Sprayway Mens Torridon Gore-Tex Waterproof Jacket
Sprayway Mens Torridon Gore-Tex Waterproof Jacket Trial and Test
The “Ultimate” hillwalking rain shell. Fully featured and built around the SprayWay – ‘Function First’ ethos.
Originally launched back in 1988, by the mid-90’s the SprayWay Torridon had without doubt established itself as the most recognisable, popular and “Go-To” Gore-Tex jacket on the Irish & U.K hillwalking scene. A tried, trusted and dependable hard shell which back in the day was quite simply “THE best on the market”. Simple and reliable, functional Sprayway design partnered with a 3 layer GORE-TEX fabric and of course that signature bright 90’s style that made it so recognisable amongst the crowd.
2019 saw the awaited relaunch of the classic – Torridon. A nostalgic retro blast from the past!
Two years in the making, this pinnacle piece in the SprayWay hill-walking collection gives a huge nod to the past, takes inspiration from its 90’s predecessor, but with an impressive modern twist.
I was extremely lucky to be given an early sample of the 2019 Torridon to try out, test and put through it’s paces and boy have I been impressed! This jacket is SOLID…like seriously BOMBPROOF!!!
The old cliché that all too often comes to mind when referring to anything these days is – “they sure as hell don’t make them like they used to”. Well, SprayWay have and I am confident to say that the Torridon has been made even better…if that’s possible!!!
This is a jacket that’s built to last. It is designed to take the ever dynamic abuse that the Irish and U.K weather throws at us all too frequently. The Torridon is THE jacket if you want to stay dry on the very worst, most testing and “character building” of weather days. It possesses all the features you’d expect in a proper GoreTex hill-walking and Mountain Shell.
As a guide and instructor I spend much of my time working and playing in the hills, mountains and crags and the Torridon has well and truly become my favourite and trusted companion, my go to item of kit for the majority of my mountain days. It 100% WILL keep you dry and 100% WILL take a battering unlike any jacket you’ve ever tried before, (unless of course you are one of those who are old enough to remember their original Torridon!)
What the Torridon isn’t is a super lite weight technical mountaineering shell. It weighs in at around 640g, which admittedly does feel slightly on the heavier side compared to most others on the market but the Torridon isn’t just your standard run of the mill rain shell. It’s tough, durable, robust, and hugely dependable. Just like it’s renowned 90’s predecessor. It has been designed with the ever testing fickle Irish and U.K weather to the fore, intended and proven as a “Proper” hill and mountain-walking shell rather than a mediocre, leaky non reliable one.
Yes, there are undoubtedly other comparative and competitive garments available elsewhere but these don’t come anywhere near the Torridon on price. Coming in at a modest retail price of between just €250-€300 this compares to almost twice that for anything else even close to the build quality, durability and reliability of the Torridon. From my experience the only other jacket that comes remotely close to the Torridon is the Mammut Nordwand Pro which weighs in at a hefty €750-€790!!!
A few of the classic features you will be glad to see return in the re-evolution of the new the classic Torridon:
- Wide Storm-flaps over all pocket openings to repel even the most sideways of windblown rain and precipitation.
- Waist Cord to keep out & deter the most determined and sneaky of breezes and chills and ensure an ever cosy, snug fit no matter what layering you have underneath.
- Wide Adjustable Wrist Cuffs
- 2-way pit zips
- Concealed drawcord waist adjustment
- 3-layer GORE-TEX 75D PFCec FREE recycled polyester plain weave fabric offers extremely high levels of protection
- Grown on, fully adjustable, helmet compatible Hill Hood with a wired peak and roll away tab feature
- 2-way centre front zip with double storm guard
- 2 zipped hand pockets with map shelf, 1 inner zipped stretch softshell pocket, 1 inner stretch mesh elastane bound stash pocket
- Available in an array of colours from black, red, yellow aswell as a cool retro nod back to it’s original 90’s colour palette
“The original Torridon was an iconic jacket that was revolutionary on release. In creating the new Torridon, we followed the steps which were taken when creating the original jacket. This took a function first approach, combined with authenticity, Uniqueness & a new sustainability element. The final result is a new iconic jacket which encapsulates everything which Sprayway stands for.”
Adam Starkie, Sprayway Designer