Black Diamond

Alpine Start Insulated Hoodie - Men's

Good

unique placement of insulation is a personal preference. . .

Very light, very warm, looks amazing

Love this piece, it's designed with a really interesting prioritization of warm zones and weigh-cutting, never seen a jacket quite like it. Packs down to a micro pouch and weighs basically nothing - but it's honestly hella warm. I wish the hood had a bit more structure so it didn't do that limp floppy hood thing, but that's my only real critique.

Great Mid Layer

Fantastic mid layer that’s on the lighter end compared to other packable puffies. Material is exceptionally soft, sheds light moisture effectively, and packs into a very light bundle. I’m 6’4” slim but lanky and ordered a Large. Might be worth sizing up to an XL to get slightly longer sleeves but didn’t want to get too baggy around my torso.

Great hoody

Feels soft and buttery and keeps you warm. Ideal if you don't want to get super hot when moving, but need some heat at the beginning.

Perfect for summit day

This is a great layer that provides the warmth and weather resistance needed for summer summit days. It's light and packable which helps keep the weight down to the minimum

Warm Where You Want It

I was initially a little hesitant to get this over the first light stretch hoody or another company’s offering due to the areas that don’t have insulation. After using it a couple of times I have loved it! It has insulation where you want it (the chest, back, and the outside of the arms). This leaves the sides of the torso and the undersides of the arms protected and able to cool down quickly! For snowshoeing, hiking, or skinning it is great! Keeps you warm but not too warm and the wind and water protective outer layer is exceptional! It kept me protected against 30 mph winds and I was warm! For dry or slightly wet conditions this replaces 2 layers (fleece midlayer and wind breaker) and is almost as light as my old midlayer.

Beats out Arcteryx Atom LT

I’ve used a ton of midlayer pieces lack this- ATOM LT, Nano-Puff, etc. this is far better. Fit and finish is on par with Arcteryx, but this performs and feels much better.

Versatile

I’m 5’ 8” tall, 190 lbs and wear a large. I’ve worn this hoody in temps ranging from the mid 20’s to 50 f. The fit is regular. I’m a Patroller on a small mountain in NC and this hoody provides plenty of protection in cold temps working on setup when you’re active. With a light base layer it’s all I need for a cold day.

Solid layering jacket

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

XL

Haven’t gotten to really test it out yet, just biking around the city. But has been a good layering jacket, otherwise similar to the nano air, but maybe breathes a bit better. Which on the flip side, it’s a bit colder in the wind. Compared to other Black Diamond jackets I’ve had, it fits a bit larger. I could have gone down a size, but I don’t mind the jacket being a bit loose. I’m about 184cm and the sleeve length is good, and it’s longer than most other BD jackets I’ve had.

Perfect ultra running jacket

I wore this to CIM as my travel jacket. Worked great around town from 44-62 degrees Fahrenheit. I wear this running and so far I have worn it as low as 13 degrees Fahrenheit with a long sleeve and up to 30 Degrees with a t-shirt. The venting is amazing and keeps my body temp regulated while running. Hood cinches down well and doesn't bounce. Packs so well into the pocket to put in a hydration vest or carry on luggage. Highly recommend this instead of a puffer jacket. This will be in my mandatory gear for 200 mile races and ultras.