Sure, you have great foul-weather gear or a drysuit you really like, but neither provides any real warmth on its own. So when the seasonal temps dip you dig out the long johns or fleece that you use for skiing and cobble together something that you hope will keep you warm without being overly bulky. The result: high-tech outer sailing gear meets miscellaneous mid-layer gear. Gill Marine has concluded it doesn’t need to be that way. Hence, the latest addition to their OS line of foul-weather gear–the OS Performance Jacket and OS Performance Salopettes.
As an important layer, they feature a smooth-faced thermal fleece with four-way stretch material for ease of movement and fit, and a water-resistant and wind-repellant finish. They’re just the ticket for a mid-layer that you’ll hardly know is there, yet you’ll still be nice and warm. Late-night watches on chilly overnight races, cool autumn days, frostbite dinghy sailing or late-fall/early spring collegiate sailing, the Gill mid-layer system eliminates compromise, leaving you warm without bulk.
OS Performance Trousers
The trousers come up high on the chest and back for core warmth. At first, I thought that a pocket or two would be nice, but these are meant to be worn under foulies or a drysuit. The only frill, if you will, and quite frankly, it’s way more than a frill, is a two-way front zipper. Apart from making it way easier to get in and out of the trousers, it makes it convenient for men when nature calls.
For durability, the trousers feature reinforced knees and seat to eliminate chafing against outer gear. And the fit? At least from the waist down, they feel like a somewhat loose pair of long underwear, which is nice because you don’t feel constricted, yet thanks to the four-way stretch material, the fit is close. From the waist up, they’re a bit more snug, depending on your body shape, but given the goal is to provide warmth, having a closer fit in the core area is not a bad thing. I tried them under Gill’s OS2 Offshore Gear as well as a drysuit, and apart from the warmth you’d expect they’d provide, the bulk factor wasn’t an issue. Black only: $165.
What’s to like:
- Low bulk material for on-deck layering and off-watch lounging
- Two-way front zipper
- Reinforced knees and seat
OS Performance Jacket
The Performance Jacket material is identical to the trousers, so enough said about warmth and flexibility of fit. I tried it, as designed, over the trousers and it was clear that this was a mid-layer addition you can really lean on when temps dip. Even over the trousers, bulk is at a minimum. A bonus is that the Performance Jacket can also be worn on its own as an outer layer in cool, dry conditions. To accommodate that option, there’s a hand-warmer pocket on each side and chest pocket, all with zips. There are also three deep inside pockets adjacent to, but separate from, the exterior pockets, with no zips. The front zipper is two-way.
My only quibble is that since the collar is designed to fit snugly to the neck, providing minimal bulk when worn under outer gear, it can’t be folded down when partially unzipped. However, zip it all the way up, as it would be when worn as a mid-layer, and it’s great. Do keep in mind when wearing the Performance Jacket as an outer layer that it’s water-resistant, not waterproof. Black only: $165
What’s to like:
- Low bulk material and design fit well inside jacket and smocks
- Zipper chin guard and snug cuffs
- Small chest pocket for phone and zippered hand pockets
