Black Diamond Alpenglow Hoody

The Black Diamond Alpenglow Hoody is best used for high sun exposure trips. I have used this hoody for backpacking and rock climbing trips in the desert, the alpine of the North Cascades and the High Sierra throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall.

The hoody provided solid sun protection while also offering an acceptable level of breathability when moving for long days in the mountains. The hood was able to provide shade and cover to my face for optimal sun protection. The sleeves are long enough that they hang slightly over the backs of my hands which provided helpful sun protection.

In my experience the main areas for improvement for the sun hoody is in breathability and durability. Though it does offer some breathability, while I was wearing a backpack the shirts fabric seemed to be thick making me sweat a significant amount – especially in hotter hiking temperatures. Also, over time the shoulders of the shirt where the backpack straps sit have worn out and holes have formed. Additionally, the shirts fabric tends to stretch out and if you are in between sizes like me (I tend to buy a large on upper body layers as I am in between a medium and large!) the shirt can become very stretched out after continual use.

Overall, I will continue to use this sun hoody, but I will be aware of it’s durability through repeated use and how that affects what size of the product I use.