<![CDATA[Patrick Caron - Craft Focus Hood Jacket]]>

As an ultra-runner and long-distance hiker, I can be just a tad bit picky with gear, whether it be my footwear, clothing, or any of the other essentials I might bring along on my adventures. Well, probably really picky to be honest! But hey, when you’re out training for several hours at a time, it’s extremely important to find something that works, and that works exceptionally well.

In comes the Craft Focus Hood Jacket, an uber-light, eye-catching, weather-resistant piece designed by a cutting edge company leading the highly competitive industry of functional sports apparel. When I’m out hitting the gnarly, rugged trails that make up our beloved New England, I am looking for gear tough enough to hold up to our crazy temperature and weather patterns, while also having that barely-there, natural feel, so I can move freely, unimpeded. After several days of use, I found the Focus Hood Jacket not only meets these lofty expectations, but exceeds them, and here’s why…

To start things off, the main body of the jacket is a 100% quick-drying, woven polyester fabric offering the piece optimized wind and water-resistance, with bonded and taped seams here and there to provide key reinforcement. A portion of the pre-shaped sleeves though is made up of a soft, stretchy mesh fabrication that extends from the underarm to the cuffs, which allows for a easy of mobility as well as a high level of aeration in high-sweat zones. The jacket includes a small, thin hood to take shelter beneath when stormy weather arises, and cinch cords located on both sides of the hood’s base impart it with an adjustable fit. When the sun decides to re-emerge, a nifty pair of snaps come into to play, carefully securing the hood to the back. Placed unobtrusively on the right chest is a zippered pocket for storage purposes, that even comes with a headphone opening. What's even better, the inverted pocket provides the practical feature of packing away your jacket when no longer needed! Hidden within the pocket is a little cord and button, letting you attach the jacket to a backpack if necessary.

Besides all of these particularly effective characteristics, the jacket’s contemporary, geometric printed pattern has well placed, reflective branding and design details on the front and back. Paired with the piece’s neon green coloration, these reflective details allow me to feel safe on the roads in both the pre-dawn and post-dusk hours of the day. All in all, the Craft Focus Hood Jacket really impresses me, especially considering the fact that all of its superb properties are packed into only a couple grams of material. Earning a coveted spot in my training as well as race-day arsenal, I can confidently say this exceptional jacket is well worth trying on!