VIPER TACTICAL have been evolving their range over the last few years in quite an impressive way, with new designs, evolution of old lines and massively improving their material and construction methods.
Continuing his short reports on how specific kit performed “in the wild” during his latest trip Bill now gives his opinion on the VIPER TECHNICAL MID LAYER TOP!
“It would seem that the TECHNICAL MID LAYER TOP has been with me forever given that it’s already had so much wear in some very disparate environments, but thus far whatever I’ve subjected it to it has proved its worth in no uncertain terms!
I got it from VIPER just before my trip last autumn to Taiwan, and it was the perfect top to travel in, as well as coming in very useful to keep the chill off from some industrial strength air-conditioning! But of course that’s not really what it’s intended for as it’s technically a layering item that works supremely well with VIPER’s technical base layer shirts underneath a shell jacket.
Thankfully on my most recent gear-testing adventure in France I had occasion to “gear up” when the weather came in hard up on top of the Aveyron plateau, and I was mighty glad that I’d stuffed suitable gear into my pack, including the VIPER top “just in case”!
As the mist descended and turned to that fine kind of drizzle that soaks you through over time I added the MID LAYER between my base and shell, and as the temperature started to drop later in the day I was mighty glad for the extra bit of warmth it created in my clothing system, letting internal moisture escape through the layers thanks to its “waffle” construction, and trapping air in the construction to keep my core temperature regulated.
During more strenuous bouts of moving hard uphill it was also easy to vent to allow heat build-up to dissipate thanks to the deep half-zip; equally it was easy to warm up again when immobile by simply zipping back up and letting the high collar do its work.
Overall it’s brilliantly cut and a great design; light, easy to pack, it really does what it was designed to do… and that’s to keep you comfortable when the conditions, and the going, get tough!”
