Mountain Equipment Eclipse Hooded Zip Tee

Eclipse Hooded Zip Tee | mountain-equipment.com | $150 |

I needed another Hoody Tee like I needed more pennies, but the Mountain Equipment Eclipse Hooded Zip Tee is so different from the ilk, innovative even, that, to paraphrase the wordsmith Dick Cheney, I didn’t
know that I didn’t know I needed it.

What didn’t I know?

The Eclipse has an extra-long tail that tucks neatly under a harness and doesn’t ride up—no plumber’s crack. Then, the scuba-style hood has a zip-up cowl that covers the lower half of your face, ninja style. On cold and windy outings the flap is as welcome as a nip from the trusty flask. When the hood isn’t up and zipped, the loose flap is annoying, but not so much I ever thought it was a bad idea.

The sleeves, like the tail, are long, long enough even for my plus-three-inch ape arms. Thumb loops let the cuffs act as fingerless gloves. Ventilation is good, owing to a deep, nose-to-nearly-navel zip.

Insulation and wicking come from Pontetorto Technostretch.

This material is fuzzy on the inside, with topographical relief for insulation. Body mapping places panels of varying thickness where you need it or don’t need much, such as in the armpits. A contouring fit seals the Eclipse around you almost as if it has been painted on.

Wicking and warmth are good—this is a heavy next-to-skin layer or a mid-weight midlayer. I used it both ways with success, but preferred it in underlayer mode because the Eclipse fits so snugly and the fabric’s inner face is so grippy that pulling it on and off another layer becomes a gymnastic maneuver.

—Duane Raleigh

This article was published in Rock and Ice issue 233 (April 2016).