Facebook Twitter Instagram
    FeedTheHabit.com
    • Home
    • Gear Reviews
      • Mountain Biking
      • Road Biking
      • Bike Commuting
      • Trail Running
      • Skiing
      • Outdoors
      • Water Sports
      • Vehicles
    • News
    • Trip Reports
    • Videos
    FeedTheHabit.com
    Gear Reviews

    Mountain Hardwear Hyaction Jacket Review

    Kevin GloverBy Kevin GloverAugust 13, 2014No Comments5 Mins Read

    Mountain Hardwear knows their climbing gear, and that’s a fact.  They’ve never been afraid to blend technologies and chase innovation and their Hyaction jacket is a perfect example of this design philosophy.

    Mountain Hardwear Hyaction Jacket Features:

    • Dry.Q™ EVAP accelerates evaporation for more breathability and comfort
    • Exposed water resistant Vislon Aquaguard center front zipper
    • Reinforced abrasion areas for durability
    • Pockets set high and out of the way from harness and pack straps
    • Water resistant, harness compatible zip hand pockets
    • Apparel Fit: Active
    • Weight: 9 oz. / 255 g.
    • MSRP: $350.00

    STAOR

    Ultralight protection on the crag or glacier

    This summer I’ve been working with a fantastic non-profit called Peak 7 Adventures.  Peak 7 takes youth from the Pacific Northwest on backpacking and mountaineering trips including destinations like Sahale, Shuksan, Glacier Peak and Mt. Baker.  Naturally I’ve been having a stellar time testing gear as I head out with new clients each week and the Hyaction from Mountain Hardwear was my companion on both Mt. Baker and Sahale Peak.  Why did I choose it?  It’s stupidly lightweight protection at just 9oz.  Yes, there are several other ultralight shells on the market, but none of them offer the no-holds-barred protection of the Hyaction.

    The jacket is a mixture of two fabric types which both have a high degree of abrasion resistance. Their Dry.Q EVAP fabric has a hydrophillic inner treatment that sucks your sweat up into the fabric for faster wicking.  Meanwhile, the shoulders, hood and sleeves all have Hardwear’s Dry.Q Elite which is their premiere laminate.  Unlike other ultralight shells, the Hyaction gives the impression that it can hold up to tons of abuse and abrasion – the fabric has a thicker handle and it’s the slippery sort of nylon that doesn’t tend to catch or snag.

    reviews (6 of 8)

    As my jacket of choice for technical trips this summer, the Hyaction accompanied me into Mt. Baker’s crevasses as we taught our young clients how to prussik up a line.  The Hyaction kept me protected from the ice and melt-off, but it left me with plenty of range of motion to clamber around and help them.  And this, really, is the interesting thing about the Hyaction – its fabric doesn’t have very much inherent stretch, but it still manages to do a great job of moving with you.

    It passes the ‘arms-above-head-but-body-doesn’t-move’ test with flying colors.  So, where does this desirable trait come from?  The answer is simply Mountain Hardwear’s fantastic tailoring, which accomplishes the feat just as well as a high-stretch fabric.  I haven’t climbed any class V material in the Hyaction, but I felt perfectly comfortable on Sahale’s exposed class IV summit block in the Hyaction.

    How about the performance of Dry.Q Evap?

    Naturally the Hyaction is thoroughly waterproof and resistant to anything but a sustained Pacific Northwest downpour, in which case the fabric suffered more from my own perspiration than water leaking from the outside.  All of the zippers are sealed and the flashy Vislon Aquaguard zipper (which we first saw in Hardwear’s Plasmic rain jacket) is just as waterproof as its more traditional peers.

    Overall, there are definitely more breathable jackets on the market than the Hyaction.  The Dry.Q Elite pulls its weight, but the bulk of the jacket body is Dry.Q EVAP which is a simple 2.5 layer laminate that simply doesn’t hold a candle to Dry.Q Elite’s performance.  That said, the Hyaction’s $350 retail price sets it very competitively in the range of climbing jackets, so it’s tough to complain.  And, besides, it’s bad form to huff and puff so much on a climb that your jacket is totally saturated by your sweat – if you manage layers properly, the jacket handles aerobic activities well enough to make this a moot point.

    reviews (8 of 8)

    Mountain Hardwear took a few liberties to trim the Hyaction down to a slim 9 oz.  For one, there are no dedicated cuff adjustments – rather, there are simply fabric sleeves that fit closely enough to seal out moisture.  These work well enough I suppose, but they don’t interface as well with gloves as a traditional gusseted design.  The designers chose an incredibly narrow gauge shock cord and positively ethereal pulltabs which, though lightweight, must certainly cut into long-term durability.

    The fit of the jacket is athletic but not overly trim – it slides well underneath a harness but stays rooted to your body as you move.  It’s cut generously in the shoulders and then fits moderately along the upper arms.  I’m 5’11” and weigh 175lbs, so the Medium that I tested fit like a glove.  Lastly, the helmet compatible hood was an invaluable tool anytime the wind sprung up – Mountain Hardwear’s two-way adjustment gave me an instant fit though I did wish for a little more peripheral vision.

    reviews (7 of 8)

    The Good

    • Superlight jacket that still manages to be very durable
    • Dry.Q Elite is a stellar fabric – it works well where it’s placed
    • Careful tailoring lets the Hyaction move very well
    • Aquaguard zipper’s large teeth pull easily and resist breaking

    The Bad

    • Shock cord pulls seem rather flimsy
    • Unique cuff design is clever, but doesn’t work well with gloves

    The Bottom Line

    Words like ‘superlight’ and ‘durable’ aren’t often found in the same product review, but the Hyaction deserves both of those descriptors.  For a 9oz shell it boasts a very durable handle that isn’t often found in this weight range, yet it’s the sort of thing that is necessary to hold up to the demands of a harness and ropework.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time climbing with the Hyaction and it’s one of the best lightweight shell offerings in its price point.

    Buy now: Available at Backcountry.com

    14
    SHARES
    ShareTweet
    jackets mountain hardwear
    Previous ArticleCamelBak Fourteener 24 Hydration Pack Review
    Next Article Niner IMBA Auction: New ROS 9 Plus Mid-fat Bike
    Kevin Glover
    • Website

    Kevin Glover lives, climbs and backpacks out of Spokane, WA. Originally from the Nevada high desert, he moved to the PNW ten years ago and has worked as a glacier and rock guide in the Washington Cascades. When not testing gear, he is a medical student at the University of Washington and will gladly check that rash out for you.

    You Might Also Like

    Review: Outdoor Vitals Tern Ultralight Merino Hoodie

    May 31, 2023

    Shimano S-Phyre Magnetic GR Sunglasses Review

    May 22, 2023

    Moosejaw Ice Fort 25 Quart Hard Cooler Review

    May 17, 2023

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Most Popular
    8.9

    Zipp 303 S Carbon Wheelset Review

    November 4, 2021
    9.2

    SRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS Groupset Review

    August 12, 2022

    Moosejaw Ice Fort 25 Quart Hard Cooler Review

    May 17, 2023

    Wahoo ELEMNT Rival Multisport GPS Watch Review

    March 9, 2022
    8.5

    Canyon Lux Trail CF 7 Review

    November 28, 2022
    9.1

    Review: 2023 Trek Domane+ SLR 9 eBike

    December 5, 2022

    SRAM Rival/GX AXS Mullet Gravel Kit Review

    September 17, 2021
    9.6

    Trek Domane SLR 9 AXS Gen 4 Review

    May 10, 2023

    Review: Hoka Challenger 7 Road/Trail Shoe

    May 15, 2023
    9.1

    Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37 TLR Wheelset Review

    June 18, 2020
    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    Advertisement
    Our Latest Posts
    • Review: Outdoor Vitals Tern Ultralight Merino Hoodie
    • Fresh Wheels: Pivot Mach 4 SL Gets Both Racier & Rowdier
    • Shimano S-Phyre Magnetic GR Sunglasses Review
    • Moosejaw Ice Fort 25 Quart Hard Cooler Review
    • Join Zwift “Ride Like King 15” Rides May 19-21
    • Review: Hoka Challenger 7 Road/Trail Shoe
    • Fresh New Bikes from Cervelo, Pinarello and Vitus
    • Trek Domane SLR 9 AXS Gen 4 Review
    • Pearl Izumi Attack Air Bib Shorts Review
    • Artilect Supermoon Bio Hoodie Review
    About Us
    About Us

    Since 1999, we have delivered in-depth gear reviews, articles and content. We feature a small staff of savvy, experienced writers who love to review outdoor gear.

    External links to Amazon, REI, Backcountry and other retailers include affiliate codes that give us a small commission on each sale.

    To contact us or learn more, go to our About Us page.

    © FeedTheHabit.com 1999 - 2023. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.