Mountain Hardwear Kor Strata Hoody
Three-season wear
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My husband has a jacket, the kind he uses as an outer layer, that he wears around the house. I make fun of him. “Good thing you’re wearing a ski jacket”—generic term, though he does wear it for that—“inside.”
Now I am doing the same thing. This is why: The Kor Strata Hoody is stretchy—like, really, surprisingly stretchy. It looks like, and is, a nice outer layer, but it is also a mid or insulating layer, light and trim. You can climb in it on a cold day, especially if you are warming up, and easily pack it along on a multipitch.
[Also Read First Look: Mountain Hardwear Kor Preshell Hoody]
Launched this past autumn, the item contains Primaloft Gold Active 60g/m2 insulation, with a ripstop Mechanical Stretch Dobby (89% Nylon, 11% Elastane) outer layer. It has roomy side zip pockets and an outer upper left zip pocket, though I would prefer that one be an interior zip to keep the outside more streamlined; a phone (your camera, GPS, etc.) is a bit awkward, though a topo would fit in fine.
I tried the women’s model. I am usually a medium, and it fits just fine, although I couldn’t have many or thick layers beneath.
Roomy hood is adjustable to fit over a helmet.
Rock and Ice vigorously tests all gear it reviews for either 50 days or 50 pitches. This is a time-consuming process and limits the amount of new equipment we can present to our readers. Every year hundreds of new products hit store shelves, and most of these aren’t reviewed due to our stringent selection and review process. To better keep you more up to date on what is new, we present First Look. Gear in First Look has not always been field tested, but is gear we think you’d like to know about as soon as it is available. Some of the gear will be reviewed using our 50 days/50 pitches criteria, in future print and online editions of Rock and Ice. We have opted to use affiliate links in our gear reviews. Every time you buy something after clicking on links in our gear articles you’re helping support our magazine.