Lowe Alpine Multi Pitch Jacket Tested

Lowe Alpine Multi Pitch Jacket - Tested

Lowe Alpine's web site describes the Multi Pitch Jacket as 'designed for backpacking and trekking, offers complete freedom of movement. Wind and water-resistant and very breathable'. We'd add climbing and scrambling to the list too, in fact we're not sure why they're not there to begin with...

As a woven rather than a membrane fabric it's wind resistant rather than wind proof, but with the pay off of much better breathability, so if you think of it as an outdoor jacket for less than summer conditions short of serious rain then you won't be far wrong. Alternatively, a light fleece alternative that scores extra weatherproofing to make up for lesser insulation.

The Multi Pitch is built along simple dog lines, but none the worse for it. In technical terms, that means a closely woven, stretch Nylon fabric with a DWR which is wind and water resistant. In design you get pockets which are placed to clear pack belts and harnesses plus adjustment at hems and collar to cinch things down. Nothing complicated or gimmicky, but pretty much everything you might need.

The Multi Pitch - and its matching pants - have been around for several years now, so why review them now? There's a simple answer to that, it just does a good job in a reliable, straightforward sort of way. In fact the Multi Pitch has probably slipped under most people's radar in a cloud of new-fangled soft shell innovation.

It's brilliant for active use in typical British spring and autumn - and heavens forbid, summer - conditons. The closely woven, stretch Nylon fabric has a soft but substantial feel and takes the sting out of the wind like a good defensive midfielder. And when it does start to rain, the factory DWR beads nicely.

It's not as protective as something like Windstopper Soft Shell, for example, but the pay-off is much better breathability when working hard.

There's nothing particularly spectacular about the design, but a neat, athletic cut with a long enough hem to offer some crotch protection, pockets that clear belts and harnesses and an easily adjustable, soft-lined collar - with zip cover - all do a quietly efficient job.

If the Multi Pitch were fully windproof then we'd have preferred fully adjustable cuffs, but the inner cuff is cut small enough to keep a reasonable seal anyway, so no real problem there.

In proper rain you will need a waterproof shell, but even then the Multi Pitch scores by breathing decently as a mid-layer in a way that membrane fabrics don't. If you find membrane-based soft shells simply aren't breathable enough, but you want more protection than you'd get from a microfleece then jackets like this are a great option.

The design is unfussy but effective and so far it seems good and durable too. Good, simple, no-nonsense, work horse.

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