Awhile back, I started hearing all of this talk around Alpha Direct and I so I did a little bit of investigating.  Well actually, at first I started seeing these hoodies on my some of my favorite hiking videos and that caught my eye.  The hoodies looked like they were very lofty, with fibers exploding in all directions, yet they looked like a very loose and airy knit.  I thought, interesting, but can that be very warm?  I mean, can they really be that great?

Then I started reading about Brynje brand mesh base layers that were also very airy looking so I read the reviews.  Not just average reviews, stellar reviews.  All of the reviews were outstanding and I thought wait a minute, maybe I better go back and dig in more on these Alpha hoodies as there could be something to this airy mesh knit.

So, I started seriously looking into these hoodies and wound up on Garage Grown Gears website.  I like that they support cottage companies and they always have great gear.  I started searching for Alpha and found 3 or 4 different manufacturers of Alpha hoodies.  I started reading the reviews and wow, there wasn’t one bad one.  I went through alll of the positive aspects of these Alpha hoodies and they checked all of the boxes.

• Ultra lightweight
• Quick drying
• Soft hand
• Big warmth

After scouring the sizes, prices and availability, I settled on the Haleine Alpha 90 Hoody, which is a good midweight.  When I first removed it from the package I was amazed at the soft hand and light weight of the hoody.  That and the fact that when I first held it up I could see light through the many gaps in the loose knit.  I was immediately doubtful as to whether this could possibly keep me warm!

Then I put it on, and I was like wow, I understand all the talk about Alpha Direct insulation.  Then I stepped outside into the cold and understood again.  This stuff is warm!  I’d like to put it on over a t-shirt and wear it outside in 20 degrees F and see how it feels.

Now, I need to wear it on a hike to see if this active insulation really dissipates moisture as fast as they say.  Preferably, a fast paced hike to really push it to perform.  I’m also curious if it has the durability to handle snagging branches and stuff like that.

Once I wear this thing on some hikes throughout the winter, I will check back in to weigh in better.