Gorka Membrane suit

[Namtinker]

Gents, a more in-depth review of the Russian Gorka Membrane suit rated for -25 to -5C, available from Rus-Mil.com. I discovered these in my search for reasonably priced, but practical hunting outfits. Took a gamble and ordered some from Russia, and was pleasantly surprised. If anybody is looking for detailed photos, pm me and I can e-mail any specific details to you.


Overall description:
A combination outfit consisting out of bib style pants with jacket and removable hood. My review sets came in the “Snowstorm” and MU-Blur patterns (personal selection when I ordered).

Material and patterns:
A multitude of camo patterns are available, ranging from ATACs, to various Snow patterns. Standard fixed colors olive or black are also available. All patterns look excellent, with good printing. The clothing has an internal membrane, a soft exterior, and is fleece lined. Given the plethora of colours available in the snow boarding scene, the jackets would not look out of place in a casual context. Both the pants and jacket has internal insulation that will suffice “as is” probably down to -15.

Functionality & detail:
Very good. The details are well though out.
The removable hood have both size and position adjusters. My review sets both came with the face mask, and it was of equally high quality. I can recommend adding it.
The jacket has enough pockets, some with zippers, some with buttons. Knitted cuffs keeps the heat in. A good storm flap protects the zippers. The jacket also have several internal adjusters to customize fit/air space. No loose “water bottle” style internal pockets. Zippered pockets for stuff you want to keep secure.
Bib pants have enough pockets, and the lower leg section includes an integral boot cuff, and a foot strap/stirrup to simplify donning boots. So riding up of pants here! Insulation is adjusted for this purpose, so you may need insulated boots in extreme conditions. Pants also have adjusters to tune the fit on the legs and come with sturdy suspenders. No pinch points or potential pressure points when wearing a pack.

Comfort & Fit:
Very, very comfortable to wear due to the fleece finish. Fit is athletic, with the bib pants fitting slightly smaller than noted, and the jacket slightly larger to allow for additional layers. Fit favors a V body shape. Lengthwise it fits true to the upper dimension noted on the sizing charts. When properly adjusted, the set-up is temperature wise easily comparible to a two-piece snowmobile suit, and comes very close to a one-piece suit.

Workmanship:
Excellent. Stitching is good, and the clothing looks excellent. The site photos do not do the set justice.

Cost:
Very reasonable. US$120 for a set. Even including the shipping costs, it compares very well with any locally available clothing. For the features you receive it is hard (read that as impossible) to beat the value.

Shipping & service:
It ships from Russia, and can take 3-5 weeks to arrive. “Long” compared to North American vendors, but again, the value justifies the wait. Service and communications were good and fast – e-mail responses were typically within 4-6 hours.

Unknowns:
Membrane “waterproofness”. Given the construction and temperature rating, this would not be a system that I will use where I expect to be rained on. It will be too hot to wear comfortably. So the membrane was evaluated for windproof characteristics instead.

Verdict:
A very well priced, high quality product that can be used for a multitude of outdoor activities. It would make a great hunting outfit due to the soft finish. The set will be hot when used for high exertion activities, so expect to “de-layer”. It also comes in a lower temperature rating (-40 to -5C), which I’ll review once I receive it.
The -25 to -5C version will, with a proper mid layer, cover most Canadian winter activities. Blind/stand style hunting activities may warrant the colder version, but given the functionality of the system, you’d better have a lighter option to get to your location!