Columbia Titanium Ballistic Jacket Review

 I'm tired of being cold. This winter seems to have lasted forever so far, you know what I mean? I'm lucky in that my S.O. makes sure I don't end up dug out of a snow drift in May by supplying me with plenty of warm clothes. My Columbia Titanium Ballistic jacket is part of that program: a nice, form-fitting fleece that can serve by itself or as part of a layered system.

The jacket's made of a windproof microfleece, with ballistic nylon twill on the shoulders to make it more water- and abrasion-resistant. The elbows have those same nylon patches, and also have extra fabric for full articulation. That increases range of motion for extreme sports fans. It has two large, zippered patch pockets on the front; plenty big enough to warm my hands, plus a third security pocket on the chest that's just right for a cell phone or wallet. It has nice, long pit zips for additional ventilation if I need to shed excess heat, and a stand-up collar to protect my neck and chin on windy days. The sleeves have an extra-long soft fleece cuff that fits under the cuffs of my gloves, a great selling point. There's an elastic cord in the waistband, too, for any really skinny folks who need to keep out the updraft. It also has a variety of oddball little loops scattered around that serve no apparent purpose, unless they're to anchor clip-ons like glove-holders.  

The Titanium Ballistic Jacket serves well at temperatures down to about 15-18°F when worn over a fleece vest. Below that, it needs another layer - I use a down vest on dry days and a waterproof shell on wet ones. It cuts the bitter winds of these Spring days as advertised, and I've worn it in some fairly heavy snowfalls and moderate rain and stayed dry (at least under the jacket...)

There are a couple of things I don't like as much. One of them is that the front zipper is one-way: it doesn't open from the bottom. A second is that it is decidedly form-fitting: this is not a jacket for anyone with a spare tire, unless it's only a spare for a bicycle. Before buying this jacket as a gift, consider that a size Large is pretty tight on an average frame, especially with a sweater or fleece vest underneath.