On Sale: Used & New Gear from the Kit Test Archives

Preface

We thought we'd try something a little different.  In the past we've handed ex-Kit Test items over to GP-Net and they've photographed them and processed the images for our Kit Test Clearance pages on SYSTEM.  However, this entails quite a lot of work for individual items and it costs us money and GP-Net time. So, we thought instead we'd try and save some money and pass those savings onto customers.

Since many of the items for sale have been reviewed and photographed as part of our review, we thought we'd outline all the details in this post and just use stock images on our product page on SYSTEM with a link back to here for more detailed information.

Items we don't sell via this method will likely get the old photo treatment but because of that may end up a little more expensive due to the aforementioned service costs. Many of the items on sale were either top-rated or were going to be until the manufacturer discontinued them (often just as we had or were about to review them).

We'll add to this page over time and we'll pin it so it's always near the top.  If new items are added it will jump back to the top spot so you can see if something's changed. 

Note: In the table below you can click on the SYSTEM code (used on the "version drop down" on the SYSTEM product page) and that will jump to the relevant item on this page. All the products are/will be available for purchase in our SYSTEM store which is linked to from the button below the tables.

A mini experiment - we'll see how it goes.  Here are the items we've recently added:
 

Equipment

Clothing Accessories

Available on SYSTEM

Scramble Kit Test Items

A Quick Note On Cleaning, Re-Proofing & Warranty

We use a professional Miele machine to clean clothung accessories for re-sale. All garments are washed on a short / gentle 30 degree / cool cycle. After cleaning and air-drying (don't use tumble dryers on outdoor gear), any items that had a DWR coating are re-proofed with a spray-on Nikwax DWR.

Sometimes, if the product came with voluminous product care labels we may have removed them to save weight and fuss.  They aren't necessary, pretty much all outdoor gear should be washed cool and should not be heat dried on radiators or in tumble dryers.    

All the products available for sale here come with a standard 1 year warranty (basically the same consumer rights as if you'd bought new).  As per normal, all the order fulfilment and processing is done by our friends over at SYSTEM.

Any questions, feel free to contact us directly from the footer form on each of our pages or you can contact SYSTEM from their contact page.
 

Blue Ice: Dragonfly 18L (2024) 210D Nylon 6.6 Climbing Pack

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  BIE-A01
Price: £54.00 (RRP £90.00) - 40% off
Capacity: 18L
Item Weight: 410g (380g w/o foam panel)
Colour: Red (Red Clay)
Use:  n/a
Condition:  New with tags (tag removed when weighed and re-attached)
Scramble Review:  [ Archived ] Blue Ice's Dragonfly 18L Packable Backpack (pre-2019)

Supplemental Info

The Blue Ice Dragonfly was our top pick in our legacy "Lightweight (<400g) ~20L Pack (+ Side Pouch)" category (see this post as to why we removed this category).  Between 2019 and 2022 Blue ice made a bad decision and drastically reduced the material weight making the Dragonfly ultralight but overly fragile for mountain use. We wrote to Blue Ice highlighting the error of their ways (it's likely we were not alone) and fortunately Blue Ice listened and made a U-turn in 2023. If we still had our "day pack" category, it's highly likely that the current Dragonfly (this one) would edge out Mountain Hardwear's lighter UL20 and still be our top pick.

Blue Ice have made a few changes to the Dragonfly. The major difference between the latest models (i.e. this one) and the older pre-2019 models that we used to recommend and sell, is that they now use 210D ripstop nylon 6.6 (a very tough, high tenacity nylon) all over.  Whereas, the pre-2019 (v.1 and v.2) Dragonflies used 420D riptop Cordua for the base and face of the pack and a lighter 100D HT nylon at the sides. To be honest, it's a toss-up as to which is better: weaker sides and a stronger base vs all-round solid protection.  210D nylon 6.6 is pretty tough fabric and likely the right compromise for small climbing packs like the Dragonfly.

This is what we wrote about the original Dragonfly back in the day and it largely carries over to the new version (though we miss the full length daisy chain webbing on the pre-2019 versions):

Blue Ice, in excluding anything non-essential, have created a minimalist masterpiece: A durable, lightweight, sublimely functional, fuss and gimmick-free, highly versatile, top-loading climbing pack.

Specification & Features

You can find our more about the latest Dragonfly from Blue Ice's YouTube video. Below we've outlined just the specs.

• Materials: 210d High Tenacity Nylon ripstop main fabric - PFC free, Bluesign approved material.
• Secure dual ice axe carry with laminated pick tunnel.
• Asymetical stretch pockets for on-the-go access.
• Low profile air-permeable shoulder straps.
• Removable waist belt.
• Integrated rope carry system.
• Dual access accessory pocket with key clip.
• Water resistant YKK external zip.
• Removable high density Atilon frame sheet.
• Permanent, fluorocarbon-free weather shedding face coating.
• Hydration compatible.
• Helmet carrier compatible.
• Volume: 18L
• Dimensions: 51*24*20 cm
• Stated Weight: 415g / min 325g stripped
   

Blue Ice: Dragonfly 18L (V2,~2018) 420D Cordura Climbing Pack

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  BIE-A02
Price: £48.00 (RRP £80.00) - 40% off
Capacity: 18L
Item Weight: 370g (340g w/o foam panel)
Colour: Grey
Use:  n/a
Condition:  New with tags (tag removed when weighed and re-attached). Some signs of long term storage (minor creases), but it's a tough pack and these will disappear with use. 
Scramble Review:  [ Archived ] Blue Ice's Dragonfly 18L Packable Backpack (pre-2019)

Supplemental Info

The Blue Ice Dragonfly 18L (v.1 and v.2, which is this one from 2018) was our top pick in our legacy "Lightweight (<400g) ~20L Pack (+ Side Pouch)" category (see this post as to why we removed this category).  Between 2019 and 2022 Blue ice made a bad decision and drastically reduced the material weight making the Dragonfly ultralight but overly fragile for mountain use. We wrote to Blue Ice highlighting the error of their ways (it's likely we were not alone) and fortunately Blue Ice listened and made a U-turn in 2023.

This version of the Dragonfly (pre-2019, v.2) uses, for such a light pack, a very tough 420D riptop Cordua for the base and face of the pack and a lighter 100D HT nylon at the sides. We noted the following upgrades in our review:

"v.2 of the Dragonfly was released in 2017 (pictured below right) and came with a number of improvements. Overall, a tidier package with less exposed cord and strapping to get snagged. An improved opening provided a little more protection and the AeroLight breathable back panel was a major plus, resulting in a less sweaty back. The re-design and simplification of the rope attachment system was also a plus."

This is what we wrote about the original Dragonfly back in the day and it largely carries over to v.2 :

Blue Ice, in excluding anything non-essential, have created a minimalist masterpiece: A durable, lightweight, sublimely functional, fuss and gimmick-free, highly versatile, top-loading climbing pack. One which packs away to something the size of a paperback, and can double as an easy access side pouch (for larger packs). An absolute gem indeed, and Scramble's top pick in the ~20 Litre Pack category.

Specification & Features

• Removable foam back panel
• Removable hip belt and sternum strap
• Highly breathable shoulder straps
• Rope carrying system
• Carrying system for collapsible ski poles Ice
• Axe loops and attachment points
• Hydration bladder-compatible
• Stuffs into its own pocket
• One zipped pocket for safely storing smaller items
• 420D rip-stop CORDURA® with a PU coating and DWR finish and 100D high-tenacity rip-stop Nylon
• Back AeroLight
• Volume 18L
• Weight 360 g
• Designed in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
• Made in Vietnam
   

Last Updated: 03/06/26

Intro

For a good while we've had a number of ~20L "days packs" cued up for testing. The problem is we've not found time to test them. So, providing genuine, thorough reviews of small packs when our focus is on long distance treks has become tricky.

Context

Back in the day, we were interested in day packs that could double as side pouches / pods on larger backpacks, allowing users on long treks (punctuated by short stays) to leave their large pack at camp and switch to their 20L pack for short round-trips. However, a) this isn't really how we go about things, and b) with the design and introduction of the 11L Towers, we've largely abandoned the "day pack as side pouch" approach.

The Dragonfly attached to the Predator30 mothership (in power supply mode)

Moving On

Over time, we've moved to more lightweight climbing packs with larger capacities as we've extended our range on unsupported treks. As you can see in the image above, we have a 30L Karrimor SF Predator with an 18L side pouch in the form of a Blue Ice Dragonfly.  Nowadays, we tend to use one or two Towers (depending on the season) to supplement 40L or 50L packs.

The Crux AX50 and an Electric Peacock PAX Tower doing the heavy lifting. 

Minimum Capacity Consensus

I asked our overseas members what their smallest capacity packs were that saw regular use on serious treks:

• The lowest capacity pack among the group was 30L.
• My lowest capacity pack is Blue Ice's 32L Wadi (which will be tested this summer).

And that's pretty much going to be the lowest capacity pack we're likely to test (as long as it can be comfortably extended). For example, this summer the Wadi will be paired with a modified Savotta 12L vertical pouch (on the Wadi's front face) and a Scramble Tower in horizontal mode (across the top, where a rope would normally go).  I've added some shoulder strap padding reinforcements just in case.  So the Wadi goes from 32L to 55L and will handle 12 days of unsupported trekking (hopefully). The Wadi (designed as a climbing / haul pack hybrid) is very tough (1000D High tenacity Nylon 6.6) as is the Savotta 12L (500D Cordura) and yet this setup with a Tower is not much over a kilo.

Sub 40L Special Mention Post

All this is to say, that going forward we're going to drop the "Lightweight (<400g) ~20L Pack (+ Side Pouch)" and instead have a more general "Special Mention" post that covers interesting packs whose native capacity is under 40L. Such a post may, for example mention ~20L packs like:

• Blue Ice's 18L Dragonfly (the current 210D Nylon 6.6  - Blue Ice went through a bad patch between 2019-2022 but have since recovered their design mojo)
• Mountain Hardwear's UL20 (210D high tenacity Cordura) - similarly packable to Blue Ice's original Dragonfly 18L, and
• Blue Ice's Wadi 32, if it lives up to expectations

But such a post will be more of a heads-up than detailed review.  We still have our views on such packs (especially on their design and the materials used), we're just not in a good enough position to back them up with empirical evidence.

On Sale: Used & New Items from the Kit Test Archives

Preface

UPDATE (19/05/26):  Added a batch of new and used baselayers and tees from Rab, Odlo, Milo, Ronhill and Helly Hansen. 

We thought we'd try something a little different.  In the past we've handed ex-Kit Test items over to GP-Net and they've photographed them and processed the images for our Kit Test Clearance pages on SYSTEM.  However, this entails quite a lot of work for individual items and it costs us money and GP-Net time. So, we thought instead we'd try and save some money and pass those savings onto customers.

Since many of the items for sale have been reviewed and photographed as part of our review, we thought we'd outline all the details in this post and just use stock images on our product page on SYSTEM with a link back to here for more detailed information.

Items we don't sell via this method will likely get the old photo treatment but because of that may end up a little more expensive due to the aforementioned service costs. Many of the items on sale were either top-rated or were going to be until the manufacturer discontinued them (often just as we had or were about to review them).

We'll add to this page over time and we'll pin it so it's always near the top.  If new items are added it will jump back to the top spot so you can see if something's changed. 

Note: In the table below you can click on the SYSTEM code (used on the "version drop down" on the SYSTEM product page) and that will jump to the relevant item on this page. All the products are/will be available for purchase in our SYSTEM store which is linked to from the button below the tables. In addition we've reduced the prices of any stragglers that haven't yet sold.

A mini experiment - we'll see how it goes.  Here are the items we've recently added:
 

Softshells (and Other Active Outers)

Insulation (and Thermal Mid-Layers)

Baselayers & Tees (Next-To-Skin Layers)

Available on SYSTEM

Scramble Kit Test Items

A Quick Note On Usage, Cleaning, Re-Proofing

Insulation

Scramble's approach to insulation hasn't changed over the years. For us, insulated jackets are to keep the body warm when static.  Mountain trekking is sustainably and sufficiently energy intensive to keep the body warm when active without the need for insulation as long as heat-loss to convection is mitigated (i.e. wind-resistance is the key). As such, the insulation pieces we test and use don't need to be super-tough (like Montane's Extreme Smock or some of the Buffalo pile and pertex pieces) because they're getting an easy (non-active) ride; they're not getting scraped against rock faces for example.

This picture is a great example of how we use our insulation pieces on the go. Short (admin) stops in cold conditions and sitting around in the freezing cold after pitching up for the night. Because we don't use insulation pieces when active, we're not sweating buckets inside them, which means we don't need to keep chucking them into washing machines (which over time will have a small effect on the efficiency of synthetic insulation - though this has been shown by backpackinglight.com to be somewhat overblown). Most of the (used) insulation pieces on sale here will have been machine washed just once.

In addition, when it comes to storing our insulation gear, we do so in the same manner as with our sleeping bags, they're stored uncompressed in large Osprey Airporters.

Washing & Re-Proofing

We use a professional Miele machine to clean garments for re-sale. All garments are washed on a short / gentle 30 degree / cool cycle. After cleaning and air-drying (don't use tumble dryers on outdoor gear), the items (all items that may be used as an outer) are re-proofed with a spray-on Nikwax DWR.

Sometimes, if the product came with voluminous product care labels we may have removed them to save weight and fuss.  They aren't necessary - pretty much all outdoor gear should be washed cool and should not be heat-dried on radiators or in tumble dryers.    

All the products available for sale here come with a standard 1 year warranty (basically the same consumer rights as if you'd bought new).  As per normal, all the order fulfilment and processing is done by our friends over at SYSTEM.

Any questions, feel free to contact us directly from the footer form on each of our pages or you can contact SYSTEM directly via their contact page.
 

Outdoor Research: Ferrosi "Anorak" Softshell Hoody

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  ORH-A18
Price: £54.00 (RRP £120.00)
Size: US Medium (= UK Large, ideal fit = 42" chest)
Item Weight: 370g
Colour: Blue / Orange (Naval Blue, Marmalade)
Use:  12 Kit Test Days (Active Use)
Graded Condition:  Near-Mint / Mint (no signs of wear, nearly as new)
Scramble Review:  Softshells: Outdoor Research's Ferrosi Anorak Hoody & Mountain Equipment's Echo Vest

Supplemental Info

We strongly recommend reading our review (linked to above) before purchasing. We started our review by saying:  "So, now we're going to completely trash the Outdoor Research's Ferrosi Anorak and then tell you why we like it".

From our Scramble News (August 2024) mini-review:

[...] I actually quite like the Ferrosi Anorak. In my view, it's just not designed specifically for mountain use. It's really an ideal utility jacket for someone who gets up to all sorts (mountain biking, trekking, canyoning, skiing, sailing, post-workout, adventure-travel and on and on). For that, it's a pretty nice piece, and if you need to use it in the mountains, it will do a job, and can be supplemented by something like Mountain Equipment's Echo Vest for a perfectly functional softshell for spring, autumn and perhaps even winter. This combination worked perfectly well in mixed and occasionally challenging conditions.
 

Mountain Hardwear: Super Chockstone Full Zip Softshell Jacket

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  MHR-A19
Price: £40.00 (RRP £100.00)
Size: US Medium (= UK Large, ideal fit = 41" to 42" chest, 43" possible)
Item Weight: 358g
Colour: Grey (Shark)
Use:  29 Kit Test Days (Active Use)
Graded Condition:  Excellent (almost no signs of wear)
Scramble Review:  [ Archived ] Mountain Hardwear's Super Chockstone Jacket

Supplemental Info

This was our top pick for a number of years before it was discontinued.

From our now archived review:

The Super Chockstone jacket is the ideal outer layer for trekking conditions equivalent to UK early Spring and late Autumn. However, we really consider the Super Chockstone as one half of the perfect 4 Season Softshell.

When paired with Rab's Borealis Pull-on, you have a double layered Winter Soft Shell, with a Rab inner and a Mountain Hardwear outer, combining to form a breathable yet highly wind resistant, reasonably water resistant, tough and functional Winter jacket for active use.

Here's a good review of the hooded version from a climber's perspective.
 

Mountain Equipment: Echo Hooded Softshell Jacket

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  MET-A25
Price: £78.00 (RRP £130.00) -  40% off
Size: Large (ideal fit = 41" to 42" chest)
Item Weight (Stated): 325g
Colour: Green (Pine)
Use:  n/a
Condition:  New with tags (Mountain Equipment new colourway / sample)
Scramble Review:  Best Lightweight (Under 400g) Softshell Hooded Jacket

Supplemental Info

Here's a summary from our review:

When designers know exactly what they're making, why they're making it and who they're making it for, you get pieces like Mountain Equipment's Echo Hooded Jacket. An understated, minimalist, lightweight, abrasion and weather resistant work-horse, designed to take a pounding so you and your less hardy apparel don't have to.

[...] The Mountain Equipment Echo Hooded Jacket is an excellent and compelling option and our top pick in the Lightweight Hooded Softshell category.
 

Mountain Equipment: Echo Hooded Softshell Jacket

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  MET-A26
Price: £78.00 (RRP £130.00) -  40% off
Size: Large (ideal fit = 41" to 42" chest)
Item Weight (Stated): 325g
Colour:Red (Burnt Henna, Cardinal)
Use:  n/a
Condition:  New with tags (Mountain Equipment new colourway / sample)
Scramble Review:  Best Lightweight (Under 400g) Softshell Hooded Jacket

Supplemental Info

Here's a summary from our review:

When designers know exactly what they're making, why they're making it and who they're making it for, you get pieces like Mountain Equipment's Echo Hooded Jacket. An understated, minimalist, lightweight, abrasion and weather resistant work-horse, designed to take a pounding so you and your less hardy apparel don't have to.

[...] The Mountain Equipment Echo Hooded Jacket is an excellent and compelling option and our top pick in the Lightweight Hooded Softshell category.
 

Raidlight: Ultralight Windproof Vest (Zipped Pockets)

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  RAT-A27
Price: £22.50 (RRP £50.00)
Size: XL (ideal fit = 40 - 41" chest, 30 - 32" waist, slim athletic build)
Item Weight: 70g
Colour: White, Semi-Translucent (Blue Trim)
Use:  4 Kit Test Days (Active, Non-Aggressive Use)
Graded Condition:  Excellent/Mint

Supplemental Info

Raidlight are a French brand specialising in trail and ultra-marathon apparel. Their windproof vest is a genuine ultralight (at just 70g) and ultra-packable piece which we were playing with as something to pair with light and UL waterproof jackets that had no pockets.  A place to rest the hands.  The experiment kind of worked, but not really.

What's rare for this type of wind gilet is that it has pockets (and zipped ones at that).  We tested a number of windproof UL gilets / vests and this one and the Flyte were runners up to the Karpos Lavaredo (neither of which have pockets, as we came to the conclusion that such items' utility lies elsewhere). 

The reason this didn't make it to the top spot (which would have been a "Special Mention" as we don't feature a category for such items ... yet), is that a) Raidlight discontinued this version, and b) their target audience don't have chests (the XL was the largest offering and fits a 41" chest, max). Raidlight's apparel definitely assumes a trail-running body shape (squaddies need not apply).

Specification & Features

• Main material: 100% polyamide
• Silky, micro rip-stop nylon
• Athletic, slim fit
• Mesh panels at the armpits and upper back / lower neck.
• Full zip opening
• Zipped hand pockets
• Bound trim at shoulders and hem
• Measured weight = 70g.
   

Flyte: Boreas Running Gilet

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  FLE-A28
Price: £24.50 (RRP £85.00)
Size: XL (ideal fit = 40 - 42" chest, 30 - 33" waist, slim athletic build)
Item Weight: 78g
Colour: Yellow (Citron)
Use:  4 Kit Test Days (Active, Non-Aggressive Use)
Graded Condition:  Mint

Supplemental Info

Firstly, in our view, Flyte are one of those brands that inflate their RRP to make it look like you're getting a bigger reduction than you truly are.  This is not a practice we're enamoured with and pleasingly, due to the way we calculate our rating's value score this completely backfires.

The Flyte Boreas Gilet has a small (50 g/sm) amount of (unspecified) insulation that covers the front / upper chest panel, we doubt this provides much warmth, perhaps a little extra wind resistance. However, if one ignores the insulation, what you're left with is a pretty nice running and backpacking windproof gilet that at just 78g is only 8g heavier than Raidlight's smaller UL windproof vest.

There are no pockets on the Boreas, but there is a handy link-strap for when you want the item to be open to vent, but not to flap around. All in all, a well constructed piece.  We went with the Karpos Lavaredo (which, ignoring RRPs, is generally more expensive, a little heavier, has mesh panels and a useful chest pocket.  The Karpos version is designed more for all-round mountain use, whereas the Boreas is perhaps more weighted toward the runner.  

Specification & Features

• Lightweight Recycled Nylon ripstop (Global Recycle Standard Certified & Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX)
• Water-repellent finish with silicon backing for wind resistance
• 50g/sm recycled polyester insulation on upper chest
• Scooped rear hem for extra coverage
• Stretch elastic armholes
• Popper to secure jacket and prevent flapping when unzipped
• Reflective print logos and zip trim to aid low light visibility
• Printed care info, no scratchy labels
• Measured weight = 78g
   

Mountain Hardwear: Chockstone Hooded Jacket

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  MHR-A29
Price: £57.60 (RRP £120.00)
Size: US Medium (= UK Large, ideal fit = 41" to 42" chest, 43" possible)
Item Weight: 415g
Colour: Blue (Deep Lake)
Use:  7 Kit Test Days (Active use, often under a hardshell in winter)
Graded Condition:  Excellent/Mint (no visible signs of use)
Scramble Review:  Introduction: In Search of the Modular 4-Season Softshell

Supplemental Info

Here's some useful context regarding how we moved from the discontinued Chockstone to Mountain Equipment's (soon to be discontinued) Echo Softshell:

Over-time we've tested increasingly lighter options to see whether we can slim down the  mid-weight softshell. When Mountain Equipment released their superb Echo Hooded Jacket we initially thought of it as competition for the Borealis, however it's surprisingly tough and durable for its weight and we've subsequently discovered that it's actually the ideal replacement for Mountain Hardwear's (nearly) iconic Chocktone.

As a final test of this hypothesis, in the 2023 Winter Kit Test I paired the Chockstone with an ultralight (120g) Mountain Equipment Aerofoil. Promoted as a kind of softshell, but really a wind-jacket with a small degree of stretch (an over-priced, but decent bit of kit).

Mountain Hardwear's Chockstone Hooded Jacket is an outstandingly versatile climbing, scrambling and hiking softshell. A thoughtfully designed and elegantly simple, breathable, weather resistant, tough, active outer layer that's going to take all the hard knocks, so you don't have to.

The Hooded Chockstone features two zipped, harness / pack compatible side pockets as well as two internal mesh pockets for hats, gloves and much more. One internal pocket is very deep running from near the armpit to the hem. Very useful if you want plenty of accessories to hand. An absolutely excellent softshell which MH, having nailed the design, should have kept as a staple in their catalogue. Unfortuntely, all too often outdoor brands regard the culmination of design refinement as a cue for a product's termination; in outdoor-land, self-sabotage seems forever in vogue.

Specification & Features

• Fabric Body: Chockstone™ Doubleweave Softshell (91% Nylon, 9% Elastane)
• A versatile softshell jacket with windproof protection
• Abrasion-resistant, air-permeable, lightweight 4 way stretch fabric
• DWR finish keeps water away
• Elasticated hood for under/over helmet (moves with your head)
• UPF 50 fabric blocks out harmful UV rays at altitude
• Single zippered chest pocket securely holds keys, ID, and other valuables
• Two large handwarmer pockets are harness- and pack-compatible
• Two large mesh internal pockets
• Elastic on cuffs seals in warmth, blocks out wind
• Center-front VISLON® zipper adjusts easily
• Alpine Fit
   

Mountain Equipment: Aerofoil Hooded Jacket (L, Sulphur)

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  MET-A30
Price: £40.00 (RRP £100.00)
Size: Large (ideal fit = 41" to 42" chest)
Item Weight: 122g
Colour: Dark Yellow (Sulphur)
Use:  7 Kit Test Days (Active Use, underneath a softshell in winter)
Graded Condition:  Excellent/Mint (no visible signs of use)
Scramble Review:  2023: Failures, Near Misses and Items of Note (see last part)

Supplemental Info

We wrote a brief review of the Aerofoil (which at the time had a RRP of £110) and really the only negative issue we had was its price.

Finally, not really a failure per se, is the Mountain Equipment Aerofoil Full-Zip Jacket (pictured above right, Large = 122g measured). It's not the lightest in its class, it has a minor degree of stretch and it's perfectly decent, but not £110.00 decent. It's just completely over-priced in our view. If this was £70, we'd be still think it was pricey, but we'd be more forgiving, but it's not, so we're not going to be either. A fail on price alone.

Mountain Equipment dropped the RRP to £100 and in our view it's still overpriced.  However, £40 for a practically new one pretty much solves the problem. 

Mountain Equipment call this a "softshell" which is pushing things. Yes, it has a minimal amount of stretch but it's not designed to take a beating. It's really not a softshell, but it is a reasonably premium, hooded windtop with a full length, vislon zip, an adjustable hood and a nice zipped chest pocket (no hand pockets). 

Specification & Features

• EXOLITE 45 double weave soft shell (45g/sm), wind-resistant, tough, and stretchy
• Active fit for complete freedom of movement with no excess fabric
• Overlocked and topstitched construction throughout
• Elastane-bound hood with rear adjustment
• Zipped chest pocket to secure essentials
• Packs away into pocket with twin karabiner carry loops
• YKK® Vislon #3 Front Zip
• Low bulk elasticated cuffs
• Articulated and pre-shaped sleeves for unhindered movement
• Adjustable hem drawcord sits comfortably under a harness or rucksack waistbelt
   

Mountain Hardwear's Kor Cirrus (Primaloft Gold) Hybrid Jacket

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  MHR-A16
Price: £72.00 (RRP £180.00)
Size: Medium (ideal fit = 40" to 41.5" chest)
Item Weight: 290g
Colour: Green (Dark Army)
Use: n/a
Condition:  New with tags

Supplemental Info

This in an item that was cued up for testing but we over-bought for some of the members overseas. The Kor Cirrus is an ultralight insulated jacket, with just enough high quality (Primaloft Gold Active) insulation to make a meaningful difference. The Kor Cirrus is a genuine hybrid and is best viewed as an active breathable windproof jacket that also works well as an insulated mid-layer or an outer for active use.  Ultimately, we never got round to testing this item, as new Primaloft Gold Crosscore and Octayarn pieces took priority (then the jacket was discontinued).

The Mountain Hardwear Kor Cirrus weighs around 290g and is designed not as a static ultralight belay piece, but rather for active pursuits where some additional insulation is required. Where MH have been very smart is in their choice of insulation, which has allowed them to partition the insulation and concentrate it in the essential areas; the bulk of the insulation is around the core, with some insulation on the outer arm. There is zero insulation at the wrist or up the inside arm. This has allowed MH to reduce bulk and the Kor Cirrus packs down very small. This jacket will work well for summer nighttime insulation and due to its lack of bulk fits nicely under softshells and hardshells and layers well over lightweight down pieces or under heavier insulation as a booster for much colder climes. A very versatile jacket.

There is some stretch to the jacket (which is why MH used Primaloft Gold Active), and we'd suggest this would be ideal for someone with a 40-41.5" chest. The Kor Cirrus is long in the arm but, due to the binding at the wrist, rests at the hands.

Specification & Features

• Pertex Quantum Air - Increases durability and breathability.
• DWR Treatment - Provides water resistance.
• Primaloft Gold Active (40g/sm) - Increases core warmth.
• Articulated Fit - Allows the jacket to be easily and comfortably layered without restricting movement
• YKK Vislon Full-length zip
• Hand Pockets - Well sized and the jacket packs down into the right hand pocket.
• Chest Pocket - To store essentials.
• Uses: Rock Climbing, Backpacking / Hiking, Mountain Biking, Skiing
   

Haglofs: L.I.M Barrier Primaloft Aerogel Jacket

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  HAS-A20
Price: £85.00 (Avg RRP £190.00), the RRP fluctuated between £180 and £200 due to EUR/GBP exchange rates
Size: Large (ideal fit = 42" chest)
Item Weight: 232g
Colour: Blue (Storm Blue)
Use:  19 Kit Test Days (Static Use)
Graded Condition:  Excellent/Mint
Scramble Review:  Special Mention: Ultralight Synthetic Insulated Jacket

Supplemental Info

The Haglofs LIM Barrier jacket uses 40g/sm of Primaloft Gold Crosscore (Aerogel infused) insulation. This is 150% warmer than the previous class-leading Primaloft Gold.  So, a 40g/sm PL Crosscore jacket will be approximately equivalent to a 60g/sm jacket using Primaloft Gold. In our view, the issue brands like Haglofs, Scott and others have had is largely a marketing one; neither they nor Primaloft have done a good enough job of explaining how revolutionary Primaloft Crosscore is.  If a car company made an engine 50% more efficient, they'd have no problem conveying this to the public. 

I was tempted to keep one of these jackets, because unlike OMM's Rotor Smock and Scott's Insuloft (both Crosscore jackets), Haglofs made their jackets with a less fitted, more boxy cut, one that is also relatively long in the body. In theory, this should be a problem, but I never had an issue with their warmth or fit.  In addition, they make excellent outer layers for a synthetic-down combo, when paired with quality down pull-ons (like Crux's Halo or Montane's Starlight). For UK conditions, a synthetic outer is always a good option, but down works well cocooned underneath. All in all the LIM Barrier is a fantastic jacket let down only by its manufacturer's inability to convey what was so special about it.

The LIM Barrier was due to be our top pick in the "Lightweight (<400g) Insulated Jacket category". Here's a summary from our Special Mention review (written just as Haglofs had decided to discontinue the LIM Barrier):

An outstanding, high quality, minimalist and genuinely ultralight insulated jacket with some old fashioned NASA tech thrown in, the Haglofs L.I.M Barrier Jacket with Cross Core Aerogel is definitely worthy of a special mention and in our view is the future of synthetic insulation. We'll put our money on a little "solid air" over "blown into baffles to mimic down".
 

Haglofs: L.I.M Barrier Primaloft Aerogel Jacket

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  HAS-A21
Price: £85.00 (Avg RRP £190.00), the RRP fluctuated between £180 and £200 due to EUR/GBP exchange rates
Size: Large (ideal fit = 42" chest)
Item Weight: 230g
Colour: Yellow/Gold (Pumpkin Yellow)
Use:  24 Kit Test Days (Static Use)
Graded Condition:  Excellent/Mint
Scramble Review:  Special Mention: Ultralight Synthetic Insulated Jacket

Supplemental Info

The Haglofs LIM Barrier jacket uses 40g/sm of Primaloft Gold Crosscore (Aerogel infused) insulation. This is 150% warmer than the previous class-leading Primaloft Gold.  So, a 40g/sm PL Crosscore jacket will be approximately equivalent to a 60g/sm jacket using Primaloft Gold. In our view the issue brands like Haglofs, Scott and others have had is largely a marketing one; neither they nor Primaloft have done a good enough job of explaining how revolutionary Primaloft Crosscore is.  If a car company made an engine 50% more efficient, they'd have no problem conveying this to the public. 

I was tempted to keep one of these jackets, because unlike OMM's Rotor Smock and Scott's Insuloft (both Crosscore jackets), Haglofs made their jackets with a less fitted, more boxy cut, one that is also relatively long in the body. In theory, this should be a problem, but I never had an issue with their warmth or fit.  In addition, they make excellent outer layers for a synthetic-down combo, when paired with quality down pull-ons (like Crux's Halo or Montane's Starlight). For UK conditions, a synthetic outer is always a good option, but down works well cocooned underneath. All in all the LIM Barrier is a fantastic jacket let down only by its manufacturer's inability to convey what was so special about it.

The LIM Barrier was due to be our top pick in the "Lightweight (<400g) Insulated Jacket category". Here's a summary from our Special Mention review (written just as Haglofs had decided to discontinue the LIM Barrier):

An outstanding, high quality, minimalist and genuinely ultralight insulated jacket with some old fashioned NASA tech thrown in, the Haglofs L.I.M Barrier Jacket with Cross Core Aerogel is definitely worthy of a special mention and in our view is the future of synthetic insulation. We'll put our money on a little "solid air" over "blown into baffles to mimic down".

Mountain Equipment: Noroya Insulated Pull-On HD Mid-Layer

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  MET-A22
Price: £45.00 (RRP £130.00)
Size: Large (ideal fit = 41" to 42" chest)
Item Weight: 440g
Colour: Blue (Legion Blue)
Use:  5 Kit Test Days (Static Use)
Graded Condition:  Mint

Supplemental Info

This is an interesting experimental piece from Mountain Equipment that came out around the time of the Rampart. It may have been released as a demonstration / concept piece with a limited run.  It uses the same amount of Polarloft Micro Insulation as the Rampart, but it's designed as a heavy-duty mid layer.

The hand pockets aren't zipped, the face fabric and lining certainly suggest mid-layer; the face uses a kind of light breathable softshell fabric. Rather than a zip it uses popper fasteners up to the neck (which work quite well and have a robust feel to them). There is one horizontal zipped pocket at the chest for valuables. 

This is too heavy for Scramble's purposes, but an interesting piece nonetheless.  Hard to find much about it on the internet. It looks like it was released to test the waters.

For someone who works in the cold or wants to add some serious warmth beneath a coat or insulated jacket for very cold conditions, this would certainly do the job.  Warmer than most heavy fleeces and more packable. But not really recommended for multi-day mountain trekkers.
 

Mountain Equipment: Rampart Hooded Jacket

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  MET-A23
Price: £62.50 (RRP £140.00)
Size: Large (ideal fit = 41" to 42" chest)
Item Weight: 402g
Colour: Green (Fir Green)
Use:  19 Kit Test Days (Static Use)
Graded Condition:  Excellent/Mint
Scramble Review:  [ Archived ] Mountain Equipment's Rampart Hooded Jacket

Supplemental Info

This was for a short while our top pick in the "Lightweight (<400g) Insulated Jacket category" but Mountain Equipment decided to discontinue it. The amount of times this happens is not funny!  Here's a summary from our now archived review:

The Rampart is a bare-bones, minimalist insulated jacket shorn of all non-essential features. The features that remain are all executed extremely well. The hood, the Achilles heel of many a lightweight jacket, is actually a stand-out feature.

[...] The Rampart lives up to its name and provides meaningful additional fortification to get you through those nasty periods when conditions begin to overwhelm your (soft and hard shell) active wear. In combination with medium-weight insulated pieces like Keela's Belay, the Rampart will provide significant protection when static in extreme sub zero mountain conditions.

Scott: Insuloft Superlight Primaloft Crosscore (Aerogel) Jacket

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  SCT-A24
Price: £132.00 (RRP £220.00) - 40% off
Size: Large (ideal fit = 40" to 41" chest)
Item Weight: 245g
Colour: Grey (Light Grey)
Use:  n/a
Condition: New with tags

Supplemental Info

For those unfamiliar with Scott Sports, they're a quality Swiss-based brand specialising in cycling and winter sports. We bought a few of their Insuloft Superlight jackets for testing and I'm keeping mine (at least for now), but before we could test the Insuloft Superlight, Scott informed us they were discontinuing it (happens all the time!). 

We were surprised how light the jacket was and wanted to check that it was indeed using 60g/sm of Primloft Gold Crosscore (Aerogel) insulation (and not 40g/sm) like the OMM Rotor and the LIM Barrier. This is the telling reply we got from Scott HQ via one of their representatives (ps. thanks Michelle!):

It is 60g/sm insulation, we use a very light face and lining fabric (15 denier), and a minimalistic design that's why the jacket is so light. We discontinued this style after a few seasons, as it was a bit too niche for our customers (almost too light).

Too Light To Be Warm?

This is such a telling response. Some customers picked up the jacket, it felt too light, so they thought it can't be warm enough. That means their customers don't really understand how insulation works.  Yes, more insulation means more loft and also more weight, but not all synthetic insulations are the same and the Aerogel in Primaloft's Cross Core is more than 95% air.  The weightless, trapped air is providing the insulation; the question is, how well can the lightweight insulation provide the scaffolding and thus the loft to hold and trap the air? Aerogel does this job extremely well with a very low weight premium. And this is what I mean about manufacturer's marketing departments failing badly at educating their customers.

This is a recurring theme in the outdoor industry which we wrote about recently:

Our view is that the outdoor industry puts shockingly little effort into marketing (or rather, educating people about the empirically proven properties of) the materials they use. An effort that seems inversely proportional to that applied in their often overly-enthusiastic extolling of virtues, far less provable, regarding the performance of their designs.

An 80g/sm Primaloft Gold (Equivalent) Jacket Weighing 245g

The Scott Insuloft jacket uses 60g/sm of Primaloft Gold Crosscore (Aerogel infused) insulation. This is 150% warmer than the previous class-leading Primaloft Gold.  So, a 60g/sm PL Crosscore jacket will be approximately equivalent to a 90g/sm jacket using Primaloft Gold. However, we would suggest curbing expectations by about 10g/sm, due to the very light face fabric and greater abundance of stitching. So we would place the jacket at approximately equivalent to 80g/sm of Primaloft Gold, which for a jacket that weighs just 245g is pretty stunning.

The Insulaoft Superlight jacket is only about 10g heavier than OMM's Rotor Smock.  There's a few reasons for this, one is that the cut is more fitted: In the Scott jacket, if I round my back and reach out my arms in front of me, I can feel a little tightness as the jacket stretches across my back. So it's right on the edge for me with a 42" chest. Also, it's a fraction shorter in the body.  It has a dropped back (which you can see in the small back photo above) but which they've photoshopped out from the front image, which makes it look shorter in the body than it actually is.  But I would say, this is ideally suited to someone with a 40 - 41" chest, who is not over 6ft tall. 

Sizing

Compared to the Haglofs LIM Barrier, the Insuloft is approximately 8cm shorter at the front and 5cm shorter at the back (so it has a more pronounced, but shorter dropped back).

Compared to the OMM Rotor, the Insuloft is about 0.5cm shorter at the front and about 1.5cm shorter at the back.

Another reason it's not much heavier than the Rotor Smock is that the OMM Rotor has a fleece lining in the hand pockets which the smock packs into, so the Rotor can double as a pillow.  Ultimately, the Insuloft is a smaller, more fitted jacket than the LIM Barrier and has less features than the OMM Rotor (which has velcro fasteners at the cuffs for example).

There's a review of the women's version by a cyclist on Bike Radar that may be of interest (in the absence of a review by us).  I think her only criticism was the price (which we've taken a reasonable chunk out of). 

Specification & Features

• Main material: 100% polyamide
• 15D bluesign approved lightweight down-proof fabric with Fluorocarbon free Dryozone DWR and DURObreeze treatments
• 60g PrimaLoft Gold Crosscore (Aerogel infused) insulation (25% recycled material)
• Athletic fit
• High collar
• Elastane bound trim at hem and cuffs
• Zipped hand pockets
• Packs away into inner zipped security pocket
   

Inov-8: Base SS Zip Tee

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  IN8-A14
Price: £15.00 (RRP £50.00)
Size: Large (ideal fit = 40" loose to 42" chest fitted)
Item Weight: 131g
Colour: Black (Phantom)
Use:  12 Kit Test Days (Active Use, non-aggressive, often under a softshell)
Graded Condition:  Excellent (few if any signs of wear)

Supplemental Info

Overall a high quality lightweight running top with a good deep zip and mesh back providing superb ventilation. Inov-8 ceased making them before we could consider a recommendation. The only concern we had with this top was its performance with heavy packs. As such we strongly recommend this top for trail and general running, training and light and fast scrambles. Excellent weight and very good hot weather performance.

Specification & Features

• Lightweight, wicking and quick drying fabric with UV protection
• Mesh cooling panels
• Polygiene anti-microbial permanent odour control
• Dual collar with inner rucksack / pack protection
• Deep centre front zip with locking zip head
• Materials: 54% Polyester, 46% S.Cafe Treated Polyester
   

Milo: Winter LS Crew Baselayer

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  MIO-A31
Price: £33.00 (RRP £60.00)
Size: XL (41" - 43" chest, ideal fit = ~ 42")
Item Weight: 258g
Colour: Dark Grey, Black
Material Mix:  54% Polyamide / 40% Polypropylene / 6% Elastane
Use:  n/a
Condition:  New/Unused (w/o tags, cleaned to freshen after long term storage)

Supplemental Info

This is an interesting winter baselayer from Milo Of Climbing, a Polish climbing/mountaineering brand. For a polypropylene-based baselayer it's quite a heavy-weight making it ideally suited to sub-zero conditions. If there was more than 40% polypropylene content we'd suggest it was too substantial, but sensibly Milo used a majority 54% nylon in the mix.  For winter conditions, this baselayer beneath a winter softshell is likely all you'd need for dynamic activities in freezing conditions.

For those unfamiliar with polyproplylene and why it's the ideal material for next-to-skin layers, this was covered in our recent baselayer review here.

This item was cued up for testing but we altered our approach to cold weather baselayers, favouring the polyproplylene Brynje mesh under thinner layers like those from Odlo, Ronhill and Helly Hansen featured in this post. As we moved away from merino-synthetic hybrid winter baselayers and embraced a modular mesh approach, we no longer had the same interest in specialist baselayers like this one from Milo.

However, if anyone wants a quick drying, form-fitting, thermal baselayer, this Milo winter baselayer would definitely fit the bill.
 

Rab: Flux Half-Zip LS Pull-On

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  RAB-A32
Price: £23.50 (RRP £50.00)
Size: Large (ideal fit = 42" chest, 43" for as a fitted baselayer)
Item Weight: 240g
Colour: Dark Greyish Blue (Beluga)
Use:  4 Kit Test Days (Static Use, around camp, tested as sleepwear)
Graded Condition:  Mint (no signs of wear, practically as new)
Scramble Review:  ... But Compared to What? Trialing the Flux

Supplemental Info

Here's a summary from our sleepwear review:

The other finalist selected by the Scramble team, was the Rab Flux Pull-On. This top shares some of the characteristics of both the aforementioned Montane and Odlo tops. A high collar and (deeper) zip like the Montane, a tight weave like the Odlo's front panel and a similar but less fluffy, brushed inner. In fact, if you took the front section of the Rab Flux and stitched it to the back section of the Montane Allez, you'd end up with something very similar to the Odlo item, but with a zip and a high collar.

The Flux, as we stated earlier is much more of a mid-layer, a lightweight thermal-mid with a lightly brushed inner, a very deep zip for venting and thumb loops, all of which are standard mid-layer fare. The Flux offers better wind protection but when worn under other layers it didn't seem noticeably warmer.

Most outdoor types would probably and correctly view this top as a light mid-layer.  As such, its toughness and thermal qualities are far more relevant than its weight and packability.  We were testing "outdoor pyjama-wear", so for us the item would be carried during active use, so weight and packability were key criteria.  

The Flux would work well in winter over a mesh baselayer. A well made, simple layer (more mid than base) with a deep zip for venting, thumb-loops and a comfortable collar. Smooth outer, brushed inner; the kind of top Rab do very well, almost in their sleep.
 

Odlo: Evolution Light Baselayer Bundle: Singlet + LS Crew

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  ODO-A33
Price: £22.50 (Combined RRP £75.00)
Size: XL (Odlo in this range size small, ideal fit = 41" to 42" chest)
Item Weights: 98g / 145g
Colours: Black (Singlet), Castlerock Grey (LS Crew)
Use (LS Crew):  13 Kit Test Days (Active Use)
Condition (Singlet):  New/Unused (w/o tags, cleaned to freshen after long term storage)
Graded Condition (LS Crew):  Good/Excellent (see below*)

Supplemental Info

Firstly, the singlet is new and unused but without tags. This top was packed for one of our kit tests as a backup baselayer / return top, but was never required or used. It's been cleaned purely to freshen it up after long term storage. The one point worth mentioning for this fitted baselayer is that it's more a sleeveless top than a typical "vest", in that there's sufficient breadth at the shoulders to handle pack straps without causing discomfort. 

* Graded Condition: LS Crew (Grey)

Secondly, a quick note on the LS Crew, which we're almost throwing in for free. The overall condition is excellent, however this baselayer seemed to have a love affair with velcro and on the seams of the arms (below the elbow) are visible signs of pilling, where the seam connected and pulled away from some velcro (on a belt or belt-bag most likely). This doesn't appear to have caused any structural damage; it looks largely superficial, but it's worth mentioning. If this is something that does develop over time, because the wear is to the seam, it would be pretty trivial to hand-stitch it back to health (and it's away from any critical abrasive / chafing areas for those carrying packs). Aside from this issue the top is in excellent condition.

Materials & Recommended Use

The Odlo Evolution Light LS Crew baselayer was one of two runners-up to our top pick at the time, the excellent and long-mourned Helly Hansen Dry Revolution / Elite range of polypropylene baselayers (the other runner-up was Ronhill's Seamless Base 200).

The Ronhill and Odlo layers both used the tried and tested: Polyester, Polyamide and Elastane material mix:  The Evolution Light range used: 77% Polyester, 18% Polyamide and 5% Elastane and sized small, so an XL was equivalent to most (incl. Helly Hansen or Ronhill's) size Large.

We've been very impressed with the polypropylene mesh baselayers from Brynje, but they work best over fitted layers like this one from Odlo:

Combining the Brynje shirt with an additional fitted layer is very similar to creating a more robust and more aggressively hydrophobic version of Montane's Allez Micro baselayer for harsh sub-sero conditions. Brynje emphasise the use of a 3-layer approach and many might combine theirs with a mid-layer, however we think instead of a mid-layer (which tend to be overly warm) an additional fitted, hydrophobic baselayer is better (such layers are designed to move moisture via capillary action and aid moisture transport away from the skin). In the 2023 winter kit test I wore the Brynje shirt under a Megmeister Drynamo and wore a Mountain Hardware Hooded Chockstone softshell as the third (outer) layer (unless a hardshell was required).

Both the singlet and the LS crew would work well as fitted second layers as described above (Note: if you were to use these layer atop a mesh layer, then they may well work for a 41" chest). These Odlo Evolution Light baselayers are lightweight, packable and more than capable - one new and one thrown in nearly for free. 
 

Helly Hansen: Dry Revolution LS Crew Baselayer

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  HHN-A34
Price: £20.00 (RRP £50.00)
Size: Large (ideal fit = 41" to 42" chest)
Item Weight: 141g
Colour: Black
Use:  18 Kit Test Days (Active Use)
Graded Condition:  Excellent (minimal signs of wear)
Scramble Review:  [ Archived ] Helly Hansen's Dry Revolution / Dry Elite 2.0 Baselayers

Supplemental Info

Here's a summary from our now archived review:

The Dry Revolution and Dry Elite 2.0 baselayers are masters at moving excess heat and sweat away from your skin. Stretchy, close fitting, fast wicking, lightweight, surprisingly durable and supremely comfortable, they're a joy to wear and the baselayers that for us have set the standard against which all competing baselayers will be judged. Our top pick in the Lightweight Baselayer category - we just hope Helly Hansen continue to produce them.
 

Ronhill (Bundle): Advance SS Zip Tee + Base Seamless 200

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  ROL-A35
Price: £28.00 (RRP £75.00)
Size (both): Large (ideal fit = 41" to 42" chest)
Item Weights (T-Shirt / Baselayer): 140g / 144g
Colours: Black (Black / Gecko, Black / Charcoal)
Use:  41 (Advance Zip Tee) / 16 (Base) Kit Test Days (Active Use)
Graded Condition (both items):  Excellent
Scramble Review (Advance):  [ Archived ] Ronhill's Advance Zip Tee

Supplemental Info

Advance Zipped Tee

If the Ronhill Advance Zip Tee was still being made, it would still be our #1 pick. Instead it's filed away in the: "they don't make them like this anymore, for some unknown reason" category.  Here's a summary of the Advance (Deep) Zip T-Shirt from our now archived review:

The Ronhill Advance Zip Tee is an extremely comfortable, light and airy top, ideal for use in hot climates, that's surprisingly hard-wearing and which out-performs much of its more expensive competition. But what really sets the Ronhill Advance apart is that deep zip.

Base Seamless 200 LS Crew Baselayer

Runner-up to our top pick at the time, the excellent and long-mourned Helly Hansen Dry Revolution / Elite baselayers, the Ronhill's Base 200 is an excellent polyamide-based "seamless" next-to-skin layer made in Portugal.  The material mix is: 75% Polyamide, 21% Polyester and 4% Elastane.

We've been very impressed with the polypropylene mesh baselayers from Brynje, but they work best over fitted layers like the Ronhill Base Seamless 200:

Combining the Brynje shirt with an additional fitted layer is very similar to creating a more robust and more aggressively hydrophobic version of Montane's Allez Micro baselayer for harsh sub-sero conditions. Brynje emphasise the use of a 3-layer approach and many might combine theirs with a mid-layer, however we think instead of a mid-layer (which tend to be overly warm) an additional fitted, hydrophobic baselayer is better (such layers are designed to move moisture via capillary action and aid moisture transport away from the skin). In the 2023 winter kit test I wore the Brynje shirt under a Megmeister Drynamo and wore a Mountain Hardware Hooded Chockstone softshell as the third (outer) layer (unless a hardshell was required).

These two items from Ronhill work very well together for 3-Season use and it it wasn't for Helly Hansen's Dry Revolution, both would have been our top picks back in the day.
 

Helly Hansen: Warm Freeze Merino Hybrid Half Zip LS Baselayer

Summary

SYSTEM Drop-Down Code:  HHN-A36
Price: £24.70 (RRP £65.00)
Size: Large (ideal fit = 41" to 42" chest)
Item Weight: 257g
Colour: Blue (Evening Blue)
Use:  21 Kit Test Days (Active Use)
Graded Condition:  Excellent
Relevant Scramble Review:  [ Archived ] HH Lifa Merino Seamless Half Zip

Supplemental Info

Back in the late 20-teens, the Warm Freeze was due to be our top pick in the cold weather baselayer category but HH discontinued it and replaced it with the more pricey and ever-so-slightly superior Lifa Merino Seamless Half Zip.  What goes for the lighter Merino Seamless is largely applicable to the Warm Freeze.  The major difference is the weight and stretch, with the Warm Freeze having a little more weight and a little less stretch.  However, it's a fantastic winter baselayer, made at a time when merino-synthetic hybrids were coming into their own.  I'd like to say we've moved on from then, but it's quite possible we've gone backwards.

The Warm Freeze has a near-optimall mix of 43% Polypropylene and 57% Merino Wool. A classic in its day and the closest thing HH make to the Warm Freeze today is an overweight monster they call the "LIFA Merino Midweight Half-Zip", which has the identical material mix but weighs 410g and costs £90!  We're not quite sure why they've gone in this direction, but it wouldn't the first time we've been baffled by outdoor brands' design choices. 

An excellent fitted baselayer from HH's heyday (hopefully they'll recover their baselayer mojo).
 

Last Updated: 19/05/26
19/05/26:  Added a batch of new and used baselayers (MIO-A31 to HHN-A36)
13/05/26:  Added 2 more items from the previous batch for completeness (IN8-A14 and MHR-A16)
12/05/26:  Added 4 more items (RAT-A27 to MET-A30).
10/05/26:  Fixed some typos and added some additional clarity regarding Crosscore insulation on the Scott Insulaoft jacket. 

2026 Summer Kit Test, Manufacturing & Store Updates

This is just a quick update regarding out Kit Test schedule, developments in the middle east, its impact on the outdoor industry and some store updates.
 

Warm Winters & A Bad Moon Rising

Another warm winter.  We waited (to no avail) through January for the temperature to drop, then February when all it did was rain. The March forecast was looking decidedly unwintery when the US decided to launch an illegal war of aggression on Iran.

Iran stated they would limit / deny traffic through the Straits of Hormuz should they be attacked. The effects on oil (and its derivitives, that pretty much backstop the outdoor industry) as well as fertiliser (food supply), sulphur (required for sulphuric acid used in refining / mining), helium (for CPU / chip fabrication) will have profound effects on the global economy; the outdoor industry is far from immune.

As such, we decided to put our manufacturing hats back on and buy in materials before the price shocks got too ugly (we've still got some items awaiting transport amid rapidly escalating and volatile courier quotes as jet fuel prices rocket higher). 

So, between the uncooperative weather and a flailing empire (and its disposable vassals) it's not been a great start to 2026.  We're going to get things back on track at the end of May with an early summer kit test and will hopefully have more reviews coming after that. 

The good thing about walking is you don't need to rely on other people's energy.

By the way, if anyone thinks the oil futures price (that the media like to quote) is what a physical barrel of oil actually costs, it's not.  The actual price varies depending on region, but search for "dated brent" which is the price paid for a physical barrel for delivery within a one month time frame (versus the price of a speculative paper contract) and you'll see charts like this. 
 

SYSTEM Store Updates

• We've re-stocked our DURA Towers and should have some more stock updates soon (we'll add them when confirmed).
• A new batch of Scramble's Spider Titanium Windshields was dispatched to SYSTEM and are now available (with more on the way). 

That's all for now. 

Last Updated: 24/04/26

Beanies, Balaclavas & Caps for Dynamic Activities

Special Mentions

Note: This post has been updated following the 2025 kit tests. If you want to jump to the updates, click here for the Half-Balaclava review and here for the 3 Season / Baselayer Beanie review.

[ * below we've bolded the relevant condition for the item(s) reviewed here ]

Over time we've come across a number items that have really impressed us and we'd like to draw attention to, but ...

• either they don't quite fit into our rather strictly defined / narrow categories, or
• they are, or are highly likely to be, our top-rated recommendations, but may require some more testing, or
• due to their high price-point, they cannot compete with our existing recommendations (mainly on the value score), or
• they will become our top choice, but only if and when our existing recommendation becomes unavailable (i.e. this item is the current heir in waiting but is just marginally edged out by our current recommendation).

Normally, these Special Mention (SM) "reviews" don't get a rating score and may receive less in-depth coverage, but this is not the case here. Instead when each item has had sufficient use in relevant conditions, we'll flip this SM review to full review status and each item will have a rating and be featured in our catalogue.

Test subject: Head circumference: 57.5cm (22.5") = Medium
Test items: Size stated in each review (generally one size)
Kit Tests: Spring, Summer, Winter
Disclaimer: None required (item not provided by manufacturer)

Scramble Review

Contents

• Introduction
• Part 1A: Beanie + Half Balaclava Combo for Active Sub Zero Use
• - Beanie: Brynje Super Thermo Helmet Hat
• - Half Balaclava: Artilect Darkhorse Neck Tube (2026 update - new)
• Part 1B: Lightweight (Baselayer) Beanie for Static & Active 3 Season Use - Artilect Darkhorse Skully Beanie (2026 update - new)
• Part 2: Caps
• - All-Round Softshell Cap: Mountain Equipment Squall Cap
• - Hot Weather Cap: [ still searching ]
• Product Images

Introduction

As many of the items in this review work in combination, we've decided to reorganise our headwear reviews into two main categories:

1. Thermal headwear for static use in sub zero conditions
2. Headwear for active use (high output / dynamic activity) in all conditions (but with a primary focus on protection from the cold).

This review covers #2: a light split cap for hot summer conditions and an ensemble for active use in the cold; a far more thorny problem to solve as we outlined in our review of the now discontinued Bergans of Norway Varde Beanie:

However, what we require from [headwear] intended for strenuous activity is a balancing act which is far harder to get right than the one-way street of providing as much warmth as possible.

What we're after is something that will provide just enough warmth to prevent the wearer feeling uncomfortably cold (i.e. something to "take the edge off") whilst at the same time, will not cause the wearer to overheat and sweat profusely as "winter mountain trekking" begins to morph into something that looks suspiciously like mountaineering: carrying heavy loads on steep snowdrift covered slopes, over icy rock in white-out conditions with ice axe, crampons and goggles to the fore. In these conditions, ideally you don't want to get a sweat on.

If such [headwear] can get this right, then it will also [likely] double as outright thermal protection for static use in less frosty climes. [Such headwear] in our experience, is a rare find.

That sums up the problem the first two items in this review are designed to solve; to offer just enough protection to keep you comfortably cool, but not so much that you over-heat. 
 

Part 1: Beanie + Half Balaclava for Active Sub Zero Use

Summary Datasheet: Weights & Prices (RRP)

Building Back Better

After trying numerous balaclavas which were either too warm, ill-fitting, had no flip-top, had poor or non-existent breathe vents and on and on, we decided to re-think the whole thing. What did we really want from a balaclava that we weren't getting from other items?

The answer was all in the bottom half: 

• a neck gaiter
• a face mask which didn't impede air intake and exhalation
• a good fit and a no-fuss application (easy-on, easy-off)

So, if we can get all those things and pair them with a good active beanie, we don't really need a full balaclava. In a sense, as we're often having to do, we broke it down to functional elements and ended up with a kind of modular approach.

A balaclava is basically a beanie stitched to a neck gaiter with a vented face mask. So, first we'll see if we can replace the balaclava's top half with a good thermo-regulating beanie.

1. Beanie: Brynje Super Thermo Helmet Hat

Datasheet

Manufacturer's Page

Overview

We came upon the Brynje Thermo somewhat by accident. We were looking at Brynje's Tactical Beanie (pictured here) as a possible candidate to replace the Varde and thought the Thermo looked interesting but was pretty sure, being made from 100% polypropylene, it would be too warm. However, we'd been impressed with Brynje's mesh baselayer and so felt it worth a punt.  As it turned out, the lightweight Brynje Tactical Beanie (80% merino wool) was too under-powered when conditions (during the spring, wet weather kit test) turned wintery-ish (late October temperatures, with November style weather and extreme winds from the east), and instead it was the Brynje Thermo that came into its own.

The recent kit test was useful as temperatures varied wildly, with cold winds from the north, extreme winds from the east, and warmer much wetter weather blowing in from the south, then the west. However, we still need to test the Brynje Super Thermo Helmet Hat in sub zero, winter conditions before we can make a final assessment. That said, the early impressions are extremely good and our guess is that we've likely, finally, found a replacement for the Varde, and possibly a superior option.  

When worn, the Thermo looks like a regular, close fitting beanie. However, it has a modest (helmet style) dip, ensuring full coverage for the ears. It's 10g lighter than the Varde and equally packable and I had no problem wearing it underneath the Mountain Equipment Squall Cap (reviewed below).

One of the ways the Thermo will outperform many other hats in its class, is that being made entirely from polypropylene (which is warmer than wool) it's profoundly hydrophobic and in wet conditions shifts moisture rapidly.  

The helmet dip provides good coverage for the ears, but still looks like a regular beanie.

Turned inside out, we can see how Brynje's Super Thermo Helmet Hat mirrors their mesh baselayers.

Brynje have given the Super Thermo the baselayer mesh treatment, boosting the hat's thermo-regulating properties.

Here is Brynje's description of their polypropylene "mesh-tech"

Super Thermo mesh effectively regulates body temperature. At times of high activity, the mesh ensures air circulation and transports excess moisture and heat away from the body. At times of low activity or during periods of rest, the mesh cells retain warm air forming an uninterrupted layer of insulation next to the skin. [...] worn and trusted by the Norwegian Armed Forces, polar explorers, outdoor enthusiasts and professionals with high-performance requirements.

What's not so apparent in these images, and something we'll capture at a later date, is that when held up to the sky, the heavier weight outer fabric that sits atop the inner mesh is actually not too dense, with not so tight a weave.  This likely accounts for the heat transfer out of the mesh, preventing over-heating. 

My experience of using the Super Thermo was similar to the Varde, in that unless temperatures were warm enough for a beanie to not really be necessary at all, I largely forgot I was wearing it.
 

Weight, Packability & Sizing

Pictured below (#1) is the thinner and lighter Brynje Tactical Beanie.  In our view this would make a fine beanie for cool summer nights around camp or as a supplemental item, but when the weather approached the wintery it was under-powered and clearly not suitable for sub-zero conditions. In addition, there are plenty of ~30g merino-rich (~80%) beanies on the market, and they can do a job, but often their use-case is marginal. When you need some protection, they often don't provide enough and when conditions are suitable, you're in a zone where the hood of your softshell would be sufficient. That said, if it wasn't for the "Tactical", we'd likely not have found the "Thermo". 

To give some indication of the thickness of the Brynje Thermo, below it's pictured with the 28g Tactical (#2) and the 57g Mountain Equipment Plain Knitted Beanie (#4). 

The Brynje Super Thermo packs down very small and I was able to fit the Thermo, the Tactical and the Brubeck M-Pro Half Balaclava into the small chest pocket of a Mountain Equipment Echo Vest.

The Brynje comes in two sizes:

• S/M (head circumference 54-56 cm) which will fit the majority of women
• L/XL (head circumference 56-59 cm) which will fit the majority of men
   

Any Negatives?

None yet, but we need to do more testing in sub zero conditions. Thus the "special mention" status of this review and the lack of a final rating for this item. We'll update this review when we've completed the upcoming winter kit test.

2. (Half) Balaclava: Artilect Darkhorse Neck Tube

Datasheet

Available on SYSTEM

Overview

As we discussed above, once you've got a good active beanie, all the useful stuff in a balaclava is in the bottom half.  Enter Articlect's Darkhorse Neck Tube (or half balaclava), the result of some clear thinking and clever design and material choices on Artilect's part.
 

Artilect United 1, Brubeck Town 0

This item replaces Brubeck's M-Pro Half Balaclava and we'll start this review by explaining why we abandoned the Brubeck M-Pro. The first reason is simply that the Artilect Darkhorse is superior, but the other reason, which motivated our continued search for a replacement, was the company itself.

We'd tried to reach out to Brubeck to see if we could stock their M-Pro and potentially some of their other products and soon found we'd entered a confusing maze. It was practically impossible to get clear answers on anything and we seemed to have stumbled upon a company that had lost track of its catalogue. Fractured product lines spread over various similarly branded "corporate" websites aimed at overlapping target consumers. This internal chaos seemed to be mirrored in the retail sector; the M-Pro was nearly impossible to track down (at least in the material mix we'd reviewed). So, we sought out an alternative and we're very glad we did, because in our view Artilect's Darkhorse Neck Tube is a superior product and the company (founded in Boulder, Colorado and now part of the Bradshaw Taylor group) is the kind you can not only contact but also get sensible answers from. In addition, their products are readily available in the UK (through their own site and other outdoor retailers).

So, now I've got that off my chest, let's look at what Artilect call a neck tube but, due to its breathable mesh vents, we regard as more of a half-balaclava (semantics).
 

The Darkhorse Neck Tube (DNT)

Artilect's DNT is a light, stretchy, comfortable neckgaiter / facemask made from a mix of super-fine merino wool (Nuyarn, 91%) and nylon (9%). It solves the ill-fitting issue that plagues many balaclavas: it negates the "flip-top" design choice that some implement poorly and others not at all; and perhaps most importantly, it provides two generous breathing vents (pictured below #1 and #2), each accommodating both nose and mouth and neither impeding the intake and exhalation of air to any material degree.

Unlike the M-Pro, the DNT also features a full-length (back) breathable vent panel, so the neck tube can be swivelled round to increase the vent coverage / access.

Artilect provide a generous vent to cover the mouth and nose.

The DNT's tightly woven super-fine merino provides a little more protection than the M-Pro, but still fulfills the "just enough, but not too much" criteria outlined above. There's enough protection to take the edge off a biting wind, but not too much that you overheat.

Having a good mesh vent is essential to counter strong, cold winds without fogging eye wear.

No issues breathing through the air vent mesh panel.

We've tested the DNT with eye-wear in cold conditions but need to do more sub-zero testing before we can provide a final assessment. So far, the DNT looks very promising indeed and we're confident it will be our top pick.

For those that require a balaclava for serious, high altitude mountaineering, our recommendations is Black Yak's Mountain Shemagh Balaclava. 
 

Materials

Artilect are well known for their intensive use of Nuyarn, an extremely fine form of merino-wool  If you consider what Teijin are going with OctaYarn to create a more air-pocketing yet air permeable fibre, Nuyarn are doing something similar with merino wool:

Nuyarn does not twist the fibres. Instead it drafts wool fibres along a high performance filament resulting in two ply yarns with much more volume and aeration.

Nuyarn's claims for their woolly-tech (which they state have been independently tested by Intertek® Vietnam and AgResearch, New Zealand) are quite impressive:

• 35% more volume, aeration and thermal retention than traditionally woven merino
• 5x faster drying than traditional merino wool
• 85% more elasticity (negating the need for elastane, which adds weight and loses elasticity over time)
• 8.8x more durable than traditionally spun merino

We have no way of validating these claims, all we have are some empirical findings. The Darkhorse Neck Tube is silky smooth and more comfortable than many merino wool, next-to-skin items we've tested. The flatlock seems are very well done and have not caused any discomfort.  The claim about elasticity also makes some sense. The DNT contains no elastane and yet stretches and rebounds as though it does. It's too early to say much about durability, but it's clearly a quality item and we can't see why it shouldn't age well. Afterall, it's a neck-gaiter, so it's hardly taking a beating.
 

Fit & Function

The Darkhorse Neck Tube (DNT) works well as a simple neck-gaiter (pictured right, #5) when the face-mask is not required. When you need a face-mask, there's really three settings, each of which functioned well in our kit test.  I tended to wear the DNT as pictured in #2 and #4 with it sitting higher up the back of the head. 

Pictured below the DNT is paired with another Artilect product, the Darkhorse Skully Beanie; a very lightweight 3-seaon number (similar to the Brynje Tactical Beanie meantioned above). However, the combination of the Brynje Super Thermo Helmet Hat and the Darkhorse Neck Tube seem made for one another and we look forward to throwing them into some harsh sub-zero conditions this winter.  

The Darkhorse will fit most users and can be worn in a number of ways to provide more or less protection.

Weight, Packability & Sizing

The Darkhorse Neck Tube weighs in at just 40g and takes up hardly any space in a pocket or belt bag. In winter, it's the kind of item you'd put on in the morning with your baselayer and remove at night.

Unlike the Brubeck M-Pro, the DNT comes in one size which will fit most adults. 
 

Any Negatives?

None yet, but we need to do more testing in sub zero conditions. Thus the "special mention" status of this review and the lack of a final rating for this item. We'll update this review when we've completed the upcoming winter kit test.
 

Part 1B: Lightweight 3 Season (Baselayer) Beanie:
Artilect's Darkhorse Skully Beanie

Datasheet

Available on SYSTEM

Overview

We thought it would be disingenuous to not include a lightweight, low profile baselayer beanie in this review as it's an item we take on all non-winter kit tests.  This type of beanie weighs so little and packs down so small it's hardly a burden. 

Ideal for cold spring and autumnal conditions as active headwear under a cap, beanies like Artilect's Skully are comfortable to sleep in and function well for static use on cool summer nights.  In addition they can also serve a role in sub-zero conditions, to layer under more serious thermal options.

We've tested so many of this kind of beanie it's not funny (from Rab, ME, Extremities, Sub Zero, Brynje - mentioned above, Haglofs and on and on) and Artilect's is the best we've come across.  The Skully is silky smooth, non-itchy, comfortable, breathes well, dries quickly and unlike many of the woolen versions we've tested, doesn't lose its stretch / form.

For Autumn/Winter 2025 and onward, Artilect have made a minor alteration to the blend and have increased the polyamide (nylon) content from 9% to 18%.  This may add a little toughness but, in our estimation, won't make a noticeable difference to how the beanie performs.

As with Artilect's Darkhorse Neck Tube, the Skully uses a similar (or same, depending on the model) blend of Nuyarn merino wool and nylon. So, rather like Octa-yarn in fleece-world, you get more trapped air ("thermal retention"), faster drying time and the kind of stretch and rebound you'd expect from having elastane in the mix. 

The major difference between the skully and the rest of the pack is the material.

The Skully beanie weighs just 26g and takes up hardly any pack space, easily fitting in a chest pocket, hand pocket or belt bag. 

Suited to high octane winter sports such as ski-touring, snow boarding etc ... the Skully is designed to function rather like a winter baselayer for the head: wicking moisture while providing a little thermal regulation along the way.  
 

Any Negatives?

None yet. The Skully is one of those items that's hard to rationalise not packing.  We've been very impressed with Artilects accessories; their headwear in particular.

Part 2: Caps

Summary Datasheet: Weights & Prices (RRP)

What Do We Want From A Cap?

There's not a great deal going on with a cap; here's our modest requirements:

• A good sized, deep peak (brim or visor).
• A sensible and functional adjustment mechanism.
• A fabric and weave with a good balance between breathability and wind resistance.
• A fabric with a good degree of stretch to accommodate other winter headwear such as balaclavas and/or beanies.
• A material that has a DWR treatment and/or accepts custom proofing.
• Something that packs down as small as possible.

Although the above requirements were written in our review of a "cold-weather" cap, it's largely true across the board. Having used a number of softshell caps, we ended up switching between two excellent examples, both made by Mountain Equipment:

• The Tuolumne Cap (now discontinued and archived)
• The Squall Cap

Since ME discontinued the Tuolumne we've all been using the Squall across a wide range of conditions and the only time it fails is when its seriously hot (30℃ and above).  Thus, in this section we have set aside some space for a Hot Weather Cap - a very lightweight, split cap with a deep peak (brim or visor).  Mountain Equipment made such a cap and then screwed it up - so we're still looking.

1. Softshell Cap: Mountain Equipment Squall Cap

Datasheet

Manufacturer's Page

Overview

When Mountain Equipment made the Tuolumne Cap we oscillated between using it and the Squall and could never really decide which we preferred. The Tuolumne had vent holes to prevent overheating but the Squall had a deeper peak. Having used the Squall in all conditions for a good number of years, we can happily say it's a fantastic all-rounder and, now the Tuolumne has been discontinued, the problem of deciding between them is moot. The Squall is the undisputed champion of softshell caps.

The Squall cap is made from Mountain Equipment's Exolite 125, the same durable, stretch, double weave softshell fabric (94% nylon, 6% elastane) used on their excellent Echo Hooded Jacket.

If you've seen Scramble's reviews over the last few years you'll have seen the ubiquitous Squall pictured over and over again, so we're not going to adorn this review with numerous images (although it's already appeared numerous times anyway).

Simply put the Squall fulfills all the requirements laid out above, and has never let any of the Scramble team down, a great performer that like all the best kit, is ever-present and goes largely unnoticed.
 

Any Negatives?

None.  Just get one.
 

Conclusion & Rating

The Mountain Equipment Squall Cap is what you'd get if you made a Ronhill Split Cap for sub zero and all-round mountain conditions. It provides an ideal balance between wind resistance and breathability; it's extremely comfortable, packable, light weight and durable. The Squall is made to Mountain Equipment's usual high standards and is our top pick in the all-round Softshell Trekking Cap category. Which is probably a cue for them to cease its production.
 

Rating (out of 10)

* The value score is derived from two factors:
1) Competitive Market Price (CMP). This represents our judgement of a competitive online price point if we were to stock the item. e.g. if we feel we would need to sell an item at 40% off (i.e. 60% of its full RRP) to be competitive, then our CMP score will be 6/10.
2) Customer Value Price (CVP). We then make an honest appraisal of the maximum price we would be willing to pay for the item (and we're mean). So if we'd pay 80% of its RRP our CVP score would be 8/10.
We then average the two scores to get our final value score, which in our example would be 7/10.

2. Hot Weather Cap: Search In Progress

We Still Haven't Found What We're Looking For

We're not sure if Mountain Equipment became aware of a sudden influx of championship jockeys into the climbing arena or someone in their design department was having a really bad day, but whatever the reason, Mountain Equipment "fixed" what was unbroken and as such we're still looking for a simple, lightweight split cap for active use in hot conditions. A super-lightweight Squall Cap would be ideal ... wait, isn't that the Aerofoil?

It was, but it ain't anymore.
 

All Product Images
 

(% gallery name=head-headwear-active-all-conditions-ensemble %)

Last Updated: 27/01/26
Added 3 Season Baselayer Beanie review. 

2025/2026 Kit Tests (Review & Preview) + Updates

In this post we're going to run through items lined up for the upcoming 2026 winter, summer and autumn (wet weather) kit tests, as well as mention some items of note from the 2025 summer and spring tests. But before all that, we have some manufacturing and store updates.

Contents

• Manufacturing Updates: Machine Padded Belts, Waterproof Overshorts & More
• Store Updates: Tent Pegs, Cords & Pole Accessories
• Upcoming Kit Test Items for 2026
• 2025: Spring & Summer Kit Test Items Reviewed
• 2025: Near Misses & Items of Note
• 2025: Summer Kit Test Snaps

Manufacturing Updates

Machine Padded Belt

As planned, we made some minor alterations to the Machine Padded Belt. We switched to a lighter EVA foam which allowed us to use 6mm foam on the padded side and a wrap around 3mm on the non-padded side.  This was to prevent the padded component moving around the inner webbing belt (and it worked).

The Machine Padded Belt with Scramble's Machine Belt Bag.

We've now completed the testing phase and all went well. The Machine Padded Belt is now ready for production and is in the (unfortunately) long queue. 
 

Waterproof Overshorts (Half Shorts & 3/4 Capri Versions)

We've finished testing the half short version of our waterproof overshorts and have decided to do away with the slit pocket access openings. The reason is that they're not needed and it creates a point of failure / fragility (in tests, sliding down wet slopes, this was one area which was prone to ripping).  If you need to access your softshell trouser pocket you can either roll the shorts up or loosen the belt to pull them down.  No need for pocket slits on overshorts. 

The waterproof overshorts (especially the 3/4 length version, above right) will continue to be put through their paces in the upcoming winter kit test.

We're using heatshrink tubing to finish the webbing so it has a hard stop when you loosen the belt and to provide a more robust and secure fit for the hook.

The included webbing belt is sized so that without unhooking it you can loosen it to its maximum circumference which is a fraction larger than the potential stretch of the elasticated waist. Simply put, you can take them off and put them on without un-hooking the belt. This is useful because it saves having to re-hook the belt, which can be fiddly in certain conditions.

The three-quarter length version is designed and sized to be worn over the 1/2 shorts. These are "downpour options" and in winter are designed to work with knee-length gaiters.  If you don't wear gaiters in winter, then these wouldn't be a good option.

The three-quarter length waterproofs are a kind of "rain-skirt" alternative.  Having them open at the hem, yet sitting below the knee, means most of the leg is sheltered but there's sufficient air-flow to reduce condensation. Because of their shorter length, you don't have flapping fabric around the boot and ankle, so they don't present too much of a tripping hazard. The 3/4 version has a dual channel cinching mechanism (they can be cinched from the left and right side of the leg independently), to provide a secure fit when used with gaiters for river / stream crossings or when scrambling.

Prototyping Projects

Investigational projects such as the "Return Home Shoes" (an approx. 120g per pair non-flip-flop shoe to wear for return journeys), are on the backburner until production backlogs are cleared. 
 

Store Updates

Woojin's Tarp Pole Attachment

We now stock Woojin's Tent Pole Shoe, designed to work with webbing attachments connected to the base of tents acting as docking points for straight and preformed pole segments.  However, these "shoes" can work just as well as "hats" when flipped over and placed on the top of tent poles.  Dyneema cord loops (such as those on Scramble's G-38 and G-55 tarps) can then be threaded through the pole shoe's webbing slot and clipped via carabiners to guy lines. Effectively connecting tarp, pole and guy line.  A very handy item for those who use 9mm poles with their tarps (and they're 4g lighter than the DAC Arch Connector which does a similar job).

WOOJIN Tent Pole Shoe makes an excellent attachment point for 2 or 3 section 9mm DAC Featherlite NSL poles.

Cords & Tent Pegs

We've re-stocked all of our existing cord and tent pegs and have added a few new options.

Upcoming Kit Test Items

• [ Midweight (~700g) Insulated Jacket ] Keela Belay Pro Jacket (M = 640g)
  We'll be testing this jacket in the upcoming Winter Kit Test, not so much as a replacement for the Keela Belay Smock, but as a lighter alternative. We've come to the conclusion that for static use (which for us is what these jackets are for, as opposed to actually belaying) a hood isn't necessary (balaclava and beanie is sufficient). However, we feel the major determining factor here is body length. Our current view, is that for taller people the Belay Smock is the way to go, but for those under 6ft who want to save some weight the Belay Jacket may be a good alternative. That's what we'll be testing when it gets cold.
   
• [ Midweight (~400g) Down Hooded Jacket ] Sub Zero Lightweight Down Hoody (L = 390g)
  This isn't a priority but we've been wanting to test Sub Zero's down jackets for a while and so we'll see if we can fit it in somewhere.
   
• [ Hot Weather (Under 300g) Softshell Trousers ] Rafiki Drive Pants (M = 262g)
  We're very happy with the Rab Inclines for 3-Season use and we're testing them as a winter option with some fortification, but we wanted to look at some lighter-weight options for those that trek in genuine hot climes. Rab's Incline Light Pants are an option, but we've been impressed with these climbing trousers from Rafiki and wanted to see how they fare (in the Summer Kit Test). They break most of our rules regarding belts and pockets. So, we'll see.
   
• [ Lightweight (Under 400g) Softshell Jacket ] Karpos Lavaredo Jacket (w/ Polartec Alpha, XL, 314g), Karpos Alagna Plus Evo Vest (w/ Polartec Alpha, XL, 306g)
  We're looking at a number of items from Karpos' Laveredo and Alagna lines. These are the two that look most interesting and both are likely to work as winter softshell inners under something like Dynafit's Transalper which we reviewed recently.  It also provides an opportunity to test some Polartec Alpha gear (note these pieces use Alpha and so are lined, not Alpha Direct which is open / exposed).  Both pieces use very minimal and strategically placed insulation - so overheating is unlikely.
   
• [ Lightweight Sleepwear / Baselayer Backup Tops ] OMM Breeze Hood (M, 125g), Dynafit FT Dryarn Warm Hoody (L/XL, 225g), Dynafit Traverse S-Tech LS Crew (L/XL, 144g), Karpos Croda Light Half Zip Pullover (XL)
  We're always looking at possible contenders in the sleepwear and baselayer categories. The four tops mentioned are all quite different from oneanother. Out of the four, the Karpos looks like the most likely replacement for Montane's Allez Micro Pull-On (which they seem to have discontinued). However, our use of OMM's Core Zipped Vest, takes away some of the need for a thermal element. So we're playing with a range of options.
   
• [ Extremities / Accessories ]
  [ Static Thermal Headwear For Sub Zero Conditions (Under 70g) ] Artilect's Valley 250 Balaclava & Walrus Beanie
  We've been impressed by a number of Artilect accessories and so want to test their heavier duty Nuyarn (merino) options for sub-zero, around camp duties.
  [ Thermal Over-Mitts ] Inov8 Extreme Thermo Mittens, Montane Chonos Fleece Mitts
  Buffalo Mitts have been getting very expensive, so we're looking at a couple of lightweight alternatives.
  [ Gloves & Wrist Gaiters ] Milo Yeru Fleece Gloves (L, 48g), Sub Zero Meraklon Insulated Wrist Warmers (OS, 24g)
  Milo's Yeru gloves are Polartec Power Stretch gloves and look very similar to Rab and Mountain Equipment's offerings. The Sub Zero wrist gaiter is a polypropylene number which we'd prefer had more thumb protection but we'll likely pair it with their Factor 2 Fingerless Gloves (which are excellent).
  [ Cold Weather Waterproof Tent Boots ] OMM Core Tent Socks, Dexshell Running Lite Waterproof Socks
  We're testing a few lightweight alternatives to see if we can radically reduce the weight of our cold weather modular tent boots.
  [ Light Trekking Sock ] Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew vs HJ Hall ProTrek HJ701 Adventure Walking Socks
  When it comes to socks, we've decided to do a brand review instead of recommending an individual sock. People's feet and boot purchases will necessitate a personal / subjective fit which we can't second guess. Instead we'll simply look at Darn Tough and HJ Hall and show which socks we use / like.
  [ Footwear ] Bestard Nova (Winter, Membrane) Boots, Zamberlan Salathe RR Approach (3-Season, Non-Membrane) Shoes
  We don't review individual shoes and boots, but rather point out what to look for. The Nova's are very similar to the Altberg Bergens but with an outdoor, non-military look. The Zamberlan Salathe are a leather (non-membrane) approach shoe similar to Scarpa's Zodiac. We'll see how they drain in our wet weather kit test. We'll also be testing our Kevlar laces and may start offering them if they work well.
   
• [ Modular Approach to a 4-Season Sleeping Mat ]
  * Mountain Spring Ying 99 (UL Closed Cell) Sleeping Mat (182 x 51 x 1.7) - 110g + 10g bag
  * Nordisk Ven 2.5 Self-Inflating Mat (290g+ Nordisk Stuff Sack (20g)
  * LightTour Half Pad R1.5 (182g + Klymit 12g Stuff Sack + Repair Kit, Accessories)
  * Scramble Ultralight Evazote (EV30) Foam Mat (Short, 60g)
  We've pretty much settled on our combinations for a modular sleeping mat system. We just need to test this ensemble in sub-zero conditions.
   
• [ Lightweight (<400g) ~20L Pack (+ Side Pouch) ] Mountain Hardwear UL 20L Backpack, Blue Ice Dragonfly post 2022 (18L, 210D)  (380g without foam)
  Perhaps Blue Ice listened to us when we warned them over cost-cutting the spine out of their Dragonfly packs, they've now beefed up the Dragonfly. We still prefer the old one, but 210D 6.6 ripstop nylon is a major improvement. The old Dragonfly had 100D sides and a hefty 420D ripstop Cordura back (and was lighter). The new ones have 210D (non-Cordura) all around. When we find time, we also want to test Mountain Hardwear's UL 20L pack.

Note: There are a number of other items in circulation being re-tested that we haven't listed above.
 

Modular Sleeping Bag System:  Lighter, Not Warmer (Just An Idea We May Want To Test)

We'll quickly mention an item we haven't yet purchased, but looks interesting as an alternative weight-saver in our modular sleeping bag system.  We recently reviewed Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer and when looking at Cocoon's liners we noticed they also do an "overbag"; a cross between a quilt and a bivvy.  It's quilt-like in that all the insulation (Primaloft Gold) is on the top and sides and it's bivvy-like due to it being oversized and having a hydrostatic head (HH = 1000mm). Theoretically (we believe EN tested), it adds 14°C to ones sleep system.  So, for those that don't need to get down to -25°C and are happy with a -19°C Comfort Limit, at the extremes, one could substitute the Defence 4 for Cocoon's Over Bag (COB) and for extreme sub-zero conditions use the following 3 bag setup: 

• Inner / Liner:  Cocoon Mountain Wanderer (550g w/o stuff sack)
• Main Bag:  Carinthia G-90 (690g w/o stuff sack)
• Outer  Cocoon Over Bag (690g w/ stuff sack)

Where this approach differs from our current (double bag) recommendation is in winter (double-bagged) and down to extreme sub-zero (triple-bagged, as per above).  In winter, you drop from spring/autumn's -5°C to just -8°C (rather than -15°C), before dropping a further 11°C down to -19°C (as per the thin blue line, Cocoon Over Bag / "COB" system, versus the thick green line, our current system with the Defence 4).  The red line is our old system with Alpkit's Cloud Cover instead of Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer.

In winter, although you're losing 7°C of warmth (compared to our current system) you're also shedding nearly ~280g in weight. Furthermore, measured against our lighter (now archived system with Alpkit's Cloud Cover) in the extreme sub-zero range, you're losing only 1°C of warmth while shedding ~180g.  Based on RRP, the Cocoon Over Bag is only £10 more than the Cloud Cover and £45 cheaper than the Defence 4.

Our feeling is that the Cocoon Over Bag (COB) may be worth testing.  If the theory works out in practice, this may be something we'd recommend as a lighter (and cheaper) alternative for those that want a flexible, 4-season system that functions in wet conditions but for whom weight is the primary concern. For some context, Rab's Solar Eco 4 has an EN Comfort Limit of -8°C and weighs 1475g (Regular) - that's 100g heavier than the COB + Carinthia G-90. With this modular system however, there's room to add the Mountain Wanderer to get down to -19°C and still remain under 2kg. That's not too shabby.  Something we hope to explore further.
 

2025: Spring & Summer Kit Test Items Reviewed (Special Mentions)

It's always nice when a good deal of initial research pays off. A number of the items we tested in 2025 garnered reviews (either official or "special mentions"). The reviews are linked below:

• [ Hybrid Wind-Top & UL Waterproof Jacket ] OMM Halo Smock
• [ Lightweight (Under 350g) Softshell Trousers ] Rab Incline Pants
• [ Lightweight (Under 350g) Softshell Jacket (Special Mention) ] Dynafit Transalper Dynastretch Jacket
• [ Baselayer Bottoms (All Season), Half-Shorts, Leggings, Tights ] Saxx, Löffler, Odlo (Multi Product Review)
• [ Utility Insulation Layer (Active & Static) ] OMM Core Zipped Vest
• [ Headwear for Dynamic Activities: (Half) Balaclava ] Artilect Darkhorse Neck Tube
• [ Modular Sleeping Bag 1: Best 1 Season and 4 Season Inner ] Cocoon Mountain Wanderer Sleeping Bag
• [ Headwear for Dynamic Activities: Lightweight 3 Season (Baselayer) Beanie ] Artilect Darkhorse Skully Beanie
   

2025: Near Misses and Items of Note

We don't normally go through all the kit we've tested that didn't make the grade, and we're not going to here either, but we will mention a few items that we felt worth discussing.

Bestard Gobi (Non-Membrane Trekking Shoes)

Over time a number of readers have recommended boots and shoes with predominantly synthetic uppers.  Largely based on our quite extensive (off-path) experience, we've taken quite a hard line in favouring leather uppers which, assuming the leather is of good quality, are tougher than almost all synthetic materials (even Dyneema or Kevlar infused ones). However, we thought we'd revisit the question and  gave the reasonably heavyweight Bestard Gobis a try (EU43 = 946g per pair). 

The Bestard Gobi are the best draining shoes we've come across.

The Gobi has a solid and quite thick Cordura upper with a Vibram Impulse sole. I found it very comfortable over long distances.  Advertised as a trek (rather than approach shoe) it makes no claim that it's designed for our purposes (off-path mountain trekking), rather we get the impression that Bestard may have envisaged this being worn on the Camino trail.

That said, the Gobi performed pretty well.  Out of all the (non-membrane) footwear we've tested, they're the very best at draining water. I almost looked forward to river and stream crossings, knowing that the water would practically squirt out of these things. The Gobis were tested in the spring (wet weather) and summer kit tests and clambered over carnage forests (see images below), stone walls, barbwire fences and the sharp, hard and irregular greywacke rock of the Harlech dome.

Vibram Impulse soles and Cordura uppers. But is the Cordura tough enough for the greywacke?

The Rhinogs are a great place to test footwear, as not only does the rock shred sub-standard footwear (and seemingly point in every direction your foot doesn't want to go), the harsh undergrowth is unforgiving, whether tangled in heather and thistle or trapped in steep descents of tall prehistoric bracken - all of which covers abrasive, highly irregular boulders with deep cracks, inlets and gullies. It's a ligament shredding paradise.

I wore the Gobis with a modified pair of Alpkit's Kantju running gaiters and so they had some additional protection.  Even so, after about 25 days of bushwhacking use the Gobis are showing signs of duress in one particular area (just beyond the toe cap).

Bestard could remedy this issue quite easily, it simply requires an extension to the toe cap rand. Pictured below (right, #2) is what Bestard could / should do to extend the Gobi's potential from "car-park & trail" to genuine off-path, mountain and marsh trekkers. They'd have a great 3-season master drainer that could manage tough mountain terrain. 

It's a simple fix that Bestard could easily implement.

We'll send this to Bestard and see if they want to make a Version II.  If they do, the only other thing we'd change is the depth of the heel cup which is a little too aggressively recessed in our opinion, but this is subjective and everyone's feet are different.  It's one of the reasons we don't do specific footwear reviews.
 

QSP Parrot G10 V2 (Folding Knife)

We're fans of QSP, they make a wide range of excellent quality budget knives.  Unfortunately they seem to have shelved the Piglet which was a fantastic knife that used a good steel and had a 3.7mm thick blade.  It was a little chunky and overweight (100g) for our purposes, but highly recommended.  Like the Piglet, the Parrot is a liner lock and has G10 scales and a smooth action, but its form is more akin to the Ka-Bar's Dozier Folding Hunter (our top pick).

A great value alternative to the Ka-Bar Dozier Folding Hunter.

The Parrot is around £8 cheaper (Reputable Dealer Link *) but 25g heavier than the Dozier. There's not a great deal in it, but we still rate Ka-Bar's Dozier (Reputable Dealer Link *).

* Note:  We don't get any commission or financial benefit linking to third party retailers / suppliers (in case you think we've started whoring ourselves out). Instead, we just point to retailers and suppliers we've found to be trustworthy and reliable (so readers can avoid some of the headaches we've experienced while sourcing such items).

SOG Aegis MT (Sprung Pliers Multitool)

This won't be relevant to everyone but for those that carry gear that may require some leverage to loosen screw fittings, nuts and bolts etc, having a mini pair or pliers is a must. Personally, since I have to take photos when I'm in the great outdoors, I sometimes need to unscrew or adjust something over-tightened on my ultralight tripod and a pair of pliers is called for. 

A simple tool for those who need a compact pliers (you get superb tweezers and a back-up knife thrown in).

Via a mixture of double-counting and wishful thinking SOG state this mini-multitool comes with 5 discrete tools, in reality it has 3, which, when they're all very good, is enough.  On top of a capable pair of sprung pliers you have a back-up knife and an excellent (absolutely superb) pair of tweezers which are so much better than most other tweezers on multitools.  I've done three surgical extractions with these and was very impressed and surprised how easily I'd pulled out the spiky intruder. The SOG Aegis MT, which seems to be aimed at anglers, weighs in at 70g.

As far as we understand it, the situation with SOG is peculiar.  They shifted (a proportion of) their manufacturing to China.  Then they abandoned a number of product lines (not entirely sure about this) and the factory in China said, we want to continue producing these items and so they did.  Unfortunately, under pressure from the UK's authoritarian regimes, the Chinese (i.e. AliExpress) now won't ship (even UK legal) blades to the UK.  If you want one, you may need to do some digging. We got ours from AliExpress for £27 each.  It doesn't look like you can do this anymore.  Feel free to thank your government "representatives" for pruning your liberties a little every day.
 

The Scott Explorair Softshell SL Hooded Jacket

Swiss brand Scott make some quality gear.  Their Explorair softshell (L = 358g, Scott's stated weight is way off) is a well-finished and hard-wearing softshell made from 89% nylon and 11% elastane (so it's got some stretch). The adjustable hood is well done. It has two zipped hand pockets and two generous internal open glove pockets.  Strangely, they didn't provide any lycra binding at the cuffs. On first inspection this bothered me a lot, however in use I found I just rolled the sleeves up a fraction at the wrist and it didn't bother me a great deal. However, this is not optimal; a minor negative. 

The Explorair features two large internal "glove pockets" but no chest pocket.

We need to see what Mountain Equipment (who in our estimation haven't been at their best recently) do with their Echo softshell.  If it wasn't for the Echo (which is close to perfection)  the Explorair would be a contender.  If Mountain Equipment have discontinued the Echo (with no plans to offer a like-for-like replacement), then we'll revisit this question. However, there is stiff competition coming from Dynafit, Karpos and Rab. 

Scott's Explorair is a tough, light-to-midweight traditional softshell - a contender.

That's all the important stuff out of the way. Next some pics from the last two kit tests ...

Photo-Geek Note: I've swapped out my Sony RX0 for an Olympus TG-7 (as my tough backup camera). I got tired of colour-correcting and de-sharpening the out of camera jpegs of the RX0 (there's something funny about Sony colours especially in very green environments - it kept wanting to add reds that weren't there).  With the Panasonic GX1, which is responsible for all the product and most fairweather photos, I shoot in RAW format. but for crap weather, candid snaps I've switched from the RX0 to the Olympus TG-7 which has a lower resolution and smaller sensor but much more natural colour / image rendering and a 25mm to 100mm (FF equivalent) zoom. Hopefully we'll see a difference.
 

2025 Spring & Summer Kit Test Snaps

The Crux AX50 and an Electric Peacock PAX Tower doing the heavy lifting. 

Double rainbow after some heavy rain during the Sping Kit Test.

Great shredder of footwear and strainer of ligaments, the Rhinogs.

There was a storm in west Wales in December 2024 with 90mph winds.  This caused some carnage in many of the forests I short-cut my way through as I traverse south to north Wales. Most of this destruction lingered through 2025, as such quite a bit of crawling, clambering and "break on through to the other side" was required.

Overgrown paths and abandoned forestry tracks were often completely blocked.

Minor cut-throughs were also tricky.

... and established mini-trails with dinky footbridges over streams were merely collateral damage.

This is Dyffryn Castell Hotel (pronounced Difrin Casstek). It used to look like this, but it doesn't anymore. For me it's often a way-point between two reasonably taxing slogs, one through steep forests and the next one up to a ridge that runs atop Nant-y-Moch reservoir.  When I get here, I know I'm closing in on Machynlleth (gateway to north Wales). 

Inside one of the buildings on the right hand side of the hotel above, I thought I saw a man lying on a bed in the deep recesses of this perpetual restoration. But it was just a man made of timber.  

So much for my ride home.

It's not all romantic wilderness, mountain-scapes, sunsets and vistas.  Rusty dodgems too. 

Got back to London and there's a tube strike. DIY indeed. Decided to walk home from Paddington. A near full moon over St Pauls. 

Give me that old time religion, moonlight on ....

The End.

Last Updated: 22/01/26

Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer Sleeping Bag

Preface

The following assumes the use of a tent or hooped bivvy (hammock and or tarp / non-hooped bivvy users will need to decide whether such a system may benefit them). We currently use a hooped bivvy + tarp in cold conditions, a tarp + regular bivvy for everything else.

A great deal of testing in varied conditions has brought us to recommending this "modular system". However, more than perhaps any other item, sleeping bags and their worth appears a very personal matter. Everyone's metabolism is different, some sleep hot, some cold, some on their side, some on their back, some probably sleep upside down ... who knows.

All we can do here is recommend what works for us and in doing so provide some useful information to consider before spending what can be a considerable amount of money and often the largest budget item(s) in any pack.

We also assume some sensible sleepwear and this combination has been tested with the thermal underwear recommended in our "sleepwear section" (we do not assume the wearing of insulated jackets or over-trousers).

The combination of sleeping bags we recommend are intended to work together enabling their user to carry only what is likely to be necessary for each trip. This combination will work from the arid to the tropical and down into frostbite territory. It uses mainly (wet weather resistant) synthetic insulation (and if down is recommended, the down bag is always on the inside, except in conditions where warm dry weather is predictable and persistent).

This system will not be too relevant to those who venture out only when it's a nice day; but will likely be of interest to those who enjoy the challenge of enduring the unpleasant conditions that hostile environments visit upon them.

Test subject: Chest 42", Waist 33", Height: 5ft 8"
Test item: Size = M (185 cm)
Kit Tests: Spring, Summer, Winter
Disclaimer: None required (item not provided by manufacturer)

Datasheet

Manufacturer's Page

Scramble Review

Contents

• Introduction: Reasons To Look Beyond The Cloud
• Scramble's Recommended Sleeping Bag System
• Features & Materials: MW's Synthetic Minimalism
• Temperature Rating: Solo & Paired
• Sizing
• Any Negatives?
• Conclusion, Rating & Product Images
• Postscript

Introduction: Reasons To Look Beyond The Cloud

For a long time we'd recommended Alpkit's Cloud Cover as our choice for an ultralight hot weather sleeping bag and inner bag to pair with the two synthetic "outer" (and solo) bags in our recommended "modular system". However, Alpkit's inability to check the ravages of inflation which has seen, in the space of 10 years, the Cloud Cover go from £65 in 2016 to £160 (at the time or writing, an annual inflation rate compounding at close to 10%) has shifted the Cloud Cover from something you'd give a go to more of an investment that better not let you down. Don't get us wrong, it's a very useful item and although it will no longer be part of our core system recommendation (and has been archived) we're going to continue to recommend it, but only for those for whom weight is the primary concern. We've adjusted our rating for the Cloud Cover accordingly and have for a while been seeking out alternatives.

So What Are We Looking For?

As we mentioned, the purpose of "Sleeping Bag 1" is to work on its own in hot / warm conditions where one is confident that nighttime temperatures are not going to drop below +10°C.  This bag needs to be light and compact and pair well with the other two bags in the system, both of which accommodate inner / liner sleeping bags to extend their ratings into sub zero or extreme sub zero temperatures.  The best way to get this across is simply to start at the punchline and work our way back to explain why Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer fits in so well and in many ways is superior to Alpkit's Cloud Cover.
 

In Context: Scramble's Recommended Sleeping Bag System

Many military modular systems use 2 bags: a lighter "patrol" bag (down to 0°C) and a medium-weight cold weather bag (down to -15°C) which combine for extreme cold (down to -30°C, but a total weight of nearly 3kg). Scramble's recommended modular approach uses 3 bags, is lighter and more flexible (better in hotter, arid conditions, yet still good down to -25°C (via our core recommendation) or around -20°C (using the Cloud Cover), the extreme combination weighing a little over 2kg).

Measured weights (without stuff sacks, see our note below*). CL = Comfort Limit:

Scramble's Current (Core) Recommendation (for extreme cold with better all-round wet weather performance)

• Hot + Dry or Wet Weather (CL= +8.0°C): Cocoon Mountain Wanderer (M) = 558g (stuff sack +14g)
• Warm + Dry or Wet Weather (CL= +5.7°C): Carinthia G-90 (L) = 694g (stuff sack +64g)
• Spring, Autumn (CL= -5.0°C): Mountain Wander (M) + Carinthia G-90 (L) = 1,252g
• Winter (CL= -15.0°C): Carinthia Defence 4 (M) = 1,650g (stuff sack +209g, we use an Osprey UL Pack Liner, Small, 30 - 50L = 78g)
• Extreme Cold (CL= -25.0°C): Defence 4 (M) + Mountain Wander (M) = 2,208g (stuff sack = Osprey UL Pack Liner, Small, 30 - 50L = 78g)
   

Scramble's Archived Version (lighter but less flexible at the hot and very cold extremes)

• Hot + Dry Weather (CL= approx +10.0°C): Alpkit Cloud Cover = 438g (stuff sack +14g)
• Warm + Dry or Wet Weather (CL= +5.7°C): Carinthia G-90 (L) = 694g (stuff sack +64g)
• Spring, Autumn (CL= approx. -2.0°C): Cloud Cover + Carinthia G-90 (L) = 1,132g
• Winter (CL= -15.0°C): Carinthia Defence 4 (M) = 1,650g (stuff sack +209g, we use an Osprey UL Pack Liner, Small, 30 - 50L = 78g)
• Extreme Cold (CL= approx. -20.0°C): Defence 4 (M) + Cloud Cover = 2,088g (stuff sack = Osprey UL Pack Liner, Small, 30 - 50L = 78g)

The beauty of the Carinthia G-90 and Defence 4 is that both have sufficient room to accommodate the Mountain Wanderer without overly compressing it and reducing its thermal efficiency. In addition, warm air is trapped between the two bags providing a double glazing effect.

If I was just starting out and was looking into my first sleeping bag setup, where I might venture out in the winter but was not interested in battling extreme cold, I'd strongly consider a dual bag set-up with Carinthia's Defence 1 (D1) and Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer (MW). For around £200 (shopping around) you'd get a light summer bag (MW), a late spring and early autumn bag (D1) and when paired they'd safely get you down to -6°C (-8°C by the ratings). Discarding Carinthia's heavy stuff sack, you'd be carrying a little over 1.5kg. For an ambitious beginner or for that matter most people in the UK, that wouldn't be a bad option at all. 
 

The Mountain Wanderer Compared to Alpkit's Cloud Cover

As we go through this review we'll occasionally draw comparisons to Alpkit's Cloud Cover.  You'll notice Cocoon's sleeping bag wins on most counts, but it loses on an important one: weight. The weight difference (allowing for plus/minus production tolerances) is somewhere between 110g and 120g.  It's not massive but it's not negligible either and for that reason alone, we aren't going to abandon the (now archived) Cloud Cover completely. Instead, we recommend it only for those that want to reduce pack weight above all else. 
 

Features & Materials: Synthetic Minimalism

Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer is a very stripped-down, minimalist sleeping bag. It's only available with a left-side zip, it has a dual-cinch cord for pulling in the hood and sealing at the neck. Aside from an internal pocket, a dual (inner/outer) zip and some hanging loops, that's really all there is in terms of features.

Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer is not a complicated piece of kit.

Materials

Cocoon have used a 45 g/sm 40D ripstop nylon on the outer with minimal stitching over its top surface (similar to Caranthia's sleeping bags - another Austrian manufacturer) which helps retain warm air trapped in the bag's Ecopet Performance insulation. The inner nylon fabric is silky smooth. No issues to report in terms of comfort.

If there was a standard clipart image symbolising a sleeping bag, it would probably look like the Mountain Wanderer.

Features

The Mountain Wanderer uses a 2-way #5 left-side zipper which has anti-snag webbing stitched along its path. The bag can be unzipped from inside or from the outside.  All quite standard stuff. Cocoon have not tried to re-invent the sleeping bag. 

Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer, like most bags can be opening from the inside and the outside.

A dual-cinch cord adjusts the hood volume and seal at the neck. The stopper is solid and their choice of cord offers a good degree of friction preventing loosening.

The dual-cinch works well, but one wonders if Cocoon could have left out the inner pocket (it's something of a gesture).

There's a simple non-fastening (insecure) pocket (pictured above, right) to store a head-torch or whatever else you may need access to in the middle of the night. A velcro closure would have been nice (but such niceties add weight). Instead, it has a fold-over flap which, pressed against the body, should prevent items falling out. It's okay. Personally I store a head-torch in my chest pocket (if my top or gilet has one), as I never sleep on my front.

At the footbox are two hanging loops for drying out the bag if it gets wet in the field, or for drying it out prior to storing it away.
 

Temperature Rating: Solo & Paired

Solo

One of the major advantages of the Mountain Wanderer (MW) over the Cloud Cover is that Cocoon had their sleeping bag independently tested; it has an EN 13537 (European Standard) temperature rating.  So we don't need to make fuzzy guesses as to its warmth. At least for us, this is a big deal and we generally steer clear of manufacturers who aren't sufficiently confident of their product to have it chamber-tested so it can be rated and measured against its peers.

On top of the EN Comfort Limit (the relevant measure for men) +8°C rating of the Mountain Wanderer as a solo bag, Cocoon also state that their sleeping bag, when used as a liner bag, will add 12°C.

Paired (As A Liner)

Adding 12°C as a liner would mean, when paired with the Carinthia G-90, you'd achieve a Comfort Limit (CL) of -6.3°C. To be on the safe side, we've shaved a little off that and approximate to -5°C. 

We wanted to know if Cocoon also EN tested this metric. We'd heard from their UK distributor that they test their liner bags and so we contacted Cocoon and their reply was speedy and helpful.

To paraphrase, the Mountain Wanderer's 12°C added warmth as a liner is a "rather conservative estimate" based on the EN testing data from their range of liners. As an example, Cocoon's designer noted: "the tested added warmth of [Cocoon's] Thermolite Radiator liner is 9°C". The Mountain Wanderer will certainly be warmer than that. So, by adding 10°C, we've taken their conservative estimate and made it even more conservative. In our view, using a range of 10°C - 12°C added warmth should be fine. However, we'll stay safe and keep it concise and say one can expect to add at least +10°C by using the Mountain Wanderer as a liner bag.

One of the things we like about inserting the Mountain Wanderer into our modular system is that, from warm to extreme cold, each combination's drop in temperature rating is uniform (around 10°C). So there are no obvious gaps that may need to be bridged. If you think a CL of -5°C (with the G-90 + Mountain Wanderer) may be pushing your luck, you can switch to the Defence 4 which will buy you another 10°C of leeway. Likewise at -15°C, by adding the Mountain Wanderer to the Defence 4 you get another 10°C of coverage.

Sizing

Like many sleeping bags, the Mountain Wanderer (MW) comes in two sizes: Medium (185cm) which we'd recommend for anyone under 6ft and Large (200cm) which is suitable for those 6ft and over. Theoretically, someone who's 6ft should fit into the Medium, but it might be tight depending on their physique (for example if someone has broad shoulders they might want to consider sizing up if they're bang on 6ft tall).

For those over 6ft, Rab's Solar Eco 0 (Size L) maybe of interest. It weighs about the same as the MW Medium and has the same +8°C Comfort Limit (ignore Rab's own 5°C nonsense).  However, there are a number of things we didn't like about the Solar: a) it uses a much lighter polyester ripstop outer (so it's not going to be nearly as durable); b) their Stratus insulation is not the best in terms of compression / packability and c) it uses less insulation on its underside, which for a looser outer bag can make sense (as, in theory, the underside insulation gets compressed by the body), but for a potential liner, in practice this makes less sense. Sleepers move all over the place at night, especially side sleepers like me, and mummy / liner bags moves with them. So, less insulation on the underside can easily become less insulation on your exposed back. However, for tall, front and/or back sleepers, the Solar Eco 0 may be an alternative.
 

Any Negatives?

There are three minor negatives in our view. 

One is the internal pocket.  It's a minor niggle and we know everyone expects to have one, but for this kind of minimalist sleeping bag you wonder if they could get away without one. If Cocoon felt they absolutely need one, then at least give it a velcro seal. 

The other two negatives relate to weight and packability.  These are the two factors where Alpkit's Cloud Cover has the edge. However, we need to make something clear regarding the product photos of the Mountain Wanderer which comes with a stuff sack, not a compression sack (likewise the Cloud Cover).  Obviously, this keeps the overall product weight down but it also makes it look like the sleeping bag is more bulky when packed than it need be. We pack most of our sleeping bags into dry bags (large ones into small ultralight pack liners), sitting on them to release the air makes them (vacuum) pack down way smaller than they look in the product images below.  That said, the Cloud Cover, packed in the same way, packs down smaller than the Mountain Wanderer.

The Mountain Wander is between 110g and 120g heavier than the Cloud Cover.  For that weight premium you get:

• a sleeping bag (rather than a quilt),
• that has been independently rated,
• that seals with a zip rather than poppers,
• that has a hood,
• that can be cinched and sealed at the neck, and
• that is at least 2°C warmer (maybe more). 

In addition, there no doubt that Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer, when used as a liner, adds substantially more warmth than Alpkit's Cloud Cover (which due to its lack of a rating remains merely a guesstimate). Furthermore, when used alone, in hot and warm weather, the Wanderer's synthetic insulation means you don't need to worry nearly as much about reduced performance in wet conditions. So, for adding a little weight on your back, you get to take a little weight off your mind.

Conclusion & Rating

Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer (MW) is a stripped-down, straight-forward, near-minimalist synthetic sleeping bag which tapers in an unaggressive mummy fashion to a standard 50cm footbox (55cm size L).  No attempt has been made by Cocoon to re-imagine anything, rather they've concentrated on the basics and stuck to them. They've used a light yet durable ripstop nylon fabric with minimal top stitching to prevent heatloss. The Ecopet Performance insulation is made from recycled polyester and according to EN 13537 it does its job.

The Mountain Wanderer works fine as a solo summer bag (with a Comfort Limit of +8°C) where nighttime temperatures aren't expected to be drop below +10°C.  However, where it really shines is as a liner bag, providing at least +10°C (stated / proxy-rated +12°C) when paired with accommodating bags like those in Carinthia's Defence series and Carinthia's excellent G-90 (size L). 

Would we like it to be lighter?  Of course, we'd be happier if the Mountain Wanderer was in the 450g range (like the Cloud Cover) rather than ~550g.  But when we compare the two offerings, Alpkit's vs. Cocoon's, it's easy to see why, for our modular system, the Mountain Wanderer wins :

It's an EN-rated sleeping bag, not a quilt; it weighs about the same as Alpkit's down Pipedream 200 (which is 0.6°C warmer and costs more than twice as much); unlike the Cloud Cover it has a zip rather than poppers and has a hood and can be cinch-sealed at the neck; it functions better in wet conditions and is at least 2°C warmer. On top of all that, it costs less than 60% of the Cloud Cover's ever-inflating price (based on RRP).
 

Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer improves a modular system that we were already quite pleased with; extending its range down to -25°C (possibly -27°C) and creating a more uniform temperature ratings descent with each sleeping bag / combination.  We feel the 110g - 120g weight premium is well worth it, for those that don't agree, there's nothing wrong with the Cloud Cover (it has its advantages, afterall we recommended it for about eight years). However, as far as our core, three sleeping bag modular system goes, it's Austria with a clean sweep.  Cocoon's Mountain Wanderer is a great value sleeping bag and our top pick for "Sleeping Bag 1" (1 Season and 4 Season Inner).

Product Images

(% gallery name=sleepingbag1-cocoon-mountain-wanderer %)

Rating (out of 10)

* The value score is derived from two factors:
1) Competitive Market Price (CMP). This represents our judgement of a competitive online price point if we were to stock the item. e.g. if we feel we would need to sell an item at 40% off (i.e. 60% of its full RRP) to be competitive, then our CMP score will be 6/10.
2) Customer Value Price (CVP). We then make an honest appraisal of the maximum price we would be willing to pay for the item (and we're mean). So if we'd pay 80% of its RRP our CVP score would be 8/10.
We then average the two scores to get our final value score, which in our example would be 7/10.

Postscript

Why not down all the way?

As an inner bag, down is superb. If you can guarantee arid conditions (deserts, Himalayas, arctic etc.) then down is the way to go, but for the UK and northern Europe, not so much and you literally have to factor in a daily thermal performance loss for down in wet conditions (regardless of hydrophobic patches to an insoluble problem).

Andy Kirkpatrick explains:

"There is nothing as great as a bone dry down sleeping bag. Unfortunately there is also nothing as grim as a wet one. Saturated down loses 90% of its insulation as the delicate structure of the clusters stick together and collapse. The down absorbs a lot of water and because it loses most of its thermal performance it must be dried via an outside heat source like the sun, a tumble dryer or a body. In many cases where there is moisture present, a down bag will lose performance each night it is used, as the down becomes slowly saturated. The rate at which this happens is dependent on the skill of the user and the conditions in which it is being used. This water contamination comes both from without and within the bag and learning to slow the speed of this performance drop is one of the skills needed to use a down bag effectively. Down just doesn’t work in high saturated environments and best suits cold and dry conditions, or the protected sanctuary of a dry space like a tent, hut or snow hole."

Our Winter Kit test in 2016 was particularly tricky and saw 4 days of permanent heavy rain, hail and sleet book-ended by 3 days of freezing cold (down to -8°C). Everything got wet (regardless of care and skill) and the Defence 4, being synthetic held up superbly, a down bag would have been a disaster and quite possibly dangerous.

* A note on stuff sacks and weight stats

We don't quote the weights including stuff sacks, mainly because we don't feel the manufacturer's choice of stuff sack design has a great deal to do with their sleeping bags (an example is Mountain Hardwear's Lamina bags which come with something more akin to a Tesco's 10 gram shopping bag, whereas Carinthia's come with military grade compression sacks; apples and oranges and all that. In addition we only use a stuff sack for the sub-zero bag, and for that we use an Osprey Ultralight Pack Liner (S, 30 - 50L) The G-90 can simply go in the base of ones pack (assuming it has a waterproof liner) as it fills the nooks and crannies well and gets compressed by all your other kit. The Cloud Cover comes with a superlight sack and likewise easily gets compressed when you cover it with the rest of your stuff. If it's used as an inner, then it can just go inside the G-90 or the Defence 4.

Last Updated: 14/01/26
Added to the Sizing section

OMM's Core Zipped Vest

Preface

As always, we're looking at the OMM Core Zipped Vest from the point of view of long distance trekking over tough terrain.

Test subject: Chest 42", Waist 33", Height: 5ft 8"
Test item: 2025 version, size = Large
Kit Tests: Spring, Summer (Winter upcoming)
Disclaimer: None required (item not provided by manufacturer)

Datasheet

Manufacturer's Page

Scramble Review

Contents

• Introduction: Another Categorical Shift
• Utility Thermal Booster
• Material: Primaloft ACTIVE
• Features
• Any Negatives?
• Conclusion, Rating & Product Images

Introduction: Another Categorical Shift

In our Scramble News, April 2025 we wrote about our decision to alter two categories in our review catalogue. One such change was the shift from "Lightweight (~250g) Down Gilet" to "Utility Insulation Layer (Active & Static)":

Our use and subsequent Special Mention review of Marmot's Alt HB Pullover got us thinking about how we should handle our "Gilet" option which was becoming an increasingly redundant "legacy" category as it no longer accurately conveyed our approach. Recently, we've been packing less specialist, lightweight thermal layers that not only boost insulation for the static user (around camp or in a sleeping bag) but also work, in extremis, when active.

Materials like Teijin Frontier's Octa-Yarn, Polartec's Alpha Direct and Primaloft's ultralight ACTIVE insulation (an open synthetic plume woven through a knitted mesh) allow heat to escape when combined with an air-permeable softshell (or no shell at all) yet trap heat when worn under a traditional tightly woven fabric like those used in wind-tops or insulated (belay) jackets.

The most promising item we've come across in this category is OMM's ultralight (140g, size L) Core Zipped Vest which is 35% lighter than the down gilet we had previously recommended and nearly 40% lighter than Marmot's Alt HB pullover which prompted the shift in our outlook.

I've used the OMM Core Vest on the last two kit tests and it's quickly become an ideal pack-in-case item.  We regard the Core Vest as an ultralight, highly packable, insulation booster, utility layer that can play a role whether static or active, asleep or wide awake.
 

Utility Thermal Booster

In essence what all these "open insulations" are doing is taking the fleece to its logical extreme.  The classic fleece + windbreaker worked because the fleece alone was a breathable insulator and so allowed heat to escape, but when paired with an impermeable layer the fleece trapped the air and kept the wearer warm. With Primaloft ACTIVE, instead of a fleece you have a much more compressible "plume" of exposed insulation.

The one negative for such "open insulations" is that they're inevitably more delicate than a traditional, more tightly woven fleece. On the flip-side, they're also a hell of a lot lighter (warmth-to-weight-wise). 

OMM's Core Zipped Vest is a straight forward gilet with a high neck and a single chest pocket. There are no hand pockets. Fell runners who use this as an outer layer don't need them and we recommend the Core Vest (for long distance load carriers) as a utility mid-layer, worn under a softshell when active or a traditional insulated jacket (or sleeping bag) when static. So no pockets, in our view is a sensible move on OMM's part.

OMM's Core Zipped Vest, left to right: front, back, inside-out (front view).

Material: Primaloft ACTIVE

Primaloft ACTIVE is made from a synthetic plume of polyester microfibres (similar to traditional insulation) which is then woven onto a knitted mesh creating a high volume (lofted), open structure; an extremely air-permeable, ultra-fine pile.

Whether the insulation is synthetic sheet, plume or natural down, traditional thermal jackets (like houses) sandwich their insulation between two walls - an outer face-fabric and an inner "down-proof" lining. "Open insulations" like Alpha Direct or Primaloft ACTIVE let the wearer decide what to do with all that heat they've generated:  whether to trap it (under a windproof layer) and stay warm or let the heat dissipate.and the wearer cool down. In essence, these open insulations have modularised (if that's a word) traditional insulation. 

Pictured below (pic #1) is the outer face of the OMM Core Vest, the ultrafine pile in all its plumy, air-trapping-potential, glory. On the right (pic #2), is the inner fine mesh onto which the plume is woven (click the image for a closer look).

A close up view of the OMM Core's Primaloft ACTIVE insulation.

OMM designed the Core Zipped Vest as an active outer layer for fell runners (not an accessory to carry-in-case but as something to wear on the move). The highly air-permeable structure dumps heat, keeping the runner cool, but when static, the runner can quickly don an ultralight windtop such as OMM's own Sonic Smock (~60g) or Montane's Featherlite Nano (~55g) and suddenly they're wearing something very close to a traditional lightweight insulated jacket and keeping warm (for a total of around 200g, and only 60g carry-weight).  You can see the appeal for competitive runners.

Running and long distance trekking have some things in common but also many differences. One difference is that these fell-runners aren't carrying 10 days of food supplies and 50L+ packs. Scramble don't recommend using the Core Zipped Vest as an outer layer. Instead, for our purposes, OMM's Core Zipped Vest has three main roles:

1. Active:  Under a softshell in punishingly cold conditions
   Where resorting to some form of synthetic insulation whilst on the move has been helpful. Such occurrences, at least for me, have generally been at the end of long days, in persistent cold, wet and stormy conditions, when I'm tired, feeling sorry for myself and thinking primarily of where I can pitch to end the misery.
2. Static: Under traditional insulated jackets
   When static (after pitching) in cold conditions, worn over sleepwear to provide a boost to standard insulation pieces.
3. Static: Under a sleeping bag
   Worn over sleepwear (baselayer) when the choice of sleeping bag has been overly optimistic and a thermal boost has been necessary.

In the image below, my top half (minus the hat) is modelling the sleepwear I used on the last two kit tests: the OMM Core Gilet over a Montane Allez Micro Pull-On. It was cool, windy and wet and in such circumstances the Core does make a minor difference; put a windtop over it and the thermal effect is notable.

Let the heat go with the OMM's Core Zipped Vest exposed to the elements.

Features

In terms of features the Core Zipped Vest uses a reverse coil YKK zip (pic #2, below right), has a snug fitting collar and a well-sized chest pocket (pic #1, below left).  That's really about it.  Everything works as it should; no complaints in terms of form, fit and function.

Aside from a chest pocket, there are hardly any features to speak of.

There are a few ultralight gilets in the same weight range that would provide more warmth: Haglofs now discontinued (but still available if you shop around) L.I.M Barrier Vest and OMM's Rotor Vest, both of which use Primaloft Gold Crosscore 40g (Aerogel infused, equivalent to ~60g Primaloft Gold) and weigh around 140g (size Large).  However, in our opinion, neither of these are suitable for active use and thus don't have that "utility" element to them.  They're limited in the same was any insulated jacket would be (when active you overheat and sweat, which is not good in sub zero conditions).
 

Any Negatives?

To date there aren't any negatives.  However, the concern (as it is with most of the "open insulations") is durability.  Time will tell, but most of the negative comments we've seen relating to such items is when they've been used as outer layers. As with most ultralight pieces, we always recommend taking good care of them so they can take good care of you.  The OMM Core Zipped Vest is no different in this regard.
 

Conclusion & Rating

The OMM Core Zipped Vest is the kind of item that you'd throw in your pack if you felt you might be pushing your luck on the thermal front. Unsure or what exactly might be overcome by conditions (sleeping bag, insulated jacket, active layers), you just want something that could slot in to your existing layering to take the edge off, whether active in punishing conditions or static and just feeling the chill.

The OMM Core Vest is an all-round, thermal booster, utility piece, that most importantly can be worn when active without causing you to over-heat and sweat profusely.

Unlike a fleece, the Primaloft Active insulation (an unconfined sheet insulation analogue) lofts and compresses like a high-end insulated jacket; so the OMM Core Vest takes up very little pack space. Yet, like a high-end tech fleece, the Core Vest is extremely lightweight and very air permeable, allowing heat to escape when active. 

At Scramble, we're not big on the whole mid-layer / fleece concept.  However, we aren't against having add-on pieces that can provide a thermal boost when conditions turn toward the unexpected and one's overly-aggressive insulation budgeting is exposed. OMM's Core Zipped Vest is just that, an ultralight add-on that can play multiple roles and it's our top pick in the new "Utility Insulation Layer (Active & Static)" category.
 

Product Images

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Rating (out of 10)

* The value score is derived from two factors:
1) Competitive Market Price (CMP). This represents our judgement of a competitive online price point if we were to stock the item. e.g. if we feel we would need to sell an item at 40% off (i.e. 60% of its full RRP) to be competitive, then our CMP score will be 6/10.
2) Customer Value Price (CVP). We then make an honest appraisal of the maximum price we would be willing to pay for the item (and we're mean). So if we'd pay 80% of its RRP our CVP score would be 8/10.
We then average the two scores to get our final value score, which in our example would be 7/10.

Last Updated: 01/01/26

Thanks for your patience in 2025. It took us a while to thoroughly test some of the recently reviewed kit. We should have a number of reviews and updates coming in early 2026 before our Winter Kit Test in February. Stay tuned and have fun bringing in the new year !

Baselayer Half Shorts & Winter Leggings

Preface

As this is a multi-product review, we're not going to provide individual ratings, rather (as we've done in the past) we'll rate the whole ensemble, as some of the products are intended to work in partnership.

The introduction to this piece is quite long and provides a good amount of context for the items reviewed, however for those that want to jump straight into the reviews, click here.

As always, we're looking at each of the products in this review from the point of view of long distance trekking over tough terrain.

Test subject: Chest 42", Waist 33", Height: 5ft 8"
Test items: Saxx Quest, Size = M / Löffler Midway , Size = M / Odlo Active F-Dry, Size = L
Kit Tests: Spring, Summer, Winter
Disclaimer: None required (item not provided by manufacturer)

Summary Datasheet: Weights & Prices (RRP)

Scramble Review

Contents

• Introduction: What do we want and why is it so hard to get?
• - Why Half Shorts?
• - To Be Discontinued: Why Does This Always Happen?
• - Why Are We So "Fixated" On Polypropylene?
• - Why Is It So Hard To Get Polypropylene-Based Half-Shorts?
• 3 Season Half Shorts
• - Overview: Saxx's Quest 2.0 Quick Dry Mesh Boxer (8", Long Leg)
• - Any Negatives?
• 4 Season (Wet / Sub Zero) Half Shorts
• - Overview: Löffler's Midway Transtex Light Boxershorts
• - Any Negatives?
• Sub-Zero Over-Tights / Leggings
• - Overview: Odlo's Active F-Dry Light Baselayer Bottoms
• - Any Negatives?
• Conclusion, Rating & Product Images

Introduction:  What do we want and why is it so hard to get?

Walking long distances, whether over flat or mountainous terrain, is a relatively constant affair in terms of energy expenditure when compared to activities like climbing which can be very stop and start. Since ones legs are doing the bulk of the work, they're generating plenty of heat and thus, even in low sub-zero temperatures, we've not found the need for a thermal component for next-to-skin, baselayer bottoms;  if it is very cold, just add an over-layer (see Sub-Zero Over-Tights / Leggings).

The purpose of a baselayer is to move moisture and excess heat away from the skin and achieve a thermal balance that doesn't fluctuate too much throughout the day as conditions and activity levels vary. The most important factor when choosing baselayer bottoms is comfort, and that means: a) the avoidance of chafing (low profile seams), b) moisture transport and by extension a hydrophobic, quick drying material, c) breathability, and d) being comfortable when wet, since in certain conditions, no matter how skillful you might be, everything gets wet.
 

Why Half Shorts?

In our view, the half-leg length is ideal for first layer (next to skin), baselayer bottoms. Form-fitting boxers (6" inner thigh or less) tend to ride up into the groin and 3/4 length tights tend to ride up above the calf, bunch at the back of the knee and want to pull down at the waist when the knee flexes. Conversely, figure-hugging half-shorts stay in place, secure above the knee-cap and below the quads, they tend not to be pulled downward as the knee flexes.
 

To Be Discontinued:  Why Does This Always Happen?

Now, what we're after has already been made. The problem is, it has also stopped being made and a few years back, just as we were about to write our review, the item in question was discontinued. Thank you Spaio!

Italian brand Spaio, who make some high quality baselayers, seem to have decided that half-shorts are for idiots and everyone needs full-length tights. How and why they came to that conclusion, we have no idea.  But it's a dumb shame as their Relieve Shorts W04 (pictured below in Black-Red, size Medium) were as close to ideal as we've come across, both in terms of performance and material mix: 

• Polypropylene (57%) for its light weight, hydrophobic, thermal, and many other qualities (see below)
• Polyamide (nylon, 37%) to add a little strength and abrasion resistance, and
• Elastane (6%) to provide the necessary stretch for a fitted baselayer.

Here are Spaio's excellent Relieve Shorts W04 and if they were still being made, we'd be recommending them and there would be just two products (Spaio's and Odlo's) in this review, as these function flawlessly in all conditions, in all seasons.

The excellent but discontinued Spaio Relieve Shorts W04.

We're going to be writing to Megmeister to see if they'd like to create something similar as they're ideally positioned to do so.  They make two half-shorts already: a compression pair and a padded (chamois) pair for cycling and they're major proponents of polypropylene (PP) which they often refer to by its branded name  "Dryarn" (a fine-spun microfibre form of PP).

Megmeister's Drynamo SS Mesh Crew looks to have the right ingredients for a breathable pair of stretchy, mesh half-shorts; being 44% polypropylene, 44% nylon 6.6 (a strong form of nylon) and 12% elastane. It's certainly in the ball-park (partial pun intended).  
 

Why Are We So "Fixated" On Polypropylene?

The reason we're always searching for a dominant polypropylene component in all the baselayers we test is simply because, from the standpoint of a lightweight baselayer, it's hard to envisage a more suitable material:

• Lightweight: Because of its low specific gravity, polypropylene yields the greatest volume of fibre for a given weight. Polypropylene is the lightest of all fibres and is lighter than water. It is 34% lighter than polyester and 20% lighter than nylon.
   
• Hydrophobic, thus quick to dry: The water absorption of polypropylene fibre is about 0.3% after 24 hours immersion in water, and thus its regain – the amount of water absorbed in a humid atmosphere – is virtually nil (0.05% at 65% RH, 21 °C.). Polypropylene is hydrophobic and will not absorb water in the fibre. Water “wicks” away from the skin and through the fabric to the face for quick evaporation.
   
• Cold weather performance: Lowest thermal conductivity of any natural or synthetic fibre (6.0 compared to 7.3 for wool, 11.2 for viscose and 17.5 for cotton). Polypropylene fibres retain more heat for a longer period of time providing outstanding insulation and combined with its hydrophobic qualities keeps the wearer dry as well as warm. Polypropylene is warmer than wool, remains flexible at temperatures in the region of -55°C and recovers well from bending.
   
• Microbially inert: Like other synthetic fibres – nylon, acrylic and polyester – polypropylene fibres are not attacked by bacteria or micro-organisms; they are also moth-proof and rot-proof and are inherently resistant to the growth of mildew and mold.
   
• Abrasion: The abrasion resistance of polypropylene approaches that of nylon and remains high even when wet.
   

So, Why Is It So Hard To Get Polypropylene-Based Half-Shorts?

Search Amazon for "Base Layer Half Short Men" and you'll find stacks of products that look like just the thing.  On closer inspection, they're either "compression" training shorts (generally nylon or polyester with a very high elastane content - heavy, sweaty and hard to get dry) or they're around 90% polyester and 10% elastane (this kind of thing). They may do a job in ideal conditions, but when it's wet and/or freezing they're exposed for being, to put it politely, non-optimal.

What it tells us however, is that the issue is not the "half-short design" itself; that's ubiquitous. So, it must be something else.  Possibly the fact that polypropylene is extremely hard to dye in fabric form? *  Or people aren't informed about its properties and so the demand isn't there?  Both are possible.

* Polypropylene has a non-polar, highly crystalline aliphatic structure with no active chemical sites that traditional water-based dyes can bond with. Colour is added during manufacturing through a process called solution dyeing (or mass pigmentation) where pigments are mixed into the raw, hot liquid polymer solution before it is extruded through a spinneret to form fibres.

Our view is that the outdoor industry puts shockingly little effort into marketing (or rather, educating people about the empirically proven properties of) the materials they use. An effort that seems inversely proportional to that applied in their often overly-enthusiastic extolling of virtues, far less provable, regarding the performance of their designs. Compounding this is the obfuscatory desire to use all sorts of techy-trademarked names for common materials (Dryarn® instead of polypropylene or Polarloft® which is 3M® Thinsulate® which is polyester), which only serves to confuse the public when it comes to what exactly, in a material sense, they're actually buying.

We recently talked to UK-based brand Sub Zero and they mentioned they've had to halt their polypropylene-based (Meraklon®) product lines, due to problems sourcing the material. Why? We don't know. But it's not good when your name is Sub Zero and you can't use a material that is tailor-made for sub-zero conditions.  

We'll leave it there, but all this is a long way to say, that currently finding high quality, polypropylene-dominant, half-shorts is not easy (whatever the reason). Which is why we've been so quiet in this category for so long.  

Now, ironically, the first product we're going to look at has no polypropylene in it. We would rather they did, but the Saxx Quest pair performed extremely well and it's only at the extremes that limitations become apparent.  As such we recommend these half-shorts, but only for 3-season (i.e. non-perpetually saturated and/or non-sub-zero) use.

3 Season Half Shorts

Saxx's Quest 2.0 Quick Dry Mesh Boxer (8", Long Leg)

Datasheet

Manufacturer's Page

Overview: Saxx's Quest Quick Dry Mesh

The Saxx Quest QD Mesh half shorts (we'll call them the "Quests" from here on) feature the famous "BallPark Pouch" a "3D hammock-shaped" pouch to hold a man's most personal possessions. Having worn many non-pouched, form-fitting pieces like Spaio's Relieve mentioned earlier or F-Lite's Megalight 140s and many others, I was a little skeptical of this "pouch" feature. I'd not, in the past, felt the need to be liberated from my inhibiting half-shorts, indeed when I first tried the Quests on without trousers, I didn't like them.

When it comes to outdoor underpants, there's such a thing as too much freedom and I didn't want my balls bouncing all over the place as I jumped from boulder to boulder. However, the Quests feel completely different "in the field", worn under a pair of softshell trousers.

The Saxx Quests are very comfortable and quick to dry (when active).

In use, over the last two wet weather kit test, the Saxx Quests performed admirably; were very comfortable and largely went unnoticed (which is a very good sign):

• Zero seam issues (no chafing).
• They performed perfectly well when soaking wet.
• They dried quickly in active use, though were slower to dry when they got wet in the evenings. I'd set up camp, get the Quests off and hang them out in a cool breeze without much if any sun left, and that's when they struggled to dry out.
• They have a wide waistband, that doesn't dig into you and has just the right degree of elasticity (pictured above, right).
• They never felt clammy, in large part due to the breathable mesh (pictured above, right) which is only really apparent when you hold the Quests up to the light (as per the image below):

A closer look at the breathable mesh of the Saxx Quests.

Any Negatives? A Brief Summary

We like the Saxx Quest Mesh baselayer bottoms. Shortfalls relate entirely to the material mix Saxx went with.  They have quite a lot of elastane (14%) in the mix which obviously provides for a good degree of stretch but it also makes them a little heavier than they need to be. However, it's the nylon and polyester mix which makes them less appealing for sub zero or cold and saturated conditions. 

In sub-zero conditions, you need to manage moisture quite vigilantly; it's not fun trying to put on a frozen pair of semi-rigid under-pants. If moist, you need to store them somewhere near a radiator, called "your body". So, you want a material that's as hydrophobic as possible, to repel and/or exorcise water as though it were a demon. The ideal material for this, as we outlined above, is polypropylene.  

We only recommend the Quests for temperatures above freezing. When compared to the Löfflers (reviewed below) for regular / 3-season use, the Quests are very much on a par, yet cost about 30% less.

For those that do regularly venture into the freezing cold, we recommend a polypropylene-based pair ... enter Löffler.

4 Season (Saturated / Sub Zero Conditions) Half Shorts

Löffler's Midway Transtex Light Boxershorts

Datasheet

Manufacturer's Page

Overview: Löffler's Midway Transtex

Löffler's Midway Transtex Light Boxershorts (we'll refer to them as the MTLs from now on) are a similar weight (62g) to the ideal Spaio pair (68g) we mentioned earlier and about two thirds of the weight of the Saxx Quests.  They're made from 95% polypropylene and 5% elastane, a similar material mix to the excellent (Dry Revolution / Elite 2.0) baselayers Helly Hansen used to produce.

Similar to the Quests, they're made using a fine mesh (finer than the Quests). As we mentioned earlier, polypropylene (PP) has the lowest thermal conductivity of any natural or synthetic fibre and is warmer than wool, so it's best used sparingly in finer gauge applications. If the fabric weight is too heavy (remember PP itself is relatively lightweight), a baselayer may be too warm and cause the wearer to over-heat. The MTL's super-fine mesh is an ideal foundation for a very quick drying pair of baselayer bottoms.

Löffler's Midway Transtex Light Boxers are made from 95% polypropylene.

In terms of design they're quite similar to the Quests, but without the 3D pouch. Like the Quests, in use they were "very comfortable and largely went unnoticed (which is a very good sign)". Performance-wise, there's very little between them, they both do a very good job. The difference is how they handle moisture in more extreme conditions. That's the premium Löffler is making you pay for. In our view, being the kind of people who do wake up in the freezing cold, it's a premium worth paying. If I could choose only one pair and Spaio don't restart production on their Relieve Half Shorts, then I'd go with Löffler's MTLs.

Here's a quick summary of what they have going for them:

• Excellent flat-lock, low profile seams. Zero seam issues (no chafing).
• They performed very well when wet.
• They dried extremely quickly when active and also managed to dry when static overnight. A little airing would get them from damp-wettish to moist and often they'd be dry enough to stow inside my sleeping bag or worst case in my Tower "pillow-setup". Ultimately, polypropylene makes wet-gear management so much easier. It's not that everything is perfectly dry all the time, but there's a big difference getting into slightly moist baselayers and wet baselayers; nothing drains body heat like wet clothing.
• They have a wide waistband, that doesn't dig into you and has just the right degree of elasticity (pictured above, top right).
• They don't get clammy due to the breathable fine-gauge mesh (pictured above, bottom right) which allows moisture to quickly evaporate.  The mesh is more apparent when you hold the MTLs up to the light (as per the image below):

A closer look at the breathable mesh of the Löffler's MTLs.

Any Negatives? A Brief Summary

There are a couple of minor niggles.

They're a fraction shorter than the Quests in the same waist size (medium). We'd like Löffler to add a centimetre or perhaps two to the leg-length.

They're not as easy to come-by as the Quests for UK customers. We contacted Löffler about stocking their MTL half-shorts and they stated they weren't considering supplying UK-based retailers directly. However, many EU stores will ship to the UK and the most UK-friendly in our view is AlpineTrek (who do stock the Loffler MTLs) and reliably ship to the UK (and offer hassle-free returns). They're VAT registered for the UK, so there's no import duty / VAT issues for UK customers (VAT is paid at the point of sale).

We'd love to see more competition in the half-short baselayer arena.  Companies like Spaio and Megmeister are ideally suited to manufacture trekking baselayer half shorts with a material mix like that used on the Relieve W04s.  An approximate 60 / 32 / 8 mix of polypropylene, nylon 6.6 and elastane with integrated mesh elements would be close to ideal. Nylon 6.6 provides additional toughness and abrasion resistance and elastane yields some stretch and minor compression that makes for a form-hugging half-short.

That, in our view, would be at least the material ingredients for ideal, next to skin, baselayer bottoms  We'll leave the design to the pros. 

Löffler's Midway Transtex Light Boxershort aren't perfect and they aren't Spaio's Relieve W04s, but they are more than capable; much more. In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Currently, the world of true, high-performance trekking baselayer half-shorts is a barren and blind kingdom. One we hope is soon to be populated by those who not only look but also see.

Sub-Zero Over-Tights / Leggings

Odlo's Active F-Dry Light Baselayer Bottoms

Datasheet

Manufacturer's Page

Overview: Odlo's Active F-Dry Light

We're going to update this review after the upcoming Winter Kit Test (2026), as the Odlo F-Dry Lights are not the same as the previous Cubics (pictured as placeholders in this review) which the F-Dry Lights replaced. The mesh on the F-Dry is finer and Odlo have added a little (12%) polypropylene to the mix (the Cubics were 100% polyester). This is definitely an improvement. However, the idea is largely the same; a tight mesh of tiny air pockets that provide a breathable and mildly insulating barrier between your legs and the snow-covered or rain-soaked softshell trousers taking the beating above. In short, a comfortable, modular, trouser lining with baselayer properties. 

A closer look at the mesh of Odlo's Active F-Dry Lights (pictured are the former version, Odlo's Cubics)

The Odlo Active F-Dry tights lie somewhere between a traditional lightweight baselayer legging and the mesh designs of Brynje. The idea behind the mesh layer is that:

1. it's light because much of it is air,
2. that air is trapped by other layers and acts as an insulating "air pocket" next to the skin, and
3. it's highly breathable, aiding evaporation and thus is quick to dry.

Odlo's Actifve F-Dry baselayers are not a heavy thermal option, but in winter they work extremely well as a 2nd layer over a pair of polypropylene-based half-short like the Löfflers (reviewed above), providing just enough additional protection while guaranteeing the wearer will not overheat, sweat profusely, get wet, then cold.

The Active F-Drys, like the Cubics (L = 115g, full-length) before them, are competitively lightweight (L = 100g for 3/4 length). In terms of sizing, a medium would fit me fine, but we're recommending these for winter use only and sizing up (which doesn't make them a baggy fit) allows one to have them a little higher on the waist, so your baselayer top can be comfortably tucked in between the half shorts and Odlo Active F-Drys. The Odlo 3/4 F-Drys are long enough to tuck under our recommended knee-length winter socks, and this keeps everything in its right place.

The Odlo Active F-Dry full and 3/4 length version both do an excellent job as winter over-tights; a second (intermediate) layer, functioning as modular trouser linings providing a quick drying, breathable and comfortable barrier between your hydrophobic, moisture expelling, half-shorts and your protective softshell trousers. 
 

Any Negatives?

No major negatives to report. We just hope Odlo continue to produce these.  If we must be picky, we'd say that Odlo should have added more polypropylene; we'd like to see at least 30%.

We'll update this portion of the review if we have any additional information to add. 

Conclusion & Rating

We're not going to make some grand overarching conclusion here, or reiterate conclusions we've already made about the individual products under review. Below, we've rated the three products as one ensemble.

Instead, we'll end this review by saying we're genuinely confused as to why half shorts like those made by Spaio (the Relieve W04) aren't commonplace and standard in the outdoor world. Why Rab, Mountain Equipment, Odlo, Megmeister, Sub Zero, Mammut and on and on, all don't offer some variant of this item (a polypropylene, polyamide, elastane mix half-short with mesh elements) in their trekking baselayer catalogue. 

The Spaio Relieves worked across all seasons and ticked all the boxes (set out at the very beginnng of this review) for high performance baselayer bottoms.  Yet, finding such a pair, in a domain normally so abundant with options, is like finding a needle in a haystack. How this has become the outdoor world's status quo, we genuinely do not understand. If anyone has any insights, feel free to drop us an email.  In the meantime, we're quite happy with the products in this review, we just feel we could be happier. 

... and on that note, Happy Christmas everyone!

Product Images

(% gallery name=half-shorts-tights-4season-ensemble %)

Ensemble Rating (out of 10)

* The value score is derived from two factors:
1) Competitive Market Price (CMP). This represents our judgement of a competitive online price point if we were to stock the item. e.g. if we feel we would need to sell an item at 40% off (i.e. 60% of its full RRP) to be competitive, then our CMP score will be 6/10.
2) Customer Value Price (CVP). We then make an honest appraisal of the maximum price we would be willing to pay for the item (and we're mean). So if we'd pay 80% of its RRP our CVP score would be 8/10.
We then average the two scores to get our final value score, which in our example would be 7/10.

Last Updated: 24/12/25