Spring has just begun and more people will be out running, hiking, climbing, and doing all sorts of fun activities. Spring also comes with rain, a lot of it. To defeat that rain, you might want to consider the Odin Minimalist Jacket by Helly Hansen.

To start off, I’d like to go over the material of this jacket. The picture above was taken right after I came inside from being out in the rain. No water came close to getting in whatsoever. After all, this is a rain jacket so it did exactly what was intended. It’s made of a 2.5 ply fabric construction and is Helly Tech® Professional. I don’t know how to explain how lightweight this jacket is. It comes in just under 6 oz. It’s so light, I sometimes forget that I even have it on. I don’t mean to make it sound like this, but it is very similar to the thinness of a garbage bag. Don’t let that fool you, this jacket is much more durable than a garbage bag.

Speaking of bags, the Odin can easily stuff into the front pocket and be zipped up. There is a small loop which you can use to attach it to your belt, backpack, or anywhere you prefer. I absolutely love when jackets can be stored in their own pockets!

One other feature I really enjoy is the elongated cuffs They have an elastic band around them which help keep them down around your wrists. I can just slip on the jacket, and not have to worry about messing with any velcro or straps. I can see why Helly Hansen calls this an emergency jacket when they have features like this that help make the jacket extra fast to put on.

On the Odin, you get a fully adjustable helmet compatible hood. This is perfect if you plan on doing any type of climbing in the jacket. I will say, it’s a pretty large hood and doesn’t stay on my head very well unless I’m wearing a helmet under it.

The zippers on the jacket are YKK Aquaguard zippers. These are completely waterproof. I even poured a cup of water on them just to see how they did. I’m happy to say that not a drop of water made its way in. A++ on the zippers!

The last feature to discuss is the seams. The seams on the Odin are very minimal and are hard to tell that they are even there. Just like the zippers, no water was able to sneak its way in.

Final Thoughts

Just like the name, this is a very minimalistic jacket. If you are in the search for an extremely lightweight and comfortable jacket, the Odin is definitely the way to go. I always take it hiking whether it’s sunny or rainy because it’s easily packable and won’t add any noticeable weight to my pack. I can totally agree with Helly Hansen that it’s waterproof, windproof, and breathable. Remember, this jacket is only for those purposes, and won’t keep you warm. As I mentioned before, the only thing I can really complain about is the largeness of the hood. Other than that, I don’t see a reason not to get this jacket.

Click here to purchase the Odin Minimalist Jacket on Helly Hansen’s website for $220.00