Mountain Hardwear Men's AirMesh Long Sleeve Hoody

The MH Airmesh is a lightweight, breathable fleece hoodie. It provides warmth but also prevents overheating because of its similarities to Alpha Direct fleece. It's an awesome hoody for backpacking, hiking, camping, and even everyday use.

I have an Alpha Direct fleece hoodie that I've used on many multi-day backpacking trips. When I heard about the Mountain Hardwear Airmesh, I had to try it. In some ways, the Airmesh is like MH's version of Alpha Direct fleece. It's very lightweight, provides a fair amount of warmth, and is breathable. Although my Alpha Direct fleece hoodie might have just a little more loft or thickness, the Airmesh is very similar. 

I typically wear a size large for Mountain Hardwear shirts/jackets. The MH Airmesh large fits just like it should. The fleece is very comfortable on my skin. The hood fits just right. There are thumbholes that work well for me. There is also a little zip pocket on the left lower side area. The pocket would be a place to store some cash or other small item. However, you can't access the pocket when you have a pack on. 

I recently wore the Airmesh on a multiday hiking trip on the NCT near Lake Superior (in Michigan). It performed very well on days around 60 degrees. It let a little wind through to keep me from overheating, but the fleece also prevented me from getting chilly. It might be too warm for days over 65 or 70, but it's great in the 50's and 60's (F). You can also wear a t-shirt under this for a little more warmth. And, of course, you can use it as a midlayer under a windproof jacket for some insulation. It's pretty versatile, but you'd need more insulation than this on days below 50F or so.

The Airmesh is also reversible. You can have the fleece touching your skin for more warmth, or reverse it if you want more airflow and less warmth. The outer material of the Airmesh is more durable than Alpha Direct in that it won't snag as easily on velcro or prickly bushes/branches. I did brush up against some trees on my hikes and the Airmesh didn't snag at all. And it does dry quickly after it gets wet. I can't say how bad it holds in body odor after a week or two because my hikes have been less than a week. But when I wore it I didn't smell anything too bad after three or four days in a row.

The Airmesh is 180 grams on my scale. I'd say that's pretty close to ultralight. It'll mash down in your pack pretty easily. I stored it in the back pocket of my backpack so I could throw it on when I got chilly. I also put this fleece in my sleeping bag one night when it cooled off quite a bit. It gave my feet some extra comfort and warmth inside my down bag.

I really like this Airmesh hoody. It goes with me on most of my hikes. I also wear it for everyday activities on cooler autumn days. I wouldn't be surprised if I purchased another one the next time Mountain Hardwear has a sale. Get it

Background

I've used this Airmesh on several different autumn hikes in cooler weather. I've also worn it for daily wear the last few months.