I have been backpacking for over 30 years, all over the state of California, and also in Washington, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho and Utah. I hike year-round, mostly in the Sierra Nevada, and average 500+ miles (800+ km) per year. As I start my 4th decade of backpacking I am making the move to lightweight gear, and smaller volume packs. I start early and hike hard so as to enjoy the afternoons exploring. I usually take a freestanding tent and enjoy hot meals at night. If not hiking solo I am usually with my brother-in-law Dave or fiancée Jenn.

The Product

Manufacturer: Mountain Hardwear
Web site: www.mountainhardwear.com
Product: Alchemy Jacket
Size: X-Large (also available in Sm, Med, Lg, & XXL)
Year manufactured: 2005
MSRP: $ 240.00 (US).
Weight listed: 21 oz (622 g) Actual weight 26.2 oz (743 g)
Color reviewed: Stout/Shark (available in 2005 & 06)
Colors available (2007): Black/Titanium, Stout/Titanium, Lava/Titanium and Sapphire/Titanium
Warranty: (from company web site), "Mountain Hardwear guarantees that the materials and workmanship in every product we make will stand up to the use for which it was designed. This warranty does not cover damages caused by improper care, accidents or the natural breakdown of materials over extended time and use."

Photo courtesy of Mountain Hardwear

Product Description

The Mountain Hardwear Alchemy Jacket (hereafter called the Alchemy or jacket) is a softshell jacket, that at the time of my purchase was at the top of the company's soft shell line. They position its use for climbing and high-altitude sports.

The jacket is made of "Alchemy Stretch Nylon" with Gore Windstopper fabric sandwiched between it and a very soft fleece lining. The Windstopper fabric claims to be totally wind-proof and highly breathable. The outer shell is treated with a DWR (durable water repellent) and is touted as being very water resistant. The body is a very dark blackish brown color they call Stout with dark and light grey accents.

The Alchemy has a stand-up type cadet collar that is lined in the same fleece as the inside of the jacket. The fleece folds over at the top of the collar to form a pocket for a drawcord that exits at the back center through a metal grommet and a cord lock. Pulling the drawstring through the lock results in the collar being able to be snugged very tight around the neck. Just below the drawstring is the Mountain Hardwear nut logo embroidered in silver and yellow thread. This same embroidered logo is on the right chest too.

The body of the Alchemy employs a close-fitting athletic cut. It also uses gusseted construction to achieve a greater range of motion without binding. The fabric combination is quite stretchy in all directions. At the bottom of the Alchemy's body to either side are hem drawcords that run through tethered cord locks allowing one-handed adjustment. This allows the elements to be cut off from accessing the inside of the jacket to a large degree.

It has vertical pockets on either side that are accessed by zippers that have been sewn backwards, or inside out from what is normally done. This gives the zippers a very flat look. A nylon cord has been tied to the pulls to facilitate opening with gloves or mittens on. The inside of the pocket is actually just the entire space between the front zipper and the side seam, from the bottom of the jacket all the way to the shoulders. It has no true "pocket: sewn into it. It utilizes the interior lining as the pocket. So I can actually shove a lot of stuff into it if I wanted to.

On the left side of the chest area is a welded chest pocket made from Schoeller Dynamic fabric. It has a vertical inside-out zipper too. The main front zipper is a nylon YKK that runs to the top of the collar. A zipper guard/draft stop sits behind this zipper, and rolls over the top and is stitched to the side of the zipper to create a zipper-garage when it is fully closed.

The articulated sleeves have a rolled-over built-up cuff, with an interior "Hidden PowerStretch cuff". The hidden cuff acts like a soft gasket around my wrist to seal out the elements.

Inside of the jacket at the right chest is an inner zippered pocket. (This one is sewn right-side-out.) It is roomy enough to hold a pair of liner gloves, a sandwich, or a few energy bars. Behind the neck are a couple of tags and a hang loop. Down lower on the side is another tag with materials content and washing instructions in English and French. Instructions are as follows; machine wash cold, gentle cycle, mild soap. Tumble dry, air only. Do not dry clean, iron or use bleach or fabric softeners. (Ha, me?)

Field Conditions

I have worn the Alchemy all over California, using it as an around town jacket in the winter and hiking in the mountains in winter, spring and late fall. Temperatures ranged from 20 to 50 F (-7 to 10 C) at elevations to 10000 ft (3000 m) It has been used in light rain snow and blowing wind. Above is a picture taken on the way up to Mount San Jacinto.

I used it on three trips to Utah that saw temps down to 5 F (- 15 C), elevations to 9000 ft ( m) and a lot of snow.

I wore the Alchemy jacket in Minnesota and North Dakota quite a bit, including snowshoeing at Buffalo River State Park. Temps encountered in MN ranged from 0 to 50 F (-18 to 10 C). In MN it has seen some very heavy winds that blow across the prairie. Here is a picture from Buffalo.

Observations

I bought the Alchemy to see what all the hoopla was about concerning softshells. I have always used down or fleece with a hard shell over it for wind or water protection. As I had heard good things about the Alchemy, I bought one when it was on sale.

I really liked the cut of the jacket. I have to buy an extra large to accommodate the length of my arms. I use the extra volume for layering when needed. Even with nothing more than a base layer the cut is slim enough to not look baggy. The gusseted sleeves and side panels are very comfortable at all activity levels. The stretchy nature of the fabric is really nice. I left it with my fiancée for a month as she wanted to try a softshell too. Even though it was way too big for her, after wearing it a couple of times cross country skiing and snowshoeing, she liked it so much that she ordered a Women's Alchemy. Here is a picture of both of them on the deck at Alta ski resort.

It blocks the wind very well. I walked four miles (6.5 km) head on into a 20 mph (32 km/h) wind in 30 F (-1 C) temps and did not feel the wind coming through the Gore Windstopper material. In fact I had to open the zipper to vent the jacket as I was getting too hot as I was doing some brisk walking.

In fact venting has been my only problem with the Alchemy. I have a hot-burning core, and over-heat easily. I would love to see this jacket made with pit-zips under the arms to allow me to vent better than using the pockets (that do not work that well for me) or the front zipper, which leaves my chest cold if it is too far down. I had the same problem with my Marmot Flurry for the same reasons.

I really like the looks of the Alchemy too. I wore it out a few times dressed casual-nice and felt that it did not detract as much as all of my other hiking specific outerwear would have. (My girlfriend may have thought otherwise…)

The gasket cuffs (PowerStretch) work great. They are soft enough to not drive me nuts. I do not care for gathered elastic around my wrists. And they are inset from the end of the sleeve enough that they do not hinder glove use. They are the best example of this type of construction of all of my outerwear.

It does not compress a bit. Unlike my down jackets, the Primaloft filled Flurry, and even to some extent my fleece wear, the Alchemy is not going to get any smaller packing it in my backpack.

Because of the lack of adequate venting for my style of backpacking, the Alchemy is not going to see a lot of miles in the back country. But its comfort and styling will keep it a favorite for limited use and travel to bad-weather locations that a bit of good looks are nice to have along.

Pros

Good looks
Great cut and fit

Cons

No compression
Not enough venting options

Owner Review by Ray Estrella

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