Brooks-Range Mojave Down Jacket Review
First Impressions
Brooks-Range is a small company based in Fremont, California, not far from the epicenter of Silicon Valley and GearGuide HQ. The company tends to focus on gear for mountaineering and backcountry pursuits, and the Mojave Jacket represents one such product. Out of the box, the Mojave looks the part with great loft, lightweight fabrics and technical features.
Features
Brooks-Range uses 800+ fill-power DownTek down in the Mojave. Approximately nine ounces to into the just-under-one-pound total weight jacket giving it plenty of loft. DownTek down made by a Cincinnati-based company – Down Décor – that created a proprietary coating technology that makes its product water resistant, and provides anti-microbial and anti-bacterial protection. This promises to help the product stand up to more adverse conditions and improve durability.
Besides the DownTek down, Brooks-Range uses a Pertex Quantum nylon for the jacket’s exterior and adds several nice features not available on other hydrophobic down jackets.
Specs
Fabric: Pertex Quantum nylon
Insulation: DownTek down
Weight: 15.5 oz
One such feature is the built-in hood on the Mojave which comes in handy on cold, rainy and snowy days. It’s not large enough to be truly helmet compatible but it’s a welcome feature nonetheless. The cuffs also feature hook and look closures to make the fit just right.
The Mojave has only three pockets, two handwarmers (nicely lined with fleece) and one interior zippered compartment. There is no goggle pocket.
Fit
The classic two questions. First, how does it literally fit? And second, was it fit for the task and live up to the marketing?
On the first item, Brooks-Range builds the Mojave to act primarily as an outer layer. It’s bulky and is cut to fall slightly below the hip. A medium handled my size 40 frame well with plenty of room for a base and mid layer. Sleeve length was also good, and the hook and loop closures allowed me to adjust the cuffs perfectly.
As for fitness for task, the Mojave performed very well. In our lab test, we found no penetration of water into or through the jacket. In the real world rainstorm test, the Mojave got one heck of a drenching in a recent Northern California rainstorm, and didn’t miss a beat. The exterior durable water repellent and DownTek combination was nearly flawless. Although we had a little seepage at the seams after 10 minutes of exposure, nothing penetrated into the interior of the jacket and drying time was impressively quick.
Final Verdict
The Brooks-Range Mojave Jacket is one impressive product. Its combination of wet weather performance and unique features set it apart from the competition. The Mojave is more of an outer layer than mid, so keep that in mind when making your ultimate purchase. If you need something more sweater-like then you’ll need to look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a jacket that can stand up to harsh conditions, then the Brooks-Range Mojave deserves serious consideration.
The Brooks-Range Mojave is available at CampSaver.com.
