Columbia Ali Peak Hooded Fleece Review
I’ve been in the market for an active insulating layer for a while now, and because many of the American cottage ultralight clothing brands aren’t available in Canada, I’ve had to rely on more mass-market retail options. Finding what I was after wasn’t easy, but I picked up the Columbia Ali Peak Hooded Fleece a few months back and it’s become one of my favourite items of clothing. I’m surprised that it hasn’t caught on as an instant classic item in the long-distance backpacking community, so I decided to make a detailed review.
I tested this fleece on about 25 hikes in the PNW in spring conditions, plus as a warmup/cooldown layer for running in town.
Active Insulating Layers 101
Before I dive into the review, I wanted to write a few sentences for my readers that don’t know why a fleece – compared to other types of outerwear – is such an essential piece of gear for hiking. If that’s not you, go ahead and skip this box of text.
If you’ve spent time on trails in cold weather you’ve probably seen most people wearing puffy jackets. Puffies, as I like to call them, are jackets made of thin nylon sewn around either goose feathers or polyester fibres made to mimic goose feathers. People buy them because they’re incredibly light and the big brands sell them in some funky, bright colours. Despite all that and their expensive price tags, puffies are not great for wearing while hiking. The nylon shell has very little breathability, which means that as soon as you start perspiring during your hike, moisture will start to collect in the garment. And once puffies get wet, their value in keeping you warm goes down close to zero. Needless to say, puffies don’t to great in the rain either.
So, puffies make for great layers to keep in your pack and whip out to stay warm during chilly evenings in camp, but they are sub-par for wearing while you’re actually walking. For when you’re active, the breathability of fleece make it king. And in all of my experience in hiking in 3-season conditions, every time I’ve found myself verging towards hypothermia, it’s been related to rain. A fleece (either synthetic like the Columbia Ali Peak Hoody or wool) will do the job of keeping you warm even after it gets wet in rainy conditions.
Weight
11.6 oz (XL)
At 11.6 oz for an XL, the weight of the Ali Peak compares favourably with a Malanzana, Patagonia R1, or most anything else for this class of hoody. I think it’s plenty light for something this warm that includes pockets and a hood.
The ~5 oz hoodies that are popping up in the market, like those made out of Polar Tec Alpha, aren’t nearly as warm as the Ali Peak.
Cost
$40-$80
The cost is one of the best selling points for this hoody. Columbia lists it for $80 MSRP, but it seems that they always have at least a couple of colours on sale for $40-60. This is far cheaper than most outerwear that performs this well. I love it when I find a good deal!
Fit/Sizing
Women’s only
Probably the biggest drawback to this product is that Columbia only makes a women’s version. However, I’m a 5’11”, 165 lbs man and I think the XL fits me great. The sizing goes up to XXL, and even beyond to three plus-sized versions.
Being a women’s hoody, it does come with a tapered waist and flared hips, which could look a little feminine on some men. Given my slim build I think it looks good on me. The shape isn’t even noticeable with a pack on.
Features
Velous Micro™ Fleece Polyester, Fitted hood, no zipper opening, kangaroo pocket + zippered pocket
I really like how the hood fits snugly around my head and the neckline is high up to keep any windchill off my neck. Some people may find the lack of zippered opening to be a drawback since it makes it harder to dump heat, but I like it for the aesthetics.
I love the kangaroo pocket to keep my hands warm, and the zippered pocket is a nice feature to carry valuables like a phone or a bus pass/credit card. However, the zipper itself feels a bit cheaply made and I’m sure it’ll be the first thing on the fleece to need repairing.
Performance
Warm, comfy, and dries quickly
I’ve worn the hoody on a couple dozen hikes and am really happy with it as an active layer. In typical 3-season conditions in the Mountain West, I would feel confident bringing it as the only insulating layer for a thruhike like the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s more than warm enough for hiking during the chilly early mornings in the alpine, but probably not warm enough if you like to sit around all evening hanging out in camp. In that case, it would make a good layer underneath a puffy.
I’ve worn it without a shell in some light precipitation and am happy with how it mostly keeps the moisture off my skin and dries very quickly. I’ve also worked up quite a sweat in it the couple of times I’ve used it as a warmup/cooldown layer for a run, and I found after 10 or 15 minutes there was no noticeable moisture on my skin or in the fabric.
It’s far warmer than my Patagonia Capilene Air Hoody, but not as warm as an Arcteryx Covert Hoody.
The fleece material is also very comfortable.
Conclusion
I like the hoody.
