Resolve Down Anorak - Coming Soon

What the Resolve Anorak is

The Resolve Anorak is a down anorak built for static warmth in sub-freezing conditions. It is OV’s warmest apparel piece to date, and is intentionally built for narrow applications: sub-freezing temperatures, no movement, for as long as the situation demands.

It uses the construction logic of a sleeping bag rather than a 3 season puffy: Box baffles sized to let the down reach full loft, 850 fill power ExpeDRY white duck down, No full-length front zipper (a potential cold spot), & a 15D nylon shell.

It is not a layer for moving in. It is the layer for when the moving stops.

Why a jacket built for stillness is a different jacket

While many insulated jackets are designed to be a static insulation piece, they’re designed for milder, less cold conditions. The situation the Resolve was built for is longer and colder than that: heat production has stopped, the temperature is below freezing, and there is no option to hike yourself warm again.

That is the condition where a jacket has to do all of the work:

• Glassing a basin at first light in November

• Waiting out weather on an exposed ridge with nowhere to go

• Sitting behind a camera for eight hours because the animal appears on its own schedule

• Cold camp at elevation, hours before the sun clears the ridge & hours after it goes down

• The unplanned stop: a partner's injury, a route error, a night that runs longer than the plan

Why the ½ length zipper matters

The ½ zipper configuration of an anorak typically makes it warmer than a full zippered jacket because there is a smaller area for potential heat loss. The Resolve uses 2 half zippers, each with insulated box baffle draft tubes to prevent cold from escaping. These half zips give you excellent access to gear & make it easy to put on and take off:

• Unzip the top slider for access to a chest binocular harness or a camera

• Unzip the bottom slider to vent heat while the collar stays closed at your chin

• Fully unzip both upper sliders and the anorak is easy to get on and take off, which is the usual argument against an anorak but an intentional function of the Resolve in this configuration

Why box baffles instead of sewn-through

Sewn-through construction stitches the shell directly to the lining, which pinches the down at every seam and gives up warmth in a line across the garment. Box baffle construction builds a wall that creates a 3 dimensional space between the two layers so the down has room to expand. Simply adding a lot of down without giving it enough room would result in a much less warm anorak.

Why the hands go in one pocket, not two

Two separate hand pockets keep your hands apart, each warming its own pocket. The Resolve uses one insulated kangaroo pocket that sits behind the insulation & keeps your hands together, warming each other. YKK zippers keep it closed when it is not in use.

Hardware built for cold hands

No. 5 YKK zippers with pulls large enough to find and operate through gloves. Locking tabs so a slider cannot creep open and bleed heat without you noticing. Glove hanging loops near the collar for when you need bare fingers on binoculars or camera controls. A drop-back adjustable hem with double cinch cord, an adjustable hood with a face opening cinch cord, elasticized cuffs, and anti-ride belt loop clips that keep the hem where you put it.

When to choose the Resolve

This is a specialized piece made for sub-freezing temps while sitting still. Anywhere else, it’s likely more jacket than you need, & you’ll pay for it in overheating and in pack space.

An anorak is typically harder to put on and take off than a full-zip jacket, however our double ½ length zippers make the Resolve significantly easier to put on and take off than other anorak designs. 

This is not a piece to hike in. If you want insulation to move in, look at active insulation instead. The Resolve earns its place at the moment the pack comes off.

Who it is for

• Cold camp at elevation in shoulder season & winter

• Backpackers who camp high and cold, in shoulder season and winter

• Backcountry hunters spending long static hours behind glass

• Wildlife and landscape photographers waiting on light and on animals

• Mountain travelers on routes with real exposure and long weather holds

• Anyone whose trips include extended sub-freezing stillness, planned or otherwise

Why it is a Special Project

The Resolve Anorak is the first release under the Special Projects Division, a new development category at Outdoor Vitals. Special Projects pieces are not built to be the most versatile thing in your kit. They are built to offer specialized capability in high consequence applications, for the narrow contingent of people who need it. This is not a line built to scale. It exists to build the gear that otherwise wouldn't exist.