COLD TESTED

INFO

Kelton Men ’ s Jacket – $ 339.99 CKX Drummondville , Quebec CKXgear . com

STOUT : The Kelton proved to be a well-made , durable jacket that protected our test rider from the elements .

STYLISH : Though the “ carmel ” coloration was darker / more canvas-looking in person than it appears to be on the CKX website , it had a classy-cool look we really liked .

STEALTH : Aside from our colorway , the jacket is also available in a stark black , subtle “ olive night ” and brighter “ estate blue ” colorations .

It may have been a short season in the winter of 2023-24 , but wearing the CKX Kelton Men ’ s Jacket and Element bib pants while weaving on the trails of the Upper Midwest and Mountain West was time very well spent .

The Kelton sits at the very top of the CKX jacket lineup in the brand ’ s own “ warmth ” rating scale , scoring a 10 out of 10 . That puts it even higher than the arctic-sounding Alaska line from the same brand .

That rating rang true in our time wearing the jacket . Its 300gram PrimaLoft insulation in the body and 250gram PrimaLoft in the sleeves provided all the warming comfort

needed for any conditions we encountered .

Despite the fact that the insulation was affixed and not removable , though , the jacket didn ’ t seem overly bulky . It was definitely big , but not cumbersome . Helping create that feel was the pliable and soft T4-Flex nylon / spandex exterior material that never felt confining or crinkly . In fact , it almost had a “ worn-in ” feel of a well-used jacket the very first time we put it on .

Two front vents , each measuring 7 inches long , ran diagonally from the outer chest to under the arms , ending at the base of the wearer ’ s rib cage . They let us modulate our core body temperature on more comfortable winter days . With no rear exhaust vents , though , the fully insulated jacket did prove to be too much even with the vents open on warmer spring riding days .

Sizing of the jacket seemed accurate – it wasn ’ t as roomy as some other XL jackets our test jockey has worn , but it fit his 6 foot , 200-pound build well even with the TekVest in place .

The jacket was also notable for its cargo carrying capabilities . On the exterior , two large pockets with vertical zippers were found in the chest , plus two large cargo pockets with horizontal openings and flaps were found near the waist . More zipper pockets were located inside .

Notable quality features included a storm flap with magnets over the main zipper , a high collar with a detachable hood , an interior snow skirt and fleece interior lining at the shoulders and neck .

48 / FEBRUARY 2025 / SNOWGOER . COM