GORE C5 Active Trail Hooded Jacket

When it comes to bad weather, GORE have become the go-to brand for many ‘hardcore;’ bikepackers and adventure seekers. The C5 Active Trail Hooded jacket is their mid-range offering, but there is nothing average about the performance. The minimalist design uses the respected GORE-TEX Active fabric, which sacrifices some durability in the pursuit of feather-light construction and great 18,000 g/m2 breathability. As such, the GORE C5 is very lightweight, and combined with the slim active fit, you will hardly know you are wearing it. However there’s not a lot of space for layers in the winter. The fabric is not as soft or flexible as some in the test and the cuffs are a little tight, but we could not question its water resistance with the impressive 28,000 mm rating, shrugging off heavy showers with ease.

The jacket is well made and despite our best attempts to abuse it, leaving it wet in kit bags, multiple trips through the washing machine and a few encounters with trees, it still looks brand new. The GORE C5 Active Trail was popular with all our testers, packing down to almost nothing, but with enough protection for a full day in the rain. The only thing we could fault was the hood, which is not big enough to go over the helmet. You can wear it under but it’s not as effective.

It’s clear that GORE know what they are doing when it comes to building great jackets and the C5 Active Trail is no exception. Lightweight, high-performance and constructed with a great fabric, what’s not to like? Only the small hood lets it down.

---

Protection
Comfort
Fit
Ventilation
Manufacturing
Weight/Pack-size