Berghaus Men’s Kielder Gore-Tex Interactive Jacket Jet Black

How well is it built?

The Kielder is built around two-layer Gore-Tex, with a 100% polyester body, an EPE membrane, a polyester lining and polyamide trim.

The face fabric is a robust 70D polyester, which is a tough outer for a shell, and it should shrug off the scrapes that come with pushing through bankside brambles or carrying gear along an overgrown path.

The seams are taped, and the sleeves have articulated seams, which means they're shaped to follow the bend of your arm. That's the sort of detail you get on well-made outdoor shells, and it matters when you're casting or reaching out with a landing net.

The peaked hood is fixed, so it's always there when a squall blows through, and all three pockets close with zips.

For me, the Gore-Tex fabric and the 70D face put it a step ahead of the Drennan 25K Waterproof Jacket on build. I think 9.1 is a fair score for a shell made to this standard, and it should stay a trusted jacket for a long time.

Weather Protection

So, how well does it keep the weather out? The 28,000mm hydrostatic head is well beyond the 20,000mm mark that handles prolonged heavy rain, so a long, wet day by the water is well within what this shell is designed for.

Taped seams close off the stitching, which is where water often finds its way into a jacket.

Breathability is given as a RET of 13, and a lower RET means a more breathable fabric. That should let sweat escape on the walk to your swim or when you're moving along a river with a rod, which is exactly when a less breathable shell starts to feel clammy inside.

The fixed peaked hood has single-cord adjustment, and the adjustable cuffs and two-point bungee cord hem let you close the gaps at your wrists and waist when the wind picks up.

I think that's about as complete as rain protection gets in a jacket you'd wear fishing, and it fully earns its 9.3.

Comfort & Fit Rating

The Kielder has a regular fit that's cut to work as part of a layering system.

It's a shell, so the warmth comes from what you wear under it, and that's where the InterActive zip earns its keep, because a fleece like the Berghaus Prism Guide InterActive can zip inside so the two work as one jacket on a cold day.

It weighs 580g, which is light enough to wear all day without feeling weighed down. The articulated sleeves should give you plenty of freedom when you cast, and the hood pulls in with a single cord at the back.

Two zipped hand-warmer pockets look after cold hands, while a zipped chest pocket keeps a phone or car keys secure.

To be fair, if you sit still through long winter sessions, the Fortis Tundra Jacket adds 300 grams per square metre of Primaloft insulation. As a shell for most of the year, though, I think the Kielder is very comfortable, and the 8.8 is fair.

Is it good value for money?

Is the Kielder worth the money? It's one of the dearer waterproofs you can wear for fishing, and it's dearer than the Drennan 25K Waterproof Jacket, which has a 25,000mm head of its own.

What the extra buys is Gore-Tex fabric, a higher 28,000mm figure, a tough 70D face and the InterActive system, which lets one shell pair with a fleece for winter.

That versatility is the key to its value. Berghaus is an outdoor brand, so this is a jacket you can wear for walks and everyday outdoor use as well as fishing, which spreads the cost well beyond your time on the bank. The 8.4 is its lowest score, simply because of the spend.

Overall, I'd recommend the Kielder to anglers who walk to their swims, fish rivers on the move or want one premium shell for fishing and everyday outdoor use. If you mostly sit still through long, cold sessions, an insulated jacket such as the Fortis Tundra is the warmer choice.