Mountain Hardwear Glen Alpine Jacket

A super warm, well fitting jacket, at a decent price point. Great for snow, chilly campouts, watching the sunset at happy hour.

About four years ago, I moved from the (usually) warm Sacramento Valley to the Sierra Foothills near Lake Tahoe. Temperatures up here are decidedly cooler than in the valley… we even get snow in the winter months. I have had a MontBell UL Down Inner jacket for some years, but it was starting to show a lot of wear, and I was looking for something a little warmer. I found this jacket on sale at REI, and had lots of dividend dollars available, so went for it.

Fit & Comfort: I purchased the 2XL size of this jacket which fits very generously on my very generous body, so there is lots of room for layering underneath. The 30 denier nylon lining and the 20 denier ripstop nylon outer shell are both soft and smooth to the touch. Sleeve length is right on the money, and the overall length covers my longish torso (my height is mostly in my body, not my legs). The elastic cuffs on the sleeves keep the warmth inside, but never feel too tight. 

Adjustability: The hem has a drawcord with cord locks on both sides, so you can tighten things up when you don’t want any cold air coming up from underneath. There are two generous sized zippered hand pockets on the sides, for carrying extra items, or for warming your hands when you need a little more. 

Warmth: The 650 fill power RDS certified down is super warm and cozy, and after two years of use, has lost none of its loft. The down is quilted into long narrow baffles to keep the down in place, and I’ve never experience any cold spots. Having said that, I have not found myself overheating when working hard shoveling snow, or walking up a steep hill.

Packability & Weight: In theory, the jacket is packable in the right side pocket (photo from the REI website). However, I found it difficult to fit all of it in, and was nervous about zipping it shut (was afraid of damaging the zipper). I ended up using a lightweight stuff sack for stowing it in a pack. MHW shows the jacket at 1.5 lbs, though my scale shows it at 1.2 lbs, so this is not an ultralight jacket by any means.

 Care: This jacket is machine washable on a cold/delicate cycle with down specific soap. Drying on low heat with a couple of tennis balls thrown in to restore loft.

Overall, I’m very happy with this jacket, and use it much more often than I thought I would. I have found it comfortable in a variety of conditions from cold to VERY cold. And after two years of regular use, shows no discernible wear. 

Background

Over the last two years, I have worn this jacket on early spring trips to Yosemite and the California coast. Shoveling snow in my driveway. Sitting around the fire-pit for happy hour on chilly Sierra foothill evenings.