66 North Hornstrandir Review
The 66 North Horstrandir is a seriously hard hitter. Three variations of Gore Tex Pro make this shell one of the best out there and thanks to an excellent cut and use of Gore Tex Stretch, we’d be happy to wear this shell for days on end in the mountains.
A brand that started making clothing for Icelandic fishermen nearly 100 years ago might not be the first place to look for a rugged and utterly dependable shell, but 66 North have been producing some of the best outdoor kit money can buy in recent years which isn’t surprising really, given the frankly brutal Icelandic climate. Living on the fringes of the Arctic Circle means kit must be functional and have bulletproof reliability and performance otherwise you’ll be wet and cold in no time at all.
The Hornstrandir is the Icelandic marques top of the line shell, so we took it to some very wet parts of the UK to see how it stacked up in a category already rammed with exceptional offerings from the likes of Klattermusen, Arc’Teryx and RAB.
5/5
£560 | Buy from 66 North
Positives
Excellent Fit
Mighty waterproof and very breathable
Use of different Gore Tex materials tailored to application
Offered ample protection without reducing articulation
Negatives
Rucksack straps cover pockets
Many won’t need to weather protection on offer
The Lowdown
Sizes S-3XL
Available in four colours
Uses Gore Tex Pro, Most Rugged and Stretch
Oversized pockets
Weatherproof zips
Adjustable hood
Extended cuffs
If you’re up to speed on your Icelandic geography but we’ll forgive you if you arent, you’ll know the Hornstrandir region of Iceland is considered to be one of Europe’s last great wildernesses. Located in the Westfjords, the 589 sq km region is completely uninhabited aside from a handful of arctic foxes. It seems then, an ideal place to name your most rugged waterproof shell after.
A handful of brands are opting to develop their own waterproof membranes these days; Columbia have their OutDry technology and Klattermusen with their Cutan membrane are just a handful that we’ve tested but, in our eyes, nothing can complete with Gore Tex.
66 North have opted to use the top tier Gore Tex Pro extensively throughout the Hornstrandir to keep you protected from the elements. The three-layer material uses layers of expended PTFE bonded to an ultra-durable face fabric and gridded micro backer to produce a fabric that has unparalleled waterproofing, breathability, and durability properties.
Our main gripe with Gore Tex Pro is that historically, it didn’t stretch, meaning the cut has to be slightly more generous to allow for movement. Thanks to Gore Tex’s innovation, they’ve developed a stretchy version of the fabric, it doesn’t have quite the same overkill waterproof properties as Gore Tex Pro and does sacrifice some performance in favour of being a little stretchy.
66 North Have used Gore Tex Stretch on the under arm panel and on the sides of the torso and have employed the Most Rugged guise of the Pro material elsewhere on the shell. On the shoulders and elbows is an even more hardwearing fabric which will be able to withstand the abrasion from a rucksack.
As you might expect, Most Rugged is Gore Tex’s toughest material, with increased durability and waterproofing; it feels markedly thicker in comparison to traditional Gore Tex and could shrug off pretty much anything from driving rain and snow to abrasive rock that might catch the shell when scrambling.
What does this combo of Gore Tex actually mean when wearing the Hornstrandir? Shrug the jacket on and the first thing you’ll notice is just how it feels; the burly material feels like it could protect you in the foulest of weathers for days and weeks on end. Our XL sample weighed just shy of 600 grams so it’s not feather weight but on par with other shells of this category. This is a shell for those days when the rain is pounding non stop and you require as much protection from the elements as possible; 66 North quote a hydrostatic head of 28 000mm which is one of the highest ratings we’ve seen.
We’ve always been impressed with the breathability of Gore Tex Pro and here is no different; we remained comfortable throughout testing which included summiting munros, scrambling across ridgelines and more mundane dog walking duties.
66 North were clearly confident in the breathability of the Hornstrandir as there are no pit zips on this shell which has both positives and negatives. On the downside, it’s harder to dump excess heat quickly but get your layering right and this becomes less of an issue. On the positive side, no pit zips mean reduced chance of water ingress around the seams as well as improvised articulation as the fabric can stretch and move without being impeded by rigid zipper. We loved the enhanced freedom of movement, especially when reaching for holds above our head as the under-arm potion could stretch without the jacket lifting up.
We found the fit of the Hornstrandir to be spot on, this reviewer normally wears and XL in shells and the Hornstrandir was spot on; we’ve worn other shells that didn’t use Gore Tex Stretch and have often felt swamped with an overly generous cut but the use of different types of Gore Tex have really helped slim the excess material down.
The overall length is on the shorter side but 66 North say this is to make sure the jacket doesn’t interfere with a climbing harness. On the flip side, the sleeves are of a generous length so there’s no gap between your gloved hand and cuff when reaching above your head. The top of the cuff is slightly extended too to provide more protection to your hands without having unduly long sleeves.
Pockets are well catered for too, a pair of hand warmer pockets in the traditional location and a pair of chest pockets on erm…your chest. We found the hand warmer pockets were covered by the lumbar straps on our rucksack which rendered them unusable which is a shame as they’re large, extending vertically behind the chest pockets. We could fit a folded OS map in so it’s shame they’re covered.
All the pocket seams are taped with chunky metal zipper pulls which made opening them much easier with thick gloves on.
The hood has plenty of adjustability thanks to several elastic cords and tensioners that are hidden in the collar. A stiffened peak did well to deflect the driving rain we encountered when testing so full marks to that.
Our jacket was in the eye catching Isafold Blue, there’s the classic outdoor jacket colour of bright orange, as well as a grey and black. The Hornstrandir is available in both mens and womens cuts.
For a number of years now, our go to shell for foul conditions and big mountain days has been the Arc’Teryx Beta AR, its performance and fit was the best out there, until the Hornstrandir arrived on the scene.
The use of different materials across the jacket make a huge difference to its fit and feel. Both the Beta AR and Hornstrandir are some of the best rugged shells on the market and do an exceptional job of keeping the weather out. The Beta AR feels impenetrable at the expense of articulation and freedom of movement, we felt we could move quickly and effortlessly across technical terrain without feeling restricted by our equipment when wearing the Hornstrandir.
Having sung its praises, we should mention the price; £595 is a huge amount to spend on a jacket and many will baulk at the cost. However those looking for a shell to accompany them on epic adventures the mountains, whether it be climbing, skiing or mountaineering the Hornstrandir could be the pick of the bunch. It’s important to remember the Hornstarndir is using premium materials and feels like it’ll last a lifetime with proper care.
66 North will also repair your jacket for for life should you come a cropper on a particularly pointy rock so hopefully you’ll only need to buy a shell once.