Loki Levity

Built in mittens? Built in Balaklava? A Convertible backpack?

Apparently, Loki's Levity is no ordinary jacket. I am highly skeptical of products that tweak the form follows function gospel. Doing one thing well is always job one, but if job two is worth the lattes required to think it up and takes no hair off the back of job number one, well, that's a strong sell. It was impossible to know if this jacket would be more trouble than it's worth (another gospel), but in the end I figured there was only one way to find out.

We'll get to the tricks later, basics first. The unit is slim, handsome and uncluttered to look at. The arms are articulated. No vent zips, no zip storm flaps, a little extra length in the sleeves that you don't even notice. It looks even cleaner than it is because the three vertical, waterproof YKK zips are camouflaged against the black torso panel. Waterproof zips have a stiffer, slightly larger footprint than ordinary zips and are less friendly to the hands going in and out of the pocket. I like a big back pocket on an all purpose parka and while this one isn't, I can still slip a golf disc or a water bottle in easily.

The Levity has a fairly quiet hand, handy for furtive sports or just plain peace and quiet. Made from two-layer, rip-face nylon, the Levity packs down to the size of a JV football. The one they sent me is two-tone mango and black with the shoulders and top of the arms the lighter color. The torso and underside of the wrists/arms are prime areas for dirt and grime to glom and will be less visible on black, a good thing. But the mango shoulder will color up quickly if you're prone to carry dirty skis, shotgun, firewood or such there. There are no plackets or doubling of fabric to protect wear points on the jacket. Loki has gone for clever, quick and light, which is good if the thing holds up. Good news is. the construction and attention-to-detail appear excellent. To date (week three) the jacket has survived frequent bushwhacking, performed daily through the ubiquitous “rough” surrounding our two-mile, thirty hole disc golf course here on the island.

Thanks to the amazing eVENT fabric breathability is extraordinary. After an hour hiking our rocky course, I have virtually no humidity inside the coat (what little there is hugs my lower back where the back pocket limits vapor transmission). On a parka's breathe/shed water scale, I'm breathing. I don't stand around in the rain if I can help it and I hate clammy.

eVENT, unlike most other waterproof, breathable fabrics, does not have a protective membrane on the exterior of the garment to protect the micro-pores from plugging up. Apparently, they circumvent the membrane by applying a micro coating that leaves the wicking pores wide open. And it works; I'm here to tell you. Loki also uses a “deconstructed” nylon that further enhances moisture transmission. Water repellency is rated “excellent” from independent yada yada, although I have yet to confirm for myself. Overall, the garment is lean, stylish, ergonomic, well-made and vents better than cotton. Thems the basics. Now for the fun stuff. Of the three tricks this pony performs, the Loki-Mitt is the most radical. In essence, it's a mitt that's sewn onto the end of the sleeve. It's pretty nifty and is hands down the trickiest of the three in terms of both design and use. There are two options with the Mitt. “Half Mitt” is as simple as the old trick of turtling cold hands up into our cuffs. Quick and easy, it allows for quick deployment of the hands…something the full Mitt still challenges me to do. My hands are quickly comfortable and warm inside, largely because, like the Teddy's we zip our kids into, core heat circulates down through the sleeves. Cuff creep, due to the extra length to the sleeve can be an issue, but I've had zero problems and I'm often using a throw motion with my arm that would exacerbate the condition. The Mitt surface looks durable enough and a call to the company informed me they've never had one returned worn out. The utility of the Mitt is implicit, but what about a graceful integration with the jacket?

The Loki-Mitt tucks inconspicuously away by inverting the Mitt pocket. It does take a bit of practice. Deployment is easier. Hugging the inside of the wrist, the excess sleeve fabric and Mitt itself are surprisingly inconspicuous…as long as you tuck the thumb away so it doesn't wave about like a supernumerary digit. The cuffs themselves are elastic and, while they appear to be well-sewn and are a refreshing change from the latex, neoprene or Velcro tighteners found on most jackets, they will allow some water to run down the arm during activities like fly fishing, kite flying and paddling. While the Mitt concept is an edgy idea that could lose some customers unwilling to explore it, I give Loki kudos for the cajones to take a path less traveled. If the bright design ideas keep up I predict a savvy and supportive customer base.

Loki is a small, Colorado-based company with a gritty, mountain hip persona. They know their customers are users more than posers and sharp enough to know a better mousetrap when they see it.

As for the Balaklava, it's a no-brain winner. A band of stretch micro-fleece that rides inconspicuously in the hood of the jacket, it slips easily over the head to situate around nose and mouth. Simply a solid idea, it has no drawbacks with maybe one small caveat. I had it down around my neck one day when I looked in the mirror. I was shocked; a gray balloon billowed out over my Adam's apple suggesting a frog in heat, or on the make, I forget which it is. There is room for adjusting the Shield and I have no doubt that with more time in front of the mirror I can get it to look more like a cravat than a croak sack.

Now, the last trick this pony knows is the backpack, or N-pac, that it converts into. Up front (and up till now) I have to say that all garments, shells, tarps and such that have a pocket they tuck into, I have disliked. I haven't liked having to do it nor the tight ball of fabric I end up with when I do. I've always like the half skirt technique of wearing my jacket tied around my waist and will stick with that—such were my thoughts as I stuffed the jacket in its back storage pocket the first time. Easily. It seemed to self-feed as I helped it along. And yeah, I could see where the water bottle would ride right in the top. When I finished it was about the size of a cushy airline pillow. I put it on and adjusted the straps. They straps were small and perfectly designed. They work easily with the finger to snug the jacket ball up tight around the shoulders or leave loose, as you wish. Wearing it while tossing discs requires a snug fit and I found that I could throw with no problem. It takes me roughly 45 seconds to take it off and convert, less than 10 to deploy. Loki tells me they're working at making the conversion even easier.

All in all, I am sold on the Levity and have already ditched brand X. I'll use it on sea kayaking expeditions with zero chance of sending it home mid-trip. River trips, hiking, backpacking, upland hunting, disc golf —it's there. To sum up, the Levity's benchmark breathablity is tops, the clean lines and good looks are easy on the eye, and the high standards of workmanship are appealing. The chrome —the Loki-Mitt, Face Shield and N-pac are some very cool icing indeed and bring a final gospel, one we use on sea kayak expeditions, to mind: the more things a piece of gear can do, the more valuable it is! By those criteria the Levity should earn a lofty ticket price, which it does, at $450 MSRP. lokiusa.com