Helly Hansen HP Fleece Jacket Review

For our hike along the North Cornish Coastline, I bought some new clothing for the trip. As the trek was quite intense and involved walking over 140 miles of pretty severe terrain over just six days, I wanted some kit that was really going to help. I’ve worn Helly Hansen clothing during mountain walking in the past and have always found it really good gear.

As part of our plan we had also wanted to try and finish at pubs and bars so that we could end the day with a drink or even a meal. I really wanted outdoor clothing that looked just at home on the trail as it did in a trendy beach side bar or restaurant. In this review, I’m going to write about two garments that I think fitted that role really well. Firstly, the Helly Hansen HP Fleece Jacket

 
This is a very sporty looking jacket that has been inspired by racing on the open seas. The fabric is a polyester fleece but it has a slick outer feel. I really liked this as normal fleeces definitely don’t look stylish and aren’t cool. From the outside you’d never even think this was a fleece; it has a totally different look. The sleek outer also made it very easy to put on outer layers on over the top.

 
I was really impressed with the fit of this jacket; it has a slim, active fit. It had a very good cut for movement- fast walking and scrambling over rock were both totally unrestricted. This freedom of movement has been created with a raglan sleeve cut, which works really well.

Helly Hansen have put a lot of thought into the design of this jacket and it has lots of nice little details and features. I really like the slimline high-vis strips that run down either side of the zip. It’s these sort of high quality features that I associate with Helly Hansen.

 
There is some clever design with the pockets on this jacket. They’ve used the same high-vis fabric for the pocket lining as they used on the zip detail. A really ingenious piece of design means that they have created interior pockets by stitching the zipped pocket lining to the jacket across the bottom and sides. This means the lining doubles up and works as two pockets. The inside one is brilliant for hiding away maps or phones.

 
There is more subtle branding on the arms, making the fleece jacket look high end. The performance of the jacket is strong. Obviously, it’s not a fully fledged technical mid-layer and there are lighter and warmer alternatives out there. However, super technical clothing does look as good as this!

This modern fleece performs well and does a good job of keeping you warm. I really like the full zip front, which allows you to open or close the jacket up to manage your temperature.

 
One of my favourite aesthetic features is the large marine-inspired debossed graphic on the back. It is reminisence of the markings on sails. It’s a nice bold feature but as it’s created in the same colour this stops it from being garish. I think this jacket works really well as a fashionable, active jacket. It looks really cool, and works brilliantly in the outdoors when you need it too. I wouldn’t hesitate to wear this jacket out anywhere; it really does work on the sea, on the trail or in town!

 

Helly Hansen Dromi Utility Pant Review

I love the HP Fleece Jacket a lot but what I love even more is the fantastic Dromi Utility Pant. These are now not only my favourite walking trousers but also some of my favourite outdoor trousers in general. They’re a very smartly designed pair of trousers that are made from great materials. I love wearing these trousers whilst walking, mostly because they’re so comfortable but also because they’ve got some really practical features.

 
The trousers are made from a twill weave material which is a very stretchy fabric. This makes them really comfy and even after you’ve worn them all day, they still feel nice. The knees have been articulated whvch is a feature I always look for in active trousers as it allows for a full range of movement. I know these trousers would be really great for climbing as I found them really good for scrambling over rocks

There are regular side and back pockets as you’d expect on a pair of trousers. These pockets are a good size and can easily fit all the things you’d expect. A really clever feature of these trousers is the additional pockets they’ve put on the front of the thighs. These ‘secretive’ pockets are larger than standard side pockets. They work well for popping a map or route notes into. One has a slimline zip and the other has a couple velcro pads. What is good about this is that when not in use you really don’t even realise they’re there.

 
I really love these Helly Hansen Dromi Utility Trousers, the natural looking fabric is really nice in the ‘laurel’ colour. These are another example of outdoor wear from Helly Hansen that works well in the great outdoors but doesn’t look out of place everywhere else. I’m going to be taking these trousers away with me on many of my travels this year.