Vollebak Indestructible Jacket

The Vollebak Indestructible Jacket is a completely Dyneema made outerwear kit that has moderate body armor utility but wears like a load carryable rugged windbreaker – ideal for the streets and the jungles.

        Vollebak is a company renowned for its innovative approach to clothing, often pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in terms of material science and design. Something like a fusion of Triple Aught Design and Arc’teryx, but beyond both.

One of their most notable products is the Indestructible Jacket, which is a testament to the company’s commitment to creating stylish garments that are both functionally superior and aesthetically pleasing.

The Indestructible Jacket is built from Dyneema, which is touted as the strongest fiber on Earth – just now being used to make clothing. The material’s durability has been proven in numerous applications, such as ropes for pulling up sunken cruise ships, creating a 30km long tether designed to pull a capsule back from space, and constructing tsunami barriers to stop 20-meter waves. Despite its strength, it’s also very lightweight – it’s the titanium of fabrics.

Dyneema’s toughness is not just due to its inherent strength but also its resilience to different conditions. The material’s melting point is around 130°C, well above the highest air temperature ever recorded on Earth, ensuring it can withstand extreme heat environments. Interestingly, Dyneema becomes even stronger in cold conditions, gaining 5-10 percent strength as the temperature drops to -50°C, making it ideal for use in harsh winter climates​​.

The Indestructible Jacket is designed to withstand the toughest environments on Earth. In the company’s tests, the jacket was exposed to shearing, tearing, and blunt-force traumas mimicking those one might experience from rocks, ice, trees, and falls. The jacket proved to be virtually impossible to rip, and blunt-force trauma had little impact other than marking it​​. However, it should be noted that while the jacket is extremely durable, it is not bulletproof or able to withstand extreme heat like that of inside a volcano​.

Despite its toughness, the Indestructible Jacket is surprisingly comfortable and suitable for casual daily use. The jacket feels like denim on a cold day, soft and smooth to the touch, but with a light grain. This is due to the use of Dyneema Black, a variant of the material that is stronger and thicker because it’s spun then woven. This version of Dyneema was never used for clothing until Vollebak in 2019​.

The jacket has a athletic but slightly loose fit with plenty of room for layering, but if a closer fit is desired, it is recommended to size down. The sleeves are designed to maintain their rolled-up position if required, thanks to the surprising weightiness (or lack thereof) of the Dyneema Black material​.

In terms of utility, the jacket is equipped with hidden pockets on the chest designed to hold items securely, even in hostile environments. They can fit items as large as a phone or GPS and have reinforced stitching to prevent tearing​. I use it as a “day pack” for when I need to carry more gear than my pant pockets can hold but not enough to warrant an actual backpack.

The jacket’s collar can be worn in four different configurations to dynamically adjust for style, fit and weather conditions. Due to the unique material, each collar position stays put as needed – same for the cuffs.

The Indestructible Jacket’s durability extends even to its buttons, which are made from corozo nuts, a material known for its strength and resistance to scratches, extreme temperatures, and impact. These buttons are threaded onto a heavy-duty woven tape rather than directly onto the jacket, allowing them to slide up and down and adding to the garment’s flexibility and resistance to tearing forces​.

Despite its many tactical features and durability, the jacket also maintains a stylish aesthetic, making it suitable for casual daily use as well as more adventurous activities. While the Indestructible Jacket was not designed specifically for urban warfare or wilderness survival, it does have some features that could prove beneficial in such scenarios.

For urban warfare, the jacket’s extreme durability could be beneficial. The material, Dyneema, is extremely strong and difficult to rip or tear, which could provide some degree of protection against abrasions and impacts from debris or falls​ to light shrapnel. The hidden pockets on the chest might also be useful in this context for carrying essential items securely​, such as spare mags, a flashlight or flashbangs.

In terms of wilderness survival, the jacket’s toughness and resistance to extreme temperatures could be advantageous. Dyneema becomes stronger in cold conditions and maintains its strength in extreme heat, which means the jacket could perform well in a wide range of environments, from snowy mountains to hot deserts​. The collar can be configured to provide protection from the sun, wind, or bugs, which could be useful in different wilderness scenarios​.

However, as with any piece of survival or combat gear, the usefulness of this jacket would depend on the specific situation and conditions. For example, it does not provide features like waterproofing or insulation that might be critical in certain survival situations – but makes for excellent layering.

When you wear it and touch it, you can tell how tough this jacket is but it feels and drapes your body unlike any other clothing material as it’s so light and movable. It may be nigh indestructible but it feels mighty comfortable.

The Vollebak Indestructible Jacket is difficult to place in what type of outerwear it is specifically, because it in fact is an everything-anywhere piece of kit. Regardless of climate or season, setting or venue, this jacket excels.