Beyond the Trailhead Alpha Direct Rip-Back Hoodie

This Alpha Direct fleece hoodie is one piece of kit that I take on almost all my backpacking trips. It’s lightweight, warm, breathable, comfortable, and it dries super quickly. I won’t leave home without it!

This hoodie is a game changer for me: The Beyond the Trailhead Gear Company (BTT) Alpha Direct Rip-Back hoodie. I purchased it from BTT just over two years ago and it’s been on every one of my backpacking trips since then. BTT is a small company that makes these Alpha Direct shirts to order. You can pick a few different options on their website. The customer service at BTT is good and I’ve purchased other gear from them. 

This Rip-Back hoodie is made of Alpha Direct fleece. I won’t give all the details of Alpha Direct here, but let me say it is quite awesome for backpacking. It’s light enough that you don’t have to worry about it weighing down your pack. It compresses pretty well so it won’t take up tons of room in your pack. And it’s a versatile piece of clothing. If you wear it over a t-shirt or long-sleeve shirt it’ll give you some extra warmth. However, it’s breathable so you won’t get too hot. If you put a windbreaker or rain jacket over Alpha Direct it provides excellent insulation. In my experience mosquitoes don’t (can’t?) bite through it, so that’s an added bonus.   

 The Alpha Direct hoodie from BTT has a few nice features. First, it has a couple of buttons for the hoodie. There’s also a drawstring for the hood. If you button the hood up and tie it tight, it will get nice and comfy around your head and even function as a balaclava to some extent. Or you can loosen it up and keep the hoodie down for more ventilation if you‘re warm. I’ve found that a little beanie can fit under the hood providing superb warmth. The BTT Rip-Back hoodie also has a drawstring around the waist so you can tighten it there to keep drafts out. 

Alpha Direct fleece doesn’t really hold in smell, so I’ve not had any issues with that even after a week on trail. It dries quickly as well, so when I sweat or go through a little drizzle in this hoodie, if there’s a breeze it’ll dry in no time. I’ve also put it in my quilt with me at night for some added warmth around my legs. It really is a Swiss-army-knife piece of clothing for backpacking!  And it’s interesting how many people ask about it when I’m on trail.

One thing to note: Alpha Direct does snag quite easily on Velcro, thorns, sticks, and other pokey objects. Do not go bushwhacking with Alpha Direct! Mine has a few snags on it, but it’s not bad and is still very functional. 

I highly recommend this Alpha Direct fleece from BTT. I really can’t say enough good things about it. I purchased one for my son and he never takes it off—even around the house.  It truly is a must-have piece of clothing. And I don’t say that lightly. Even thinking about it makes me want to wear it!

Background

I’ve worn this BTT Alpha Direct Hoodie on various trails for hundreds of miles in a two year span. I’ve put it through the test—and it passed with flying colors!