Mountain Hardwear Obsidian Jacket Review
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The Obsidian Jacket is Mountain Hardwear’s answer to the technical backcountry shell. The jacket is highly breathable and waterproof, making it a great outer piece in inclement weather. It is also cut with room for adding layers underneath, which is essential for any shell. I tested the jacket as both a ski shell and a hiking shell to see how it performed.
As a ski jacket, I found the fit of the jacket to be adequate but not exceptional. The jacket was simply not long enough for my 6’1″ torso and continuously rode up on me as I skied. A shell intended for skiing needs to take into account the movements of skiers and the Obsidian Jacket fell a little short. As for performance of the fabric, I was definitely impressed with the breathability of the Rebar™ Ripstop AXF™ fabric with Conduit™ laminate. Even with my down sweater on underneath, I was not getting chills from sweat not evaporating as I have with some other shells. I also liked the helmet compatible hood that fit nicely over my helmet when I wanted to really seal out the wind riding the T-Bar at Breckenridge. The other downside to the jacket as a ski shell is the lack of a powder skirt. I always say that any jacket planned on being used by skiers should have a removable powder skirt to keep out snow on powder days.
I was more impressed with the Obsidian Jacket as a technical rain shell for hiking, climbing, etc. and see it as a perfect piece to through in my pack for weather protection. The jacket is lightweight and packs pretty well, making it easy to put in the outer stash pocket of my daypack. The fit lends itself well to the movements of hiking and climbing with good design of the shoulder and elbow areas. I also liked the two zippered chest pockets and the size of the waist pockets. All zippers are waterproof, which is a necessity in a waterproof layer. Overall, the Obsidian Jacket is a very nice shell if you aren’t looking to use it skiing primarily.
For more info on the Obsidian Jacket and other Mountain Hardwear gear, please www.mountainhardwear.com.
