Review: The 7mesh Northwoods Jacket

The 7mesh Northwoods jacket is one of those outdoor garments that's easy to miss the point of until you’ve owned and used one. Neither waterproof nor heavily insulated, it would be easy to dismiss at first glance but every one of our team who owns one uses it almost constantly with them in use guiding, coaching and riding almost daily. 

Anyone who’s spent any time riding bikes in the outdoors will be all too aware of how much body and perceived temperature fluctuates during a riding day, even when the weather stays consistent. We often go from feeling hot on longer climbs to chilling off on descents, or switch environment from a sheltered forested climb to a windy moor or Munro path. Suddenly the outfit that was working well before is no longer quite appropriate for the situation we find ourselves in now. Add to that unexpected stops for mechanicals or changes in the weather mid ride and it becomes near impossible for any one set of clothing to match all the changes in warmth and exposure we might meet, no matter how good it might be. 

Scotland really personifies that need for a flexible system, with weather that changes almost continuously and hills which are only partly forested, meaning that many rides will contain both sheltered and exposed sections. Previously, taking extra layers to cover for those changes has meant carrying jackets in a pack and that often means choosing to go without additional layers when carrying space is restricted. Inevitably, not having the ability to adjust layering mid ride results in being hot some of the time, chilly at others or being caught out by weather or delay and getting cold enough to cut a ride short. That’s where ultra packable jackets like the Northwoods come in.

The Northwoods is actually a deceptively simple piece of clothing. Built from 100% nylon with a DWR coating, it’s a minimalistic full zipped, hooded jacket that weighs in at just 126 grams. Tougher than you might imagine, the jacket is extremely simple, with elastic cuffs, a single side pocket (which also doubles as a stuff sack) and a couple of small areas of brushed fabric at the chin and hood to keep it comfortable against the skin and nothing else. Very much a dedicated cycling jacket, it’s slightly long in the sleeve and at the rear of the hem to prevent any gaps when in position on the bike. That minimalist design keeps it super small as well as light, with it packing into its own pocket, filling not much more space than a fist when stowed away. 

The ultimate trick it pulls however is that when packed, the outside of the stuff pocket features two elastic siliconised straps that allow the Northwoods to be securely attached to either your frame or top tube. That might sound like a small thing but not needing to take a bag out for a ride in order to have a jacket with you is a true game changer. All of us who own a Northwoods now have it living near permanently on our bikes, so that whenever and wherever we go it is always with us. Light and small enough to completely forget about until we need it, it’s then invaluable when it comes out of the bag.

Packing and stowing is super quick once you’ve done it a few times with the whole process taking easily than a minute, and the stuff sack is generously sized to make packing easy. That ease of use is important as it means that it’s entirely possible to stow and remove the jacket several times within a riding day without disrupting the flow of the ride and it’s not uncommon for us to do exactly that, popping the jacket on and off as needed to remain comfy right through a day. That extra room also makes it possible to fit small items (like sports bars) into the stuff sack with the jacket when it’s packed.  

While it’s very much not a waterproof jacket and won’t see you through a downpour, the Northwoods is fully windproof, providing a barrier layer against blowy weather and adds more warmth than you’d think, especially when layered over a warm but breathable base (like a Spruce jacket, or Chilco vest). The DWR coat on the fabric will handle drizzle, spray from the trail and a light shower, so in all but full wet weather you can think of it as a proper shell garment. The light nylon fabric also means that even when it does get wet, it’s very quick to dry again. The plus side of its non-waterproof nature is that breathability is better than any waterproof jacket can hope to match as there is no barrier layer, with condensation build up kept to an absolute minimum as a result. For a jacket that’s going to be pedalled uphill, that’s a massive benefit as even the best quality waterproofs struggle to breathe quickly enough to keep up with heavy exertion in our climate. 

Overall then, the Northwoods for us has become the jacket we just didn’t know how much we would love. Small, simple and basic in its own way, it’s an incredibly useful garment. We’ve taken them bikepacking, into the hills, enduro racing, on our daily rides and even mountaineering. From windy summer days to blustery autumn and spring conditions, long rides to after work blasts, there is always a use for the Northwoods. Anywhere we go, it comes along for the ride.

Have we got you convinced? We’ve currently got this year's colours on sale so you can add one to your collection at a bargain price and there are a whole range of sizes in our 60 High Street shop to try for size.