Rab Xenon X Review

[Max Neale]

Companion forum thread to: Rab Xenon X Review

The Rab Xenon X used to be the best all-purpose lightweight synthetic insulated jacket on the market. Over the last seven years, the author has used the Xenon and Xenon X for some fantastic outdoor adventures: a 35-day traverse of Alaska’s Brooks Range, climbing Denali, Half Dome, and El Cap, and other things. Though the Xenon X performs above average in our tests, a variety of other jackets now offer superior performance.

[michael s]

I’m looking for a synthetic jacket for emergency use on winter mountain hikes. For example lost, injured or weather turned bad unexpectedly. So breathability is out. Is the xenon still considered to be a good option for this? The nunatak is significantly more expensive. Also thinking about the ee torrid Apex.

[Philip Tschersich]

I have an older Rab Xenon (pre “X”) and now have an EE Torrid hoody also (along with a pile of other synthetic puffies). The EE weighs half what the Rab weighs (though far more delicate in 7d) and is basically just as warm. If it’s really a backup piece, I’d go with the Torrid. The thing is, stuffing synthetics can mess up the loft over time. Keep them as loosely packed as possible when carrying them.

[Author]

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