In Nepal, Sherpa are known for getting hard jobs done. Guiding, carrying, cooking, problem solving and keeping trips moving when everyone else is starting to fray around the edges. When we designed the Norbu Insulated Jacket, that was the sort of usefulness we had in mind.
Named after a guide from one of our Himalayan trips, the Norbu is simple, solid, subtle and properly reliable. Very Cactus, in other words. We have always been about making good gear that lasts, and this jacket is built with the same 30 plus years of know how behind it.
The Norbu uses synthetic insulation, which makes it more tolerant of moisture than down. Handy when the weather turns damp, or when you are working hard enough to create your own little weather system inside your jacket.
The outer fabric has a 10,000mm waterproof rating, so it handles wind, light rain and changeable conditions well. Perfect for cool Australian mornings, shoulder season bushwalks, windy ridgelines, damp campsites and those days when the weather cannot make up its mind.
But let’s be clear. The seams are not seam sealed, so this is not a fully waterproof jacket. In steady or prolonged rain, water can eventually get in through the seams. Think of the Norbu as a tough, weather resistant insulated layer, not a rain shell.
As you would expect, it comes with tough YKK zips and our proprietary tough arse reinforcement in the places that cop the most abuse.
Lightweight, yes. Fragile, no. Just a dependable insulated jacket built to be worn hard, packed often and dragged around for years.
Don’t need the hood? Check out the collared version. In Rob’s words, it is “corporately smart”.
