Replacement for a Rab Baltoro Alpine?

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 Martin W 24 May 2020

Per the topic title, my much-loved Rab Baltoro Alpine softshell jacket is nearing the end of its useful life and I'm scouring the market for a potential replacement.  Initial investigations indicate that Polartec Powershield, the material the old jacket was made from, is no longer available.  I don;t know whether a close equivalent or direct replacement exists.

Requirements are:

  • Neat fit, no bagginess
  • A certain amount of stretch in the fabric
  • Fixed hood, possibly roll-away style
  • Enough pockets but no more - the old jacket has just three including the internal breast pocket
  • Adequate venting - with the old jacket you could half unzip the Napoleon pockets to get the effect of pit zips
  • Ability to roll the sleeves up - the old jacket has velcro cuff tabs which make it easy to do this

Use will mostly be Scottish hillwalking, year round.  Hence the requirement to be able to vent and roll the sleeves up.  Mild to moderately inclement weather to be tackled with the addition of a lightweight hardshell.  Anything worse will be time to bring out the 'heavyweight' gear.  Or stay at home...

Any and all suggestions for jackets to consider will be most welcome.

 nathan79 24 May 2020
In reply to Martin W:

Montane Dyno XT maybe worth a look.

OP Martin W 24 May 2020
In reply to nathan79:

Thanks for that suggestion.  I do generally find Montane's products effective for what they're designed for, and good value to boot, so I'll take a closer look.

 RobertKett 24 May 2020
In reply to Martin W:

If it's of any interest, Gaynor Sports have a Montane Sabretooth, which is Powershield, if you can live with the 'Kermit green' colour. It's Montane size XL which, from memory, is 42-44 in old money.

I have no connection to Gaynors btw; I happened to notice it earlier tonight.

OP Martin W 25 May 2020
In reply to RobertKett:

Thanks for the heads up.  I'm afraid XL would be too big for me, especially since I favour a neater fit.

The colour is, as you suggest, "challenging"!

I note that Polartec does still list Power Shield as one of its fabrics: https://www.polartec.com/fabrics/weather-protection/power-shield.  It seems odd, therefore, that no-one seems to use it for outdoor gear any more.  Most of the softshell jackets I've looked at online (this being the only way to get information in the current situation) seem to use "proprietary" fabrics, which makes comparison that bit much more difficult without being able to eyeball the product and try it on.  The world and his dog have their 'own' (although actually probably just re-branded) fabrics these days - but that ranges from budget brands like Trespass up to premium brands such as The North Face.  How can one know which ones are actually any good?  Even biting the bullet and paying top dollar doesn't necessarily guarantee that you'll end up with a product you're happy with in terms of quality and performance.

I suspect I'm going to have to resort to ploughing through a number of online reviews, the downside of which - in addition to being time-consuming - being that they inevitably involve a degree of subjectivity on the part of the reviewer.

 Mark Haward 25 May 2020
In reply to Martin W:

Have you looked at the Montane Alpine Stretch - they suit me but may be a little lightweight for your preference.

 nathan79 25 May 2020
In reply to Martin W:

As far as I see, the Dyno XT is a direct replacement for the Sabretooth (which is a great jacket) so the Montane fabric used should be fairly similar to Power Shield (in theory).

1philjones1 25 May 2020
In reply to Martin W:

Just to muddy the waters for you further....(sorry) when my Baltoro Alpine died last year I’ve replaced it with a Rab Alpha Direct and a Rab Alpha Flux, both bought second hand on eBay. They are very different weights/warmth, both breath superbly and are great for wind proofing and warmth when you’re active. I swap and change dependent on conditions on the day. They are a sort of fleece/soft shell mix, really good for layering and slightly water resistant.

I love them both and now don’t seem to touch any other jackets/mid layers from my extensive collection.

 Mark Stevenson 25 May 2020
In reply to Martin W:

You have my sympathies. I've been failing to find a decent replacement for my RAB Baltoro Guide for over a year now. 

So, sorry, can't offer any decent suggestions but you aren't alone in not being too impressed with the apparent demise of Powershield based jackets. 

OP Martin W 26 May 2020
In reply to Mark Haward:

> Have you looked at the Montane Alpine Stretch - they suit me but may be a little lightweight for your preference.

Thanks for the suggestion.  It looks like that jacket has now been re-named the Dyno Stretch (not the same as the Dyno XT suggested by nathan 79.  You're right that it does look as if it might be a little bit more lightweight than I was aiming for (FWIW my Baltoro Alpine is 650g).  Then again, technical fabrics might have moved shed a little weight in the ten years since I bought my Baltoro Alpine...

Definitely one to to keep in mind anyway - read the reviews etc.

Post edited at 10:25
1
OP Martin W 26 May 2020
In reply to nathan79:

> As far as I see, the Dyno XT is a direct replacement for the Sabretooth (which is a great jacket) so the Montane fabric used should be fairly similar to Power Shield (in theory).

Thanks, I'll do some more research on that one too.

OP Martin W 26 May 2020
In reply to 1philjones1:

> when my Baltoro Alpine died last year I’ve replaced it with a Rab Alpha Direct and a Rab Alpha Flux

Thanks for the suggestions.  The Alpha Direct now seems to be called the Vapour Rise Guide - same basic idea: Pertex Equilibrium outer with Polartec Alpha insulation.  I have an aging Vapour Rise (not Guide) jacket with the pile lining: is the Polartec Alpha similar to pile?  I have found that the outer Pertex fabric of the VR isn't very durable - but then again the jacket is really quite old now.

AFAICS from the photos on Rab's web site the Alpha Flux doesn't have velcro wrist fastenings, instead having thumb holes to allow the wearer to adopt the "vulnerable female move trope" sleeves-pulled-up-into-the palms-of-the-hands configuration.  Also, I'm not keen on what I can see of the pocket locations: they look too low down to me, meaning that a harness or a rucksack waist belt might get in the way a bit.  Plus the openings are round the side rather than being 'napoleon' style on the front with access across the front of the body which is my preference (I think the VR Guide also has that issue).  If only I could go in to a shop and try them on...

I was quite tempted by the Rab Kinetic Alpine.  It gets very good reviews but it does seem a bit lightweight for my needs.  Plus it's that bit more expensive - although I do have a gift voucher burning a hole in my wallet.  I nearly bit the bullet and ordered one yesterday, until I discovered that the retailer in question doesn't accept their own gift vouchers in payment for online orders  So basically, I can't use it until lockdown restrictions on both them and me are lifted.  And in the mean time they could go bust (not at all unlikely in the current situation) which would leave me with nothing

1philjones1 26 May 2020
In reply to Martin W:

Yes the alpha is v similar to pile. The outer is soft and certainly nothing like as durable as the Baltoro.

You are right about the cuffs on the Flux. They are however stretchy enough to pull up as long as you dont have Popeye forearms. The pockets are ok with a harness but still slightly low.

Ive also got the Kinetic Alpine jacket. It’s interesting. Firstly I didn’t think it expensive- I paid £120 last summer for it, to replace my lightweight summer/alpine waterproof. It is a brilliant outer layer for Alpine conditions imo, as it does the job of a soft shell in terms of breathability, stretch and comfort and is waterproof enough to not carry a hard shell as well, so two for one. I wouldn’t trust it in British rain though! I was concerned initially about durability bu nearly 12 months on it looks as new. Highly recommend the jacket. 


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