and wind protection to hands and wrists without adding too much bulk at the cuff.<\/p>\n