Speed and Strength Trial By Fire Mesh Jacket

We tried the size Medium in this jacket on Huey and we put an XL jacket on Dewey. These are the sizes they normally wear and both fit very well. The jackets are a bit roomy as compared to many other sport styles, so if you are sometimes between sizes, choose the smaller. Otherwise just choose the size your normally wear.

The chart provided by Speed and Strength shows chest sizes for each alpha size that are about a half size larger than what you’d normally see for “standard” conversion from chest size to alpha size (example: an XL jacket is usually listed as a 46 max chest). Considering my comments about how the jackets fit a bit roomy, I’d consider this chart to be accurate.

The Trial By Fire mesh jacket is made for hot weather use. All areas but the shoulders and a bit down the sides of the torso are a full mesh jacket which will allow the air to blow right through. A design like this is welcome in really hot weather. It’s my opinion that a full mesh jacket like this is even more comfortable than no jacket at all because it will keep the sun off and cut down on windburn (a problem in low humidity/hot weather). The overall styling is sharp and the construction quality is very good. We’ve taken some good photos of the jacket’s features that you can view by clicking the “View Larger Images” link above. All the usual suspects are there. The one strange thing about this jacket is the removable liner. It is a VERY thin stretchy fleece material. It is not windproof or waterproof (which is common in full mesh designs, and it is not nearly thin enough to provide insulation. What’s it for? I dunno…. maybe somebody will tell me! Speed and Strength says “moisture wicking”, which I wonder about. Wouldn’t you want the full effect of the air right on your body? Why a wicking layer? Anyway, overall, I really like the style… particularly in the Hi Viz color. :: Paul, 04-24-12