But as Alfred Wainright said “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just unsuitable clothing.” A mantra I live by and with the options of hardshell, softshell and insulation becoming more advanced the options are near infinite. This does mean however that your outdoor wardrobe may have to grow to accommodate it and inevitably the wallet will take a hit. So for some of us it’s time to choose what to spend our money on, what are the priorities in our outdoor pursuits? That discussion is the subject for another post, it has been discussed elsewhere already.

 

 

This review is for the Rab NeoGuide Jacket and Pants, this is the second generation of the set. They are built with Polartec Neoshell and designed for winter/alpine endeavours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The jacket has the usual mountain shell attributes. Long pit-zips and a big helmet compatible hood. The hood does a good job of downsizing to a secure over the skull also. The wired peak in the hoods skip allows it to be shaped to provide the appropriate directional protection of the prevailing wind.

 

 

The tail has a good sized scoop to keep it low on the back end to provide decent protection for the posterior and even it rides up a bit whilst moving it doesn’t leave you uncovered. I did get a carininer hooked in to the waist drawcords the other day as they sit near harness gear loops, slightly annoying but minor.

 

 

The main zip is YKK AquaGuard and is usefully double ended, with a press stud at the bottom to reduce the unlikely chance of it easing itself open when in motion. Having it over a harness it will allow the belay loop to be accessed.

 

The large I have is a generous size, it will cover a multitude of layers to keep you warm, but also the material (which I will go into a bit more later) will allow it to reduce under a fairly neat warmer layer. All depending on how wet you are this will allow you to keep the protection of the shell on whilst applying something warmer.

 

A huge asset of this jacket is the napoleon (chest) pockets. They are enormous, they will take a folded OS map with no problems. So with that on one side, the other can be used for all sorts of other stuff. The risk is then you might over fill! The position of them keeps them well out the way of a pack hip belts.

 

 

There are 2 internal pockets. A meshed baggy one, designed ideally for keeping warm gloves in, a bottle could be stored here. On the other side is a smaller zipped mesh pocket, for things like phones, GPS etc.

 

 

The Neo Guide doesn’t have any hand pockets but the pit zips can be opened to allow hands to be kept warm.

 

 

 

The Neo Guide Pants compliment the jacket, they are high waisted and received braces as standard in their last revision.

 

 

There are ¾ YKK AquaGuard water repellent zips on each leg. These are zipped from the bottom and the top to allow venting. 

The built in gaiters which have a pop stud at the bottom and top of the Velcro fastener which keeps it really secure. Where they fix to the inside of the leg there is a small venting panel which allow the stale air coming from the boot cuff to escape more easily. The elastic is has some rubber grip to it to help prevent it working its way up, it works for a while but inevitably it moves up. There are a couple of eyelets which I made an attempt to use in order to keep the gaiter down but the elastic cord I used eventually cut through. I will make a better attempt at it in the future but a lace hook would have been useful.

 

 

The hem has an elastic cord through it allowing it to cinch around the boot. I didn’t draw it in too much.

 

 

The kick patches are well shaped, there is an interesting little extra bit at the rear of the ankle that could help that kick from a crampon front point damaging the shell.

 

 

There are two zipped hand pockets which use a shorter version of the AquaGuard zip, these are also a good size. The full depth is a little restricted by a harness but access is still possible. The fly zip is also double zipped, both from the bottom, I found this out the hard way. The lower zip has a tassle on it which I instinctively reached for when I first wore them. As you can see the upper zip tab is plain and if you pull both up the fly is left open, facing into the wind highlighted my mistake as it became a bit draughty! This shows the thought that has gone in to the pants as having it open from the bottom can be altogether more comfortable for the male user!

 

 

The braces are a great addition, they are only 75 grams on their own and the practicality of them are great. The hooks are solid but not too weighty. The eyes that are made for them in the waistband of the pants are well buried and look as though they will keep the hooks in place as it’s really snug. I’ve tried to show it in the picture below.

 

 

On their first outing the front left hook came out, I noticed it when I was putting a warm layer on before climbing. As they are so snug, I wasn’t able to get the hook back in due to wearing gloves and it was freezing so I continued with 3 points in place and it didn’t cause much issue. When I was back at home I ensured it was reseated back in its little housing and rechecked the other 3. However on the following 3 outings one of the clips came free from its moorings each, it wasn’t always a different one but I triple checked putting them in. I genuinely can’t explain why. I may need to secure them permanently somehow. However, this would limit the pants flexibility of use.

 

Different deniers of Polartec Neoshell have been used in strategic places in both garments, like the back side and crotch for harness use and the shoulders for rucksacks. Most people will have heard or come across Neoshell, it is a fantastic fabric. It feels great, realise that’s a bit cuddly for the outdoor world but it makes it more comfortable and a there is a lot less rustle when wearing it, especially noticeable when the hood is up. 

 

 

Neoshell sits just over the cusp of the waterproof line so this means that its saturation level will be reached quicker. There was a day in particular where I pushed this limit and the fabric wet out. Now, a point to note at this stage is that all fabric has a limit so this is not something I didn’t anticipate. What Neoshell has going for it is breathability combined with the waterproof barrier, so accept that there are pay offs. The day I mentioned I could see how permeable the fabric is as I saw, literally in front of my eyes, the fabric drying on my legs as the strong wind of that day blew through it. Amazingly the difference between the different fabric deniers could be seen also as the panel on the front of the thigh dried quickly and the section above around the crotch stayed strong. I didn’t quite believe it either and when I saw it happen I wondered how I was going to put it in print but it happened. This could be seen as a negative but, in my opinion, it’s not! It makes the fabric, both garments really, more versatile. Something we’re not short of is rain in this country but we’re also not short of wind either. So if it dries the rain out the fabric than it’ll do it to the sweat too!

 

 

As a pair the Neoguide Jacket and Pants work well together, they are built for Alpine and Scottish Winter pursuits. They are at the mid to lower scale when it comes to weight. They are comfortable and feel good when on. The jacket could be used for the full year, the pants will be mainly used for winter use but could be used as over trousers, dropping the braces. The trousers especially have some really nice, well thought out features.

 

Neoshell has its draw backs but in general it fends off precipitation well and breathes better than an Ultra Runner.

 

So what would Mr Wainright say, is it appropriate clothing? I’d like to think he would say “Yes”. It would definitely be my response.