Dear Precious Little Helios,
Oh, my beloved… the person who named you chose well, my dear little Feathered Friends Hooded Helios. That is what you are… like a ray of sunshine in my chilly October life.
We first bonded during our time together on Mount Rainier… Our guides questioned whether you would be warm enough given our chilly forecast (10 or so degrees Fahrenheit, we expected high up on the mountain) and steered me toward a rental jacket. I will admit… I thought about straying. I went to the rental shop to check out their offerings… and I just couldn’t do it. You are too special to me. And together, we climbed Mount Rainier. You kept me snuggly warm and cozy even at the highest rest… and we basked in the relative shelter of the summit together… my hands thankful for your large, easy to access even while gloved pockets that haven’t yet let my cell phone or keys slip out. It might sounds strange, but I love that your hand pockets aren’t zippered… at certain times of year, my hands are so torn up that the zippers on the pockets of my other puffies actually scrape. I know… my beloved little snuggly friend… that you’ll never scrape my hands… and that if I need a zippered pocket, you’ve got one for me tucked inside.
Right at this moment, I don’t care that you’re expedition worthy… and I don’t care that we both come from the Pacific Northwest. I am, right now as I type, snuggled up with you sitting at my computer in my chilly house. Maybe I’m letting my feelings interfere with my journalistic integrity right now… but you and I have just gotten too close. You’ll never be one of those trim, shapely, unpuffy little jackets… and I’d never want you to be. I love you just the way you are… marshmallowy fluffy like … well … a marshmallow.
We don’t have to always climb mountains together… and yes, sometimes, we’ll have an off and on arrangement… since sometimes you’re just so hot. While Feathered Friends so generously allowed me the privilege of your company, you’re just too dear to me to be reduced to a typical gear review. I can easily call you Girl Tested Girl Approved. But we’re so far beyond that. Your specs are at Feathered Friends, and I’ll just say… I love the way your hood fits over my helmet, even with my hardshell on underneath. And, I’d better stop myself, before I say too much.
I’m more interested in snuggling up with you on a cold fall night around a campfire, or tossing your little stuff-sacked self into a summit pack for those chilly wintery belays. You’re my ray of sunshine… my mascot… my beloved power puffy coat. Let’s go do great things together.
Love,
Sara.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Very clever and fun review. I recently returned a Volant and went back to the hooded helios in pretex. I too love it. Take care girl.
Joe
Wow… Im in love…
This remains one of my favorite blog posts in the history of the internet.