Climbing Apparel Reviews

The Beyond Ascent Glide Pant.

Review: Beyond Clothing Ascent Glide Pant

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Soft-Shell Hiking Pants
Beyond Clothing Ascent Glide Pant
$135, 9 oz./326g (men’s 30 short)
Sizes: men’s 30-42, short, regular, and long
beyondclothing.com

On the second morning of a three-day hike in early October on the 22-mile Boulder Mail Trail-Death Hollow-Escalante River Loop in southern Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, we started hiking down Death Hollow in the deep shade of canyon walls, wading in the chilly creek through pools as deep as mid-thigh with air temperatures in the 40s Fahrenheit (around 5° C) and a steady wind blowing. We had to wear pants for the occasional, unavoidable bushwhacking through stands of head-high poison ivy along the creek banks. Inevitably, the legs of my Beyond Clothing Ascent Glide Pants got soaked (as did my boots; I relied on insulated top layers to stay warm).

Several hours later, we reached our campsite with my pant legs still soaked from walking most of the day in water. But in the short time I took unloading my pack and pitching my tent, they dried completely on my body. I never had to remove them and wore them throughout that evening in camp.

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The Rab Mythic Alpine Down Jacket.

Review: Rab Mythic Alpine Down Jacket

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Water-Resistant Down Jacket
Rab Mythic Alpine Down Jacket
$390, 11 oz./313g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
backcountry.com

Two separate, six- to seven-day, September backpacking trips in Glacier National Park and the Wind River Range presented a quandary: Starting out with the weight of a week’s food gave me added incentive to trim all superfluous weight from my pack; yet the possibility of temperatures dropping near or even below freezing made bringing adequately warm layers essential. The Rab Mythic Alpine Down Jacket achieved both goals, keeping me warm on mornings around freezing while weighing less than most comparably warm puffy jackets.

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The Arc’teryx Beta Lightweight Jacket.

Review: Arc’teryx Beta Lightweight Jacket

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All-Season Shell Jacket
Arc’teryx Beta Lightweight Jacket
$500, 13 oz./369g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s XS-3XL, women’s 2XS-2XL
arcteryx.com

From a pair of three-day backpacking trips and some dayhikes in the Canadian Rockies in early August to a four-day trip in the Wind River Range in mid-August and a seven-day hike in Glacier National Park in September, I logged countless hours walking through rain showers, steady rain, intense thunderstorms, and very strong, chilly wind in the Beta Lightweight Jacket. My takeaway: This is one of the most weather-resistant and comfortable all-season shells on the market.

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The Himali Accelerator Down Jacket.

Review: Himali Accelerator Down Jacket

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Down Jacket
Himali Accelerator Down Jacket
$345, 12.5 oz./354g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
himali.com

On cool mornings and windy evenings in the low 40s Fahrenheit (4-6° C) in campsites while backpacking the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park and the Nigel, Cataract, and Cline Passes Route in the White Goat Wilderness in the Canadian Rockies in August, my Himali Accelerator Down Jacket kept me perfectly warm over just one or two base layers. By many measures, this midweight puffy hits the target for three-season mountain adventures in its balance of weight, packability, warmth, materials, water resistance, and features—all at a competitive price for a high-quality down jacket.

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The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer UL Hoody.

Review: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer UL Hoody

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Ultralight Down Jacket
Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer UL Hoody
$450, 6.7 oz./190g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
backcountry.com

At under nine ounces/255 grams, Mountain Hardwear’s classic Ghost Whisperer/2 Down Hoody has long held the distinction as one of the very lightest, most packable, and warmest-for-its-weight down jackets for backpackers, climbers, and other backcountry travelers—and arguably the best among the tiny number in its weight class. So why make one that’s even lighter? That question occupied my mind while using Hardwear’s newer Ghost Whisperer UL Hoody, which whacks about two ounces/57 grams off its older sibling’s weight while excelling for many of the same reasons—and differentiating itself.

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