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Individual Review Helly Hansen Kvitegga Jacket and Powder Pants

Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
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The ULLR Freeride collection from Helly Hansen has been around for a few years, paying homage to the Norse god of snow. This collection was tested to optimize sidecountry and big-mountain pursuits, with backpack-friendly zipper placement and a tailored but relaxed fit.
Mt Rose 2 Sassy.jpg
You may have read my review of the Powderqueen jacket and Sensation pants last season. The three pieces I'll be writing about in this long-term test are the Women's Kvitegga shell jacket, the Powder pant, and the Switch cargo pant.

First, the Kvitegga jacket: This shell features Helly Tech Professional three-ply fabric construction; it boasts the most waterproof Helly Hansen performance in the line, designed for active women who brave the harshest elements. The pockets on this jacket are amazing. While some brands minimize pocket size on women's attire, Helly Hansen killed it with roomy pockets that fit everything from lip balm to goggles and still leave room for your flask. The wide velcro closures at the wrists are easy to snug up around your favorite gloves, to keep the elements from sneaking up your sleeves. All of this function and performance are packed into a jacket that fits nicely in the hips and waist. It also pairs well with the ULLR midlayer for those who like layering on a chilly day.

The Powder pants: With their two-ply Helly Tech Professional fabric construction and brushed lining, these pants have kept me warm and dry on some challenging ski days. Stand-out features include thigh pockets for stashing essentials, cuff guards, inner ventilation zips, and a nice, high waistline, which is a big plus for a girl like me.

The Switch cargo pants: The Switch pants feature Helly Tech Performance two-ply fabric construction, which offers great waterproof functionality while allowing the fabric to stretch and move when you're making your moves on the mountain. The lower waistline and cargo pockets give these pants a fresh, fun look to mix it up a bit. When I got them, I wanted something to wear on a pink ski day with @vanhoskier this winter; the coral color is not as pink as I thought it would be, but they'll be fun to rock on our pink day just the same.
  • Who is it for? Women looking for strong technical skiwear.
  • Who is it not for? Women who like heavily insulated skiwear.
  • Insider tip: The Kvitegga jacket and Powder pants run true to size; the Switch pants run slightly small.
 

Smear

Getting off the lift
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Mar 15, 2016
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238
A bit off topic. It's a small world, I had no idea that my most frequently visited ski touring mountain had a jacket named after it ogsmile. It's not a very well known mountain outside local ski touring circles.

It's located just 10 km away from my family's cabin. It's the highest mountain in this region 1717 m above sea. Not that high in absolute terms, but it's located close to the sea. One would start at 300 m so it's a decent amount of vertical to cover to get to the top (4600 feet). Usually there is snow at the starting point until at least beginning of May, appropriately named snow valley.

Here a panorama view from the top of Kvitegga. You can see the fjord in the middle.
http://www.voldaveiret.no/htm05/1494.htm

Most of the mountains in the view are 1400-1600 m and for some of them it's continuous downhill straight down to the fjord from the top. Like form this one:
http://www.iriss.no/web/PageND.aspx?id=99161

And here is from one of the more interesting options for descent from Kvitegga on a grey day. One feels really small when skiing close to that cliff wall:

IMG_2384.jpg
 
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Tricia

Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
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Posts
27,297
Location
Reno
Thanks for sharing!
 

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