Introduction

I have been following the designs of Giena Tactics for about two years now, ever since Perunika sent me on a recce mission during IWA 2018. This year, the exchange during the show ended in the result of me getting two pieces of apparel. First, the Ranger pants, which I will write about in another review and second, the Strider anorak, which will be the topic of this article.

Overview

The Strider anorak is a lightweight wind and rain softshell. It weighs only 350g and is compressible to a small scale. It features a kangaroo pocket to the front with zippered openings on the sides. The hood is easily adjustable and the sizing accommodates for layering.

Specs

• Material: 98% polyamide, 2% elastane.
• Material density: 130 g/m.
• Weight: 350g

Features

The Strider anorak is a piece of lightweight softshell material, designed to be an easy transportable protection against wind and light rain. Since it is an anorak, it features a generous zipper which goes all the way to your sternum. That way you can easily put it on without any problems.

The Strider Anorak by Giena Tactics

It features a very roomy hood which can be adjusted to your head via two cord locks and bungee cord. To keep the hood firmly on the head there is also the possibility to adjust the back of the head with a velcro strap.

Roomy hood – ideal for different areas of use

Hood is adjustabe by bungee cord

More options to adjust at the back of the head

Tightened hood without baseball cap underneath

The collar is relatively high to protect your neck from wind and rain. To protect your chin, you will find a cover over the end of the zipper. The sleeves are anatomically cut and feature elastic cuffs. These are not too wide or too tight. Just right to have a comfortable fit. On the upper arm you will find velcro panels for your morale patches, insignia etc.

Sleeves are long and wide enough for a comfortable fit

To the front is a kangaroo pocket, which is accessible from both sides via diagonal zippers.

Kangaroo pocket to the front

On the waist is another possibility to adjust the anorak to your needs. By using bungee cord and a cord lock, you can tighten the softshell.

Bungee cord at the waist

Size and Fit

I have to admit, that the sizing chart of Giena Tactics confused me at first, but now I wish more companies would offer such versatility in sizing options. You combine chest and height to get your personal size.

For me this was 48-50 and 182. The result is a perfect fit for me, since I am mostly in between sizes. On these pictures I am 78kg with 180cm height.

The fit is very roomy, while not being too baggy. As a result I could still layer something underneath. Having long arms I was worried about short sleeves at first, but even when reaching up, they are not too short.

Manufacture

Manufacture is excellent, considering the price. The materials used are of high quality and the workmanship is very decent as well. The seams are straight and tightly stitched. Having in mind this is only a wind and light rain protection, the seams are not sealed.

Closer look at the workmanship

Plenty of details and clean work

In Use

So far I was able to use the anorak plenty of times. It is just perfect for that evening/morning chill in Spring/Summer. Since it is easily compressible, you can stow it away neatly in any bag or backpack. As a result it was always with me as a back up. And it paid off especially during those occasional summer rains.

As you can see, the anorak can be packed to a half litre bottle size.

Compressed to a small packable size. 0,5l bottle for referrence

Light rain is not a problem at all. The water rolls off and does not seep through. Just recently I had to use it during a real downpour and was pleasantly surprised. However this also brought the anorak to its limits. While the material itself proved to be waterproof, the seams created a wicking effect and let some of the water in.

To be fair, you cannot expect full waterproofness from such a jacket. Considering the downpour, I have to give it credit though on how well it performed.

Breathability is quite decent. You feel very comfortable and only during one extremely warm and humid day I felt the fabric sticking to my skin. Other than that it feels like a cotton T-Shirt. Talking about skin… this is always an indicator for quality. My skin easily becomes irritated by chemicals used on apparel. Most of the time I have to rinse jackets, shirts etc. before using them. This was not necessary with this anorak!

Conclusion

Coming to an end, I have to say that I am very pleased by the Strider anorak. It is a very versatile and low profile piece of apparel that I do not want to miss in my personal wardrobe. I do not necessarily need the velcro panels on such a lightweight garment, but that is the only thing I would criticize.

Other than that: wind protection – check; light rain – check; heavy rain… let’s say 50% check. But as I said: considering it was not designed as such, it held up very well.

It is always interesting to try out new stuff, and to be given the option to test something from Russia was a special treat as well. With that being said, I want to thank Giena Tactics for the anorak and you for stopping to read.

Take care and until next time!