Rohan Hilltop Jacket

September 9, 2009 Rohan Outdoor Clothing 7 comments

The Hilltop Jacket is a great example of what happens when we listen to our customers.
Why, they asked us, why are most outdoor waterproofs so short?
Why do I have to put up with wet legs or have to carry overtrousers?
The answer is fashion. Outdoor fashion to be honest, rather than High St. Fashion, but fashion nonetheless.

The trend for years has been towards shorter jackets, driven by a vision of fast ascents on serious climbs where you want your jacket to clear your climbing harness and your climbing rack.

How relevant is that then to the avid British hillwalker, for countryside walking or even exercising the dogs in all weathers?

Not at all we reckon, hence the advent of the Hilltop Jacket and the end to wet legs and underpants…

The classic length of the new Hilltop will keep the critical muscle groups of the upper leg protected in heavy rain. In many cases you won’t need overtrousers at all. It’s even great for wearing into town, easily covering a suit jacket and looking very presentable to boot.

The look is quite “old school” – it reminds me of the cags I used to buy in the ‘70’s (one a year as they weren’t very durable…)

But unlike the retro version this jacket is all Rohan and bang up to date in technology and features.

Our Barricade™ fabric is industry-leading: ten times British Standard waterproofing with excellent Active Diffusion™ breathability and a proper DWR that lasts wash after wash. Tough and durable too, but also light in weight – as you’d expect from us.

A fully featured hood with a stiffened peak and our One-Pull™ adjustment locks onto the head, giving both great protection and visibility, and hangs comfortably out of the way when not needed.

The waist adjusts from inside the pockets. Map-sized pocket positioned under the double storm flaps at the front. Secure pocket inside for your wallet, phone or car keys.

Warm touch and fast drying fabric in the hand pockets, at the throat and over the ears inside the hood.

Classic colours including a natural, British country, Loden green and a high visibility Beacon Red.

It’s what you asked for: comfortable, functional, protective, distinctive – and designed for the real world, not the fashion world.

Look out for the Hilltop from this autumn.

We listen you know. And we understand…

7 Comments

Tim Jasper says:

30/11/2009 at 10:09

Dear John. Thanks for the kind comments! Enjoy your Hilltop and the unusual sensation of having dry legs… Best regards, Tim Jasper
John McClelland says:

27/11/2009 at 19:39

I have purchased the Hilltop in the 20% event and am over the moon with it, I love my Mountain Pass Jacket, but was fed up with the water running off onto my legs. The Hilltop came at a perfect time, raining cats and dogs up here in Scotland and jacket does what it says on the tin, does away with the need for waterproof trousers, it was meant to be for walking the dogs on the hills but like it so much, I wear it to the football as well.

Now all I need is Winter Bags in a 29″ leg.

Thanks guys, keep uop the good work
John S says:

12/11/2009 at 20:58

I must admit that I have been away from Rohan for a few years but still wear jackets from the 90′s some of which are fraying at the edges BUT the Riri zips go on and on!

I agree with both sets of comments from J.Bates and L Johnson. All the previous jackets which came with hoods rolled into the collar and having bought the Hilltop jacket on impulse online, simply because it is a very rare sensible length, I assumed this fixed-on hood would do the same.

As it stands, to say “It’s even great for wearing into town, easily covering a suit jacket and looking very presentable to boot” is nonsense and my first thought was also that it will fill with water! I can’t believe that I am, like J.Bates, seriously considering taking a pair of scissors to my most expensive Rohan jacket to date.

How did this madness get through to a final product – surely Rohan consult customer focus groups during product development or maybe not.

To end on a positive note, the Hilltop is otherwise even better that I anticipated. The solution is obvious to me – offer two versions: ‘Hilltop for mountains’ with fixed hood; and ‘Hilltop for Primrose Hill’ with rubber-sealed zipoff hood.

If you use my idea then all I require in return is a free upgrade to the Primrose Hilltop Jacket v2.0
Tim Jasper says:

04/11/2009 at 12:53

Hi L Johnson. I was very proud of the innovation that was the Clearview peak. It seemed to me to be the obvious solution to the problem of walking around in what feels like a dark tunnel. Guess what? We got a lot of negative reaction – perhaps it was just too radical for many… What, even Rohan wearers? Yes, apparently.
Sorry to say that we don’t have any of the Clearview material available though. Good luck with your customisation job in any event. Let me know how it goes… Best wishes, Tim Jasper
L Johnson says:

03/11/2009 at 00:21

Yes I have just purchased this jacket as I wanted a longer length waterproof but why have you got rid of the see through peak that is so useful on my 3 year old Maelstrom jacket?
It is so useful in driving rain to be able to see where you are going especially as I wear specs
I am going to try to find some of this material on e bay and try to make my own see through peak if I can, or do you have some spare that I can have?
Otherwise I am unfortunately going to have to consider cutting off the peak of the hood.
Tim Jasper says:

23/10/2009 at 14:21

Dear J.Bates. Good point about the hood. The whole point of the Hilltop when we dreamt it up though was that it was a hill jacket. Maybe we were shortsighted! Blinded by the driving rain probably… Sorry to disappoint you on this one. We’ll bear your comments in mind for future designs – and it will certainly affect a new waterproof jacket we are designing and testing now for AW2010. Best wishes, Tim Jasper
J.Bates says:

22/10/2009 at 17:26

I agree with all favourable comments about the sensible length of the hilltop, making this a potentially a winner for town and country .. BUT …

… Why did you give it a fixed-on hood, which cannot even be rolled into the collar? This makes it totally impractical for anything other than out-and-out hiking. In town I would either walk in the rain with the open hood filling with water, or try to walk with the hood up – absolutely not a recommended style in London!

I went specially up to your store to see this item, as I really could not believe that you have been so short sighted. So much is right, that I left wondering whether – on this high priced jacket – I could cut off that wretched hood. Your long city mac is great, but is not the answer when looking for a versatile item.