In reply to joeramsay:
I think alpha direct is great but there doesn't seem to be many, any, manufacturers using it anymore... Was it the Rab alpha flux you tried or a previous incarnation?
I know many would recommend using a separate base mid and shell later but there seems to be a performance advantage to using the driclime, vapour rise, alpha direct model to me... Especially if you dispense with a base layer altogether and use next to skin
From what I've seen the marmot is a very simple lightweight hoody using pertex quantum air which is more breathable but less wind proof, it has Lycra bound cuff, hem and hood... In its place I think a really good light simple hoody with a great combination of fabrics, was hoping marmot would carry this through to next season but there seems no sign of that
For me the alpha flux doesn't work as well mainly due to the permeable side panels in the hybrid design, chances are in wearing this in cold windy weather which I don't want blowing through the side panels
I think maybe done other European manufacturers, maybe salewa or dynafit may have used alpha direct in the past
Other than that you are back to previous recommendations of vapour rise, driclime, kinesis, morphosis