The French aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote that “perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” He flew rather than rode, but that is the standard we set for the Oro: a fully waterproof, breathable jacket that weighs 93 grams in a medium.
The fabric
We started with the lightest, most breathable material we could find: GORE-TEX® Active fabric with SHAKEDRY™ technology. Its construction eliminates the face material and the glue layer, so you are wearing the GORE-TEX membrane itself, laminated to a lightweight inner fabric.
The outer film repels water rather than absorbing it. It never wets out and it never wears off, so the jacket keeps breathing in every condition and a quick shake leaves the surface dry. That combination of protection and comfort means you can leave it on as the weather changes instead of stopping to strip it off.
Everything after the fabric
The fabric was the starting point. As with every piece designed in our Squamish, B.C. studio, the Oro went through round after round of patterning and prototypes, chasing a fit that holds with the least seam length possible. Shorter seams mean less fabric, less thread and less tape.
We worked with our partners at YKK to retrofit custom lightweight sliders onto the zippers. We developed a zipper installation that removes an entire layer of tape and fabric overlap from each side. The hem is a laminated raw edge, which takes the bulk out of the waist and leaves a clean finish.
What stayed in
We did not set out to build the lightest jacket. We set out to build the lightest jacket that still does everything a jacket has to do. It has 360 degree reflective tape, multipurpose vents that work as passthroughs to your jersey pockets, waterproof elasticated cuffs and an essentials pocket that doubles as the stuff sack.
The finished weight is 93 grams, medium. It packs into its own pocket, rides in a jersey pocket and comes back out when the wind turns or the rain arrives.
Nothing more to add. Nothing left to take away.
