GoLite Badlands Trinity 3-Layer Jacket - Women's

I do lots of winter hiking in the mountains and this jacket is perfect with a couple layers underneath to keep you warm and the wind off on the high summits. The jacket was true to size.

Product Review: GoLite Badlands Trinity 3-Layer Jacket
By Soren McCarty

Badlands Trinity 3-Layer Hardshell Jacket

First Impression: The Golite Badlands Jacket is rugged and waterproof, but is not insulated making it a great shell or rain jacket. The jacket comes with fully taped seams, pit zips and waterproof zippers. The outer material is heavy duty and designed to take a beating, it is made from 100% recycled polyester. Score now this is the kind of polyester I can get behind. The jacket has everything you need to take on the elements and makes and seems like it would be a great ski shell.

Weight: The Badlands Jacket weighs 1 lb 2 oz or 530 g. This is the heaviest of GoLite’s rain jackets, but also the most durable and warmest. I would rather have a little extra weight and be able to take on what nature throws at me than go with the lightweight jacket and not have it go the distance. With all the rain we have been getting this summer, I feel more comfortable carrying around a pound than getting pounded by rain and hail. This jacket goes with me to all the Red Rocks concerts I photograph and it has saved my ass twice this summer, so far!

Construction: The Badlands Trinity Jacket is a three layer hard shell jacket; it uses 100% recycled polyester on the fabric face, giving the jacket a tough rugged feel and extremely waterproof outer shell. The Tier 1 recycled polyester is also breathable and the jacket is rated at 15000 mm waterproof and 10000 breathability. It is also coated with DWR giving at extra layer of waterproofing and the water just rolls off. The Fully Taped seams give you an added sense of security when the rain is coming down, the water proof zippers are bomber and the chest pocket is a great place to store your phone or other valuables during a heavy duty storm. The Hood is well designed and fits over a bike helmet, but isn’t big enough to fit over a ski or snowboard helmet.

Style and Fit: The stylish look is great and the fit is comfortable but very practical. Golite designs all their clothing with purpose that happens to have style. This jacket is designed to keep you warm and dry. I like that the jacket uses recycled materials being environmentally friendly is the fashion style I want to catch on because it is the right thing to do and it makes the jacket withstand the elements longer and stronger. The jacket is long enough to cover your back and butt, without getting in the way of you range of motion. This jacket is great when hiking, biking, backpacking and snowboarding. When I get caught in a rain storm I can fit my GoLite V024 day pack under my jacket and keep my camera and laptop safe, I can also fit my bike messenger bag under as well. I usually have one of these two packs with me depending on where I am going and what I have with me. When the messenger bag is full I cannot zip the jacket but can at least shelter my gear under the jacket when in need.

I just got back from a trip to Patagonia where I climbed a couple of volcanoes using the GoLite Jacket and have pros and cons:
Pros-
Lightweight, great outer-shell
Good price
Nice fit, design is attractive
Cons-
The zipper was finicky
Hood was too small to fit over my helmet

Overall, I'm glad I bought it. Beware of the pants however because they have no pockets or zippers to let you get into under-layers.

I had to return this jacket for a number of reasons. It's cut very small in the arm so you have limited mobility. The hand warmer pockets are too low down so you cannot access them with a hip belt on. The chest pocket is way too small to stow snacks. The neck closure is too tight when wearing layers and doesn't come up high enough to provide adequate storm protection. I did like a couple of features: the berry color and the light weight of the jacket on the whole. With some modifications this does have the potential to be a great jacket!