Swazi Thar Anorak....any good?

[jamie18thmo]

Hi,
Has anyone got a Swazi Thar anorak or the Ray Mears version. If so, what do you think of it. I've read/heard that they are very good coats, but heavy when wet, although still waterproof even when the outer fleece layer is soaking. Lots of people swear by Swazi gear down here, but I'm keen to get a wider opinion if poss.
I'm tempted to get one, but at about $600NZ I thought I'd do a bit more homework on them first!
Cheers, J

 

[TheGreenMan]

I’ve got one, they’re great, it will keep you dry, and the wind out. The only thing I would like to see incorporated into the design are hand-warmer pockets.

Best regards,
Paul.

PS: If you want an olive green one, don’t order ‘Olive’ ‘cus it a dark bottle green. If you want an olive green one order ‘Tussock Green’…it’s a weird world

 

[SpongeRob]

There's one on TradeMe with no bids at $380 but its a 2XL

 

[Bagheera]

i,

Same here, I bought one several months ago and I like it, the only thing I would have loved are handwarmer pockets or just a central "Napoleon" pocket.

I haven't had any problems with the Anorak getting heavy when wet, most of the water just "rolls" off.
I like the very good hood design, as a wearer of glasses I really appreciate that my glasses stay dry most of the time and I can still see

One needs to get used to the length, I'm only 5' 11" and a size XL and the Anorak ends just on my knee caps, when using it during daily commuting some people look rather strangely at me when I wear the Tahr

Tussock Green is a very nice colour!

Cheers,

Bagheera

 

[jamie18thmo]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I think pockets would be useful, but I suppose they are designed primarily with hunters in mind, so I suppose they assume you'll be holding your rifle all the time (except when it's slung on your back!), but it would be nice to have the option of sticking your hands in pockets.

I think I'll probably end up getting one, or maybe the slightly more hard-wearing/heavy duty version called the "One Tough Brutha", which is slightly cheaper but only comes in green rather than tussock.

I've got a few bits of Swazi stuff now, and it is blooming good gear. We practically live in the stuff (and similar garments) at work.

Cheers,
J

 

[Jambo]

I've got one and I love it, wouldn't be without it now. like someone else said I wouldn't mind a few extra pockets though! Like the cuffs and hood especially.

Beats the heck out of all the TNF/Berghaus e.t.c. e.t.c. stuff I've had over the years.

If you want an olive green one, don’t order ‘Olive’ ‘cus it a dark bottle green. If you want an olive green one order ‘Tussock Green’…it’s a weird world

I thought the 'Tussock Green' colour was more of a beige ?

 

[TheGreenMan]

...I thought the 'Tussock Green' colour was more of a beige ?

Actually, you're right, Jambo. It would be more accurate to describe the Tussock Green colour as a mixture somewhere between olive green and khaki.

Well spotted

Best regards,
Paul.

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

This is the next jacket that I would like to buy.

Great info and nice to get some feedback from folk that have used their kit in a bushcraft styleeeee

Phil.

 

[MagiKelly]

I have one and was taking to the guys at Tamarack about it and they said they have plans to get one with handwarmer pockets. They also said the reason they were omitted originally is that for shooting use you would be lying down a lot and the pockets would be inaccessible.

 

[bushblade]

I've had one for a few years now (the dark green one). They are very good, very tough, great freedom of movement, and for a synthetic shell its very quite, more so than ventile I would say.
The only problem I have had with it is the hood, there is no volume adjuster so the hood stays put while your head turns inside, which can get very annoying. I have solved this problem by wearing a length of elasticated tape (like a headband) on the outside of the hood, which works like an external volume adjuster.

 

[Bushpig]

How does it compare to ventile in regards to toughness and rip proofness? I am in the market for a jacket and am looking at this one incomparison to a ventrile one. This one I am guesisng will have a higher level of waterproof due to the gortex ( although ventrile also very good ) and both are supposed to be quiet jackets, the only other attribute I require is it which will survive me stomping through bushes and brambles in ?

Boosh

 

[quarterstaff]

I have the Wapiti by swazi and its pretty good,cuffs are good,hood not so good.I have found it takes quite some battering in the wilds,thorn,bramble proof but I wore it to a beer festival and brushed against a cigerrette end and that burnt some of the fleece off so maybe not so good around a fire,it also gets a bit hot and I wonder how the Tahr would vent,wapiti has a full zip.
A double ventile jacket,Wilderness by snowsled,has a better hood,it's fag proof and runs a lot cooler and the cuffs are ok but it's heavier and takes a while to dry.
cheers

 

[Tiley]

I had one - it was the Mears version with two breast pockets - and I liked it but for the fact that there is an awful lot of fabric floating around. Yes, it was quiet, durable and all those other good points but I didn't much go for the neoprene cuffs (very little ventilation available through them, neither did I much like the length which can be obstuctive when lifting your legs to slog uphill. I can see that for the downpours that can occur while in the outdoors it could be a top piece of kit, assuming that you don't mind looking like an ersatz Friar Tuck on account of the acres of fabric.

I am delighted with and very impressed by the BCUK Ventile jacket. Having said that, I might revisit the Tahr anorak if they put on a couple of handwarmer pockets...

 

[TheGreenMan]

A couple of further alterations that occurred to me the other day, in addition to the hand warmer pockets, might be a longer zip and/or a larger bat wing. The longer zip would be helpful for rapid venting of warm moist air from the garment when walking, and the longer zip and/or more fabric in the bat wing would make it easier for wearers of a broader build, to ‘climb out’ of the upper part of the garment through the zipped opening, so that the entire torso could be exposed while still having the drawstring tied around the waist or the sleeves knotted for further venting during brief halts and assuming that it is being worn for its windproof properties, rather than it rain or snow-proof properties …

 

[nzgunnie]

You should email Swazi and let them know what you want, you might find them quite accommodating.

 

[TheGreenMan]

Thanks Gunnie, I might do that.

Thing is, what with two of the retailers mentioned in this thread arranging with Swazi for special versions to be made, I'm not sure who I should email without putting 'someones nose out of joint' as we say in the UK. I assume that manufacturers and retailers read these kinds of forums for feedback about their products, and was thinking that maybe some of them might read suggestions for refinements to their products and perhaps give some of them serious consideration and testing. I just put the drawing up in case any of them are eavesdropping.

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[Tiley]

Another feature that would, to my mind, be extremely useful on the storm flap of an extended zip would be to have 'patches' of velcro, rather than an uninterrupted length of it on the strom flap.

The fabric of the Tahr anorak is extremely good at keeping out the rain but I have found that the ventilation is compromised by the existing zip/storm flap combo. Extensive experience of patches of velcro on the storm flap has shown that they do not compromise the waterproofness of the garments while improving the ventilation significantly when cruising around.

I hope that this, along with handwarmer pockets and the extended zip might get included in the otherwise really good design for the Tahr. I would definitely be in the market for this modified design, if only the good folk at Swazi could be persuaded to run with it.

 

[SimonM]

I have one and love it. Personally I do not like too many pockets - they just get filled with clutter and make it uncomfortable to get prone when nature watching. I do only wear it in heavy rain though as I equally love my Ventile smock in a similar design.

The ventile smock has 2 breast pockets similar to the RM Tahr and has a through handwarmer pocket (which I do not use). The drawstring on my Ventile smock is hidden in the handwarmer pocket not on the outside which is a nice touch though, keeping it out of sight and the wind.

Simon

 

[nzgunnie]

Thanks Gunnie, I might do that.

Thing is, what with two of the retailers mentioned in this thread arranging with Swazi for special versions to be made, I'm not sure who I should email without putting 'someones nose out of joint' as we say in the UK.

Cheers,
Paul.

Just email dylan@swazi.co.nz

 

[TheGreenMan]

OK, thanks, Gunnie

Cheers,
Paul.