Rab Men’s Alpha Direct Insulated Jacket

Active Junky’s had nothing but positive experiences with this brand, particularly when testers were seeking a trimmer, summit-sprinting fit. Here comes another Pertex-sheathed piece, combining reasonable outer protection with Alpha Direct insulation. Experience with this men’s jacket shows it handles a wide range of temperatures to stay relevant from pre-dawn into the warming day. An inner fabric lining is stripped out (thanks, Polartec) to cut weight while the hood is more compact for inside the helmet. While not suited for extended downpours and Arctic blasts (as an outer layer), Rab’s Alpha Direct morphs into mid-layer. The fabric is reasonably quiet as two zipped handwarmer pockets and one chest pockets get frequent use. A double-toggle hem finishes off the lightweight jacket for a solid contributor to weekend and expedition kits.