Andrew Piotrowski

The most consistent thing about my winter endurance training is constantly changing weather. The Mid-Atlantic weather has a funny way of keeping you on your toes. Monday might be a beautiful sunny 55 and Tuesday could be an ice storm. This makes selecting winter running gear pretty difficult and I often end up carrying a bunch of layers that I don’t use. 

R5 Gore-Tex Infinium Insulated Jacket Review

The Gore-Tex R5 Infinium Jacket has been the solution to this problem for me this winter. This Jacket is built to keep you warm while also being very lightweight. I have run in this jacket for the past few months and have been very pleased with how it performs in a variety of conditions. These range from very windy, cold, and snowy days to cool bluebird winter days. This jacket has allowed me to go lighter and be more comfortable on my runs, splitboard tours, and winter paddles. 

I recently used this jacket for a 6+ hour ultra run in variable conditions, and I was impressed with its performance. The day started off cold, windy, and cloudy and I wore just the jacket with a light long sleeve base layer under it. Despite the 19 degree windchill I was really comfortable. As I warmed up on the rolling hills, I opened the zipper a bit and stayed very comfortable.

As the day went on it warmed up to the mid-30s and the wind stopped. I took the jacket off and found it very easy to stow away in my small hydration vest. Towards the end of the run the clouds came in, I was likely a bit dehydrated and under fueled and I got cold. I was about 6 miles from the car and was very grateful to have the jacket with me. I put it on and quickly warmed up. If I had not had the jacket, it would have been a cold last 6 miles of a long 36 mile run. 

Key Features:

Safety: There are multiple reflective tapes and a reflective logo that allow you to be easily seen at night. I like the white color with lime trim and hood as it helps make you even more visible. Note: I was a little worried about wearing this jacket for downhill snowboarding as I was afraid the white could hinder visibility on snow. But I love it on the uphill! 

Insulation: This jacket uses a POLARTEC ALPHA insulation that is the perfect balance of super lightweight and warmth. I will admit that I was very skeptical of an insulated jacket for running but I was pleasantly surprised how Gore used just the right amount of insulation to keep you warm but not roasting!

Wind Protection: If you are running in the alpine or often find yourself running in cold and windy conditions, I highly recommend this jacket. The GORE-TEX INFINIUM WINDSTOPPER is an amazing product! It is highly effective at blocking wind but also extremely breathable. The membrane has pores that are larger than water molecules so sweat easily escapes but wind stays out. Seriously this stuff is magic!

Hood: The hood fits snug and does not flap around or worse get blown off in high winds. I ran an entire 10 mile run in heavy snow and high winds with the hood up and it kept me warm and dry the entire time.

Pockets: There are two side zip pockets that are very easy to access and sit below my hydration vest straps. I often use these for snacks on longer runs. There is also a smaller inner pocket in one of the side pockets. I found this to help with organization and is also great for keys or cards.

One thing I would change: This is minor but it is hard to zip the last third of the zipper up with one hand. The majority of the zipper pulls really easy.  The issue is due to the top of the jacket being open and flopping over a little until fully zipped. This is a very minor issue and the jacket is outstanding for what its designed for. 

Andrew Piotrowski

Andrew is a trail runner, climber, paddler, snowboarder, marketer, and most importantly a dog dad. Andrew grew up in suburban Philadelphia and now lives on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

While he lives pretty far from the mountains, he puts a heavy focus on preparing for them and inspiring others to do the same. He first fell in love with the mountains on family trips to the White Mountains and the Adirondacks. He spent the majority of his early life competitively running and leisurely paddling, however after college he began focusing on learning to climb, snowboard, and backpack.

Over the past ten years since then, he has been fortunate enough to gain some amazing experiences exploring North America. Some of the most memorable thus far are alpine climbing in the Sierra, trail running in Alberta, learning to splitboard in NH, countless days hiking in the Catskills, or a plethora of mellow days paddling the Chesapeake Bay with friends.

When he can’t be in the mountains Andrew is often running or hiking with his favorite training partners, his two rescue dogs Calvin and Enzo. Andrew is also a self-proclaimed gear junkie and confessed that his gear loft is the most organized place in his home.

Blog: Flatcityclimbing.com

Instagram: pack_mule_piotrowski