Gear Review: Rab PS Hardface Hoody

I decided to write this review based on the number of times this jacket has made its way out of the wardrobe this winter. Once again, another sale purchase earlier in the year, this jacket has fulfilled the criteria of being technically very functional whilst also being very wearable off the hills as well.

The Rab PS Hardface Hoody

So, what is it? To put it simply, it's a fleece, but you get some extra features for your hard-earned cash. Firstly, it's made from the popular Polartec Power Stretch fabric, a warm, stretchy fabric that has become a mainstay of the outdoors industry. It stretches in four directions (imagine a compass face) which make it a comfortable fabric for base and mid-layers. The elastic fibres that provide that stretch are reinforced to ensure it retains its shape during its lifetime.

It also benefits from having an additional treatment to the face of the fabric, Polartec's Hardface technology. This is a method for fusing a polymer to the surface of Polartec's fleece fabric. This polymer creates a hard, smooth yet flexible surface that reduces friction between layers and creates a much more durable surface. It also improves the durable water repellency while maintaining the breathability of the original fleece fabric.

Technical stuff out of the way, let's look closer at the actual jacket itself:

Front and side views of the PS Hoody

Features: 

• Polartec Power Stretch fabric with Hardface Technology
• Adjustable hood
• Hem drawcord
• Double fabric cuff
• Flatlock seams
• YKK front zip
• Two zipped hand pockets 

The fit is really nice, close but not restrictive or overly tight. Slim fitting garments help to trap more of that lovely warm air that is generated as you move around. Too loose and that precious heat is lost as the top billows around. The slim cut and the smooth face of the fabric mean that this layers effortlessly beneath waterproofs and softshells.

The Hood
As with most mid-layer hoods, this one is designed to go over your head like a beanie, rather than being sized to go over a helmet. This one, thanks to its adjusters, can be cinched in when the weather turns really cold and provides a much needed boost of warmth.

The jacket's hood

Details
There are two handwarmers pockets for, well, warming your hands and the zips run nice and smoothly if that's how you like your zips.

The double fabric cuffs are really nice and should add some extra durability around the hard-wearing areas. Unlike a lot of Rab jackets, the arms on this one aren't overly long which is a nice change.

Double fabric cuff

Hem adjusters allow you to seal out any nasty draughts though the close fit no doubt makes them almost redundant.

In Action
As I mentioned at the start, I've worn this jacket a lot this winter, usually layered beneath a softshell where it provides some awesome warmth without things getting too hot. They say the sign of a great piece of clothing is one that you don't notice is there and I think this falls into that category. I had been thinking there had been a lull in gear from Rab but this piece and some of 2016's spring items certainly have me interested again and if you're considering some new mid-layer warmth then I'd recommend giving this a go.

The PS Hardface Hoody doing its job on Scafell Pike

Gear Review: Rab Baseline Jacket

The Rab Baseline jacket (as well as the pull-on variety) is part of a raft of new, lightweight gridded fleeces that have flooded the market in recent years. Mountain Equipment have the excellent Eclipse series and Patagonia have the legendary R1 Hoody - all of which use the same concept. I've owned the pull-on version of the Rab Baseline for a few years and the jacket was a welcome addition to the All The Gear arsenal.

The Rab Baseline Jacket

So, what's thinking behind a gridded fleece? First, let's look at the fabric

The Baseline Jacket uses fabric designed by the wizards at Polartec, this one in particular being Polartec Power Dry HE (or High Efficiency). The Power Dry fabric is constructed using two different types of yarn; one next to the skin that promotes the uptake of moisture and one on the outer face that spreads the moisture over a wider area, increasing its potential for evaporation. What this creates is a mechanical means of wicking that does not fade after prolonged use (as a chemical application might) and a garment that dries quicker and subsequently keeps you warmer.

The inner face of the Baseline jacket consists of the HE aspect of the Power Dry fabric or, in other words, the gridded fleece. Where a regular fleece is comprised of a continual layer of fibres, the fibres on the gridded fleece and bundled into little squares with channels running between them to form the grid. While the fleece does what fleece does best, the channels trap more air and subsequently keep you warmer. Remember however, this is all relative to weight. A thicker, heavier fleece will undoubtedly be warmer but much bulkier.

A close up of the grid

Let's look at the actual jacket in more detail:

• Fabric: Polartec Power Dry Hi-efficiency
• Polygiene STAY FRESH odour control treatment
• Under helmet hood
• YKK Vislon front zip, internal zip flat and chin guard
• YKK zipped chest pocket
• Thumb loops
• Flatlock low bulk seams

The Rab Baseline Jacket

Fit
This is a close-fitting piece but I don't think it's unflattering - you could almost get away with wearing it on a more day to day basis. The close fit enhances the efficiency of the gridded fleece, allowing the warm air to circulate within the jacket, close to the body and prevents it from escaping through gaps.

The Details
As you may expect from a base / mid-layer there aren't that many features to discuss. The Baseline Jacket has a chest pocket for odds and ends and a full-length zip. I tend not to use chest pockets much, especially on a mid-layer as they are generally buried beneath some form of jacket.

A grown on hood fits over the head like a wet suit hood (it's designed to fit underneath a helmet) and while it provides some extra warmth, it looks ridiculous on its own. I find, if wearing the hood for a long period, it starts to feel a bit restrictive, especially across the forehead.

The hood on the Baseline Jacket

The arms are long which is a fairly typical Rab trait though the addition of thumb loops can prevent the sleeves from rolling up. I like thumb loops on tops as you can pull them over a pair of liner gloves and create a seamless link between arms and hands, eliminating any exposed skin at the wrists.

The long sleeves and thumb loops

Conclusion
I really like this jacket (and the pull-on version) because I tend to be a warm person anyway so being able to provide the right level of warmth beneath a shell (without getting too warm) has always been a bit of a challenge. This does hit the spot in terms of warmth and breathability and I've found this works best as a mid-layer over a long-sleeve base-layer - that combination in itself can be warm enough on a winter day with little or no wind. Add a waterproof or softshell over the top and that temperature can be extended well below 0°C, as recently tested out in the Lake District.