Helly Hansen Squall Jacket

I bought this jacket in last year's sale as a replacement for my old columbia shell. Being a Brit living in Canada, Helly Hansen is not unfamiliar, so i thought i would try them out to see if their outdoor stuff is as good as their British sailing wear.

From first encounters, I was disapointed in the design of the hood. The collar is too low and barely covers the chin (unlike my columbia) making the rim of the collar rub under the chin.

The hood itself doesn't see to fit very well and tends to slip back on the top of your head, I guess you have to play around with the cords to tighten it in the right areas.

Only recently have i discovered the marvel of rolling down the hood and using the strap on the lid of the hood to fasten the roll through the loop on the label of the jacket. This makes a great collar and brings the fabric right round the back of your neck. Without knowing this, i was ready to send the jacket back to HH!

for me, i am using it as a winter shell over a fleece or a wool sweater. Here in Montreal, we have 5 months of snow and subzero temperatures a year with temps regularly going down to -30 degrees, -50 to -60 with windchill.

i hope that this HH jacket will see me through! at the moment, it is performing well in cold, windy and wet conditions.