2016 ASTRAL GREEN JACKET
Over the course of the last few years, the Astral Green Jacket has established itself as a top-notch rescue PFD. Worn by everyone from the world's top paddlers to rescue professionals to weekend warriors, the Green Jacket is a staple on the river. After the first major redesign around 2012, the Green Jacket made an already great piece of gear even better. The addition of the front clam-shell pocket was a major game changer.
For 2016, the Green Jacket underwent a slight face-lift. None of the features that made it so great (the durable Cordura construction, lots of storage, and built in safety features), nor the comfortable fit were changed.
So, what did actually change?
The most noticeable change comes in the form of colors. Astral introduced 3 new colors for the Green Jacket this year:
Slate Black -
Cherry Creek Red -
And finally, Deep Water Blue -
Both the red and blue colors are bright and vibrant, but seem dark enough to keep from showing major wear over a short period of time. The accent colors are a nice added touch. The black is low-key and looks great in-person.
Colors were not the only update though. After numerous complaints and issues with the lashtab on the previous generation Green Jacket, Astral re-worked the new lashtab, reinforcing it with a layer of Cordura and making it lower-profile. These changes should make it less likely for the tab to tear off when a knife or sheath is caught on a bowline or branch.
A closer look at the new lashtab.
All in all, little changes were made to the Green Jacket. The changes that were made addressed known issues and give the PFD an added touch of style.
In Astral's eyes, the old saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" definitely rang true when it came to the revamping of the Green Jacket.
