Royal’s versatile Transformer goes some way towards helping with the problem of choosing a jacket for the, ahem, changeable British weather.
Its unique sleeves zip off from the neck to leave a very lightweight gilet. These zips can also be partially undone to allow extra venting, but not when you have got your hydration pack on.
The four-way stretch material is not exactly windproof, and is only showerproof, but does offer a reasonable level of protection from the elements. The jacket has a few neat little features like sprung zip toggles that don’t rattle and internal audio cable routing.
The rad-looking camo print is rubberised, which is great with a hydropack because the shoulder straps grip on it.