The Rab Xenair Alpine Gentle Insulated Jacket is an artificial insulated jacket with a hood, chest pocket, and hand hotter pockets. It has body-mapped insulation: extra on the torso and fewer alongside the perimeters for higher thermo-regulation when energetic. I’ve been utilizing this jacket as an outer heat layer in very chilly uncovered circumstances for over a 12 months. Whereas I’ve all the time used down jackets for this operate previously I slightly like this Xenair Alpine Gentle Insulated Jacket which compresses surprisingly effectively and is extra amenable to be used underneath a shell if required.
Specs at a Look
- Gender: Males’s (ladies’s accessible)
- Exterior cloth: 20-denier Pertex Quantum Air nylon
- Hood: Designed for under-helmet use.
- Pockets: 3
- Windproof: Sure
- Weight: 11.9 oz (337g) in males’s xl
- Insulation Sort: Artificial
- Insulation: PrimaLoft Gold Lively+
- Packable: Chest Pocket
- Again size: 28.1 inches (hip size)
The Rab Xenair Alpine Gentle Insulated Jacket is a really heat artificial jacket that’s designed with breathability and energetic use in thoughts. It’s insulated with 60 g PrimaLoft Gold Lively+ insulation in entrance, again, high of sleeves, and collar for heat and luxury, whereas the perimeters, underarms, backbone, and high of the hood have 40 g insulation. This insulation along with its Pertex Quantum Air nylon exterior cloth enhances the jacket’s means to vent water vapor in use, notably in drier and colder circumstances while you’re much less more likely to overheat and perspire.
Effectively-Becoming Hood
The factor that makes the Rab Xenair Alpine Gentle Insulated Jacket markedly totally different from different artificial insulated jackets is the hood. Most lighter-weight artificial and down jackets have non-adjustable hoods which can be usually designed to be used with climbing or snowboarding helmets and are grotesquely too giant to maintain your head heat until you might have an unlimited Godzilla-sized head.
However Rab did one thing a bit totally different with this jacket to maintain it lighter weight. As a substitute of instrumenting the hood with neck controls to make the face opening adjustable or placing a quantity adjuster on the rear, they “collect” the hood with a chunk of elastic on the rear which maintains human proportions, however can develop to accommodate totally different head sizes. This makes the hood self-adjusting which makes it a lot easier and simpler when carrying gloves whereas making the jacket lighter weight and simpler to fabricate. When you use a helmet, it’s possible you’ll not just like the hood as a result of it should retard your peripheral imaginative and prescient. However in case you’re a winter hiker and don’t use a helmet, this hood is straightforward to love.
Heat
Weight
Compressibility
Moisture Resistence
Hood Adjustemnt
Options
Mid-Layer?
Rab positions this jacket as a mid-layer possibility, however I discover it method too heat for that objective when snowshoeing or mountain climbing up mountains, even in very chilly climate. I feel it’ll be wonderful layered underneath a shell for sitting on a chair raise and zipping again downhill, however for self-propelled adventures with actual elevation acquire, you’ll soak the liner very quickly. I do run a bit sizzling on winter hikes, so your mileage will range, however I’ve by no means ever discovered a down or artificial jacket like this one that may substitute a fleece hoodie as a mid-layer.
Match and Trim
The match is “common” and never too slim, so you may layer beneath the jacket. The elastic wrist cuffs are pretty comfortable so that they work effectively underneath a shell, however they’re too tight to drag up your arms in case you’re making an attempt to manage your heat stage by exposing pores and skin. There’s an elastic hem adjuster, so you may forestall wind from blowing up your torso.
Lastly, this jacket has three zippered pockets, together with two giant handwarmer pockets and a good-sized chest pocket contained in the jacket. Plus, you may stuff the jacket into its chest pocket (there’s additionally a harness loop), though I by no means do this in winter as a result of I take advantage of the jacket to insulate the new water bottles inside my pack.
Suggestion
The Rab Xenair Alpine Gentle Insulated Jacket is a really heat artificial jacket that’s greatest used as an outer insulation layer, however has a compact sufficient profile that it may very well be used underneath a shell jacket. It has a human-proportioned hood that matches underneath helmets, versus over, making it appropriate for winter mountain climbing for these of us who don’t must put on protecting helmets. Light-weight and fairly packable, this can be a critically good insulated jacket that feels good to put on and might present further insulation for objects in your pack that you just don’t wish to freeze.
Disclosure: The creator bought this garment.
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Final up to date: 2024-01-26 17:29:39
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