Gill IN10 Inshore Lite Jacket Review Waterproof Water Repellent

Apparel Review

An Everyday Jacket for Anglers, the Gill Inshore Lite

Date:	7/6/11
Apparel Type:	Jacket / Shell
Manufacturer:	Gill
Reviewer:	Team TackleTour

Total Score: 8.17 - EDITOR'S CHOICE!

Introduction: Founded in 1975, Gill is a company renowned in the sailing world for providing high performing clothing designed specifically to protect their wearers from foul weather. Realizing that fishermen are a group that often venture out into less than ideal conditions, Gill has recently turned their attention to the angling world, and more specifically, bass fishermen. Does foul weather gear designed for the unrelenting rigors of sailing translate to the angling world? We take a look at Gill's entry level jacket, to find out. Here is our review of Gill's IN10 Inshore Lite Jacket.

Gill IN10 Inshore Lite Jacket Specifications
Material	Gill Laminate Fabric
Sizes	Medium through 3Xtra Large
Colors	Navy/Silver : Red/Graphite : Yellow/Black
Features	Hood-In Collar, Zippered Pockets, Velcro Synch Cuffs, 100% Waterproof
Origin	Made in China
MSRP	$145

Background: If ever there were a group of people that could be described as hard core, they would be professional sailors. The men and women who crew a sailboat are not only responsible for the operation of this boat, but they are often take up stations around their vessels as counterweight. This could mean hanging off the side of the boat in extreme weather conditions for hours on end! In order to endure this type of environment, you know their clothing has to be designed and built with zero compromise. Gill has answered this call and is as pervasive in the sailing world as G.Loomis is in the sportfishing market.

Keiko helps us introduce Gill's IN10 Inshore Lite waterproof jacket.

Impressions: The IN10 is their light weight, entry level garment designed for wet conditions in warmer weather. The IN10 Jacket retails for $145 and features water repellent, laminate fabric construction, storm guarded zippers, a built in, concealable hood, and a mesh lining for interior circulation to keep you warm when need, but also cool in warm conditions. Think of it as a lightweight shell for staying dry when those sudden downpours occur.

The IN10 is designed for inclement weather in warmer climates.

Field Tests: How does that all translate in real world conditions? Well, when you say wet conditions in warmer weather, one true testing ground comes to mind. That’s right, Gill’s IN10 jacket is one of the garments that made the journey with us to the Amazon. Specifically, JIP wore this jacket through out the trip. We then continued the IN10’s trials back home in one of the wettest winters of recent memory in Northern California.

Sometimes in the early morning you just need an extra layer and don't want a big heavy jacket

Early on in the tests we discovered just how easy it is to cast with the Inshore Lite, it is so light that it barely feels like it is even there when making constant casting motions

For us, that meant a tour of duty down in the Amazon as well as back home on Clear Lake, California.

Water Repellency: While not made of the popular waterproof material “Goretex”, the IN10 jacket is built from material constructed through Gill’s trademark, multi-laminated technology. The result is a fabric that is not just coated with water resistant chemicals, but a fabric that resists penetration by water via its construction. The end result is a garment that does not lose water its integrity after a few washes and remains water repellent even after years of wear.

Unlike other waterproof garments, Gill's IN10 features a waterproof layer beneath an outer layer. This is the reason water does not bead up on its surface.

In the Amazon, this translated to a very dry and happy JIP even amid the day and a half of torrential downpours. Based on JIP’s good experience with the jacket, Cal actually purchased one in January and just in time as through several trips up to Clear Lake, California during our “What the Finesse” tests, the rain simply did not let up! Thanks to the IN10 jacket, it proved a non-factor because as the jacket performed beyond expectations.

The advantage? Better all day comfort ...

As you can see in the photos, because of Gill’s unique construction, water does not actually bead off the garment as it does with traditional water proof fabrics like Goretex. Instead, thanks to Gill’s laminate construction, penetration by water is actually repelled in the underlying layers rather than at the top.

... and a longer product lifecycle.

Next Section: Bring on the rain, just not the cold