Review: Tasmanian Tiger – TT Maine M’s Jacket

Introduction

Tasmanian Tiger is usually known for its backpacks, bags and tactical equipment. With the TT Maine M’s jacket, the company is also offering a very practical and no-nonsense softshell jacket. I received the jacket last year in late summer and had the chance to put it to the test several times by now.

As a result I can not only give you an overview of the jacket, but also some long term insights.

So let’s jump right to it!

Overview

The TT Main M’s jacket by Tasmanian Tiger is a lightweight, windproof and water resistant Softshell jacket with a fixed hood, two zippered side pockets and cable ports in the pockets. It comes in a small pouch and can be easily stored as a small package. X shaped velcro areas on the upper arms are designed to be easily flexible.

Specs

Material: T-SoftShell Light Recycled, YKK Zippers
Weight: 355 g (Gr. L)
Colors: Black and Olive (Ral 7013)

The TT Maine M’s Jacket

The build-up of the jacket is quickly laid out: Starting from the top, you will find a roomy hood as you would expect from any hoodie. Very comfortable and slick looking. It is a fixed design without any pockets to store it in.

To adjust the hood as well as the opening of it, one can use a bungee cord on the backside of the hood. This is neatly hidden underneath a flap and goes around the head and the face. A cord lock holds it in place the way you like it – easy and simple principle.

The main zipper goes all the way up to the chin, closing up the collar completely to prevent wind and rain from getting inside. A chin guard prevents nasty zipper bites and a wind guard behind the zipper acts as an additional protection against the elements.

Looking at the side pockets, one will find several surprises. For one the pockets are fleece lined. The side facing outwards is fitted with a fine fleece, which acts as an additional layer to the outside. Facing inwards is a mesh type material, which has a fuzzy, soft feel to the inside of the pocket, but a sturdy structure to the body. A generous cable port offers the option of lacing headphone cables through the inside, up to your head.

The fleece line pouch of the side pockets is attached in a way on the inside to provide additional slip pockets for larger items. For example some folded documents or your purse.

The side pocket can also be used as internal slip pocket

Coming to the bottom of the TT Maine M’s jacket, it can be further adjusted with bungee cord and cord locks on the left and right of the main zipper.

Both sleeves do not feature any pockets, but X shaped velcro areas to attach patches and the like. The shape makes for more flexibility of the velcro and therefore an easier storage of the jacket. The cuffs are partly elastic and close up nicely around the wrist.

Size and Fit

The fit of the jacket is a relaxed, but still athletic fit – it might sound contradictory, but if you look at the pictures you will see what I mean. Usually I am in between sizes, Medium and Large. Recently I tend towards the Large because of my love of Pizza, but what can you do?

Being 1,80m tall and currently sporting 82kg, size Large fits perfectly. There is still plenty of room for layers, and the arms are generously long – which is nice for my long arms. It would be safe to say that the jacket is cut long, meaning speaking in terms of BDU sizes, it would be a Large long.

You can go for a tighter fit, if need be, as the material itself also has some stretch. So it will not feel restricting at all.

Level of Manufacture

I have to admit I was surprised about the high level of manufacture in this jacket. Besides the straight and clean seams, the overall look and feel is fantastic. The various seams on the inside are really nicely hemmed and there are several areas which are further reinforced by a narrow webbing.

For example the webbing goes all around the inner side of the main zipper, up the hood and around the collar. The same webbing is being used for the loop to hang the jacket. So a very nice touch.

The TT Maine M’s jacket in use

While the jacket is an excellent performer in an urban environment, offering wind protection and a light insulation layer during everyday errands, it is also a reliable garment in more serious outdoor settings.

While hiking in the mountains, the jacket proved to be wind resistant to winds up to 40 to 50 km/h. Thermal bridges are a different story and need to be countered with decent layers underneath the jacket. But in combination with a decent wool pullover, fleece or loft jacket, the TT Maine M’s jacket is an excellent protection against the elements.

There is plenty of room to layer, giving you the option to use the jacket not only 3 seasons of the year, but 4. Adding to that, the packing size allows the jacket to find place almost everywhere in your pack or bag. The small stuff sack helps in keeping it in a bundle and in preventing tangle.

The fleece line side pockets are most welcomed as soon as temperatures drop. At the same time the quality of the material is so nice, that it doesn’t irritate the skin (especially with fleece, my skin quickly reacts to chemicals).

Another important fact is the color of the jacket – if you are looking for an excellent subdued solid color to blend in, the olive green of this jacket performs fabulously. Especially in the mountains, my trekking partners lost sight of me several times in a 20m vicinity (not good if you need to be rescued, I know).

Conclusion

The TT Maine’s jacket is solid proof that Tasmanian Tiger not only produces high quality gear but also garments. Being lightweight, wind- and water resistant, the softshell jacket is an excellent shell for all kinds of activities, ranging from everyday city errands to trekking in the mountains.

Especially the small packing size makes it ideal as a backup in your pack, in case you need that extra shell outdoors. Quality of materials and manufacture is very high and leaves no room for criticism.

With that being said, I want to thank Tasmanian Tiger for making this review possible!

Thank you for taking the time to read – I hope I was able to give you a decent impression of the jacket!

Take care!

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