Himali Ascent Stretch Vest

I love Himali, they are a great local Boulder, CO company that makes very technical and practical items. They are underrated, but rather popular here around town. They offer good basic colors, and some really bright stuff that looks killer. I have a lot of stuff from them, but I recently picked up their “Ascent Stretch vest” which is a synthetic insulation line, and I am a big fan of it.

Materials & Specs

A quick run down on the specs:

Toray® Primeflex nylon stretch shell

60g Primaloft® Gold Active+ synthetic insulation

Eco-DWR coating for added moisture protection

Bottom hem drawcord

Zippered hand and chest pockets

YKK® vislon zippers

A couple of notes on the main materials here, Primeflex is really interesting. Most “stretch” uses some elastic base material which breaks down over time, that’s not the case with Primflex. Instead the yarn itself is like a spiral so it should maintain stretch indefinitely. It’s nylon based so it’s very durable and silent. It also has a good amount of breathability built in — it’s a very performant material.

The Gold Active+ is the top level active synthetic insulation that breathes, has stretch, while maintaining a lot of insulating attributes.

In Use

Here’s how Himali positions this:

The Ascent Stretch Vest is a versatile synthetic vest designed for active movement in the mountains. With 4-Way stretch fabric, it is designed to move with you. The Primaloft® Gold Synthetic 60g weight insulation is breathable, packable, and retains its warmth when wet – a little sweat never hurt anyone in this jacket. The proprietary shell fabric is wind and water resistant while remaining stretchy and breathable – so you will feel protected without restriction. The ergonomic and articulated fit reduces weight and volume – improving performance while making it easy to take with you on every adventure where you might need some extra warmth. An extremely versatile layer that also works well as a standalone piece.

In my wear, this is pretty spot on. It’s absurdly comfortable, and impressively warm. I use this both for rucking when it is really cold out, as well as for hiking when I am really uncertain if I packed enough warm shit — this is a great item no matter which I use it for. The hoody version of this (full jacket) is insanely popular here in Boulder, and something you’ll see all around town if you keep your eyes peeled (as an indicator of just how good this layer is).

My notes:

Ideal level of warmth. I have really pushed this hard in the cold, as both an additional layer and a standalone piece. It’s warm, but not too warm as the vest design means it’s easier to dump heat if/when needed.

Insulates through wetness, at least in testing with how much sweat I’ve dumped into this when working out, without feeling gross and clammy, and yet staying warm. It dries out from this fast enough that you don’t have to worry too much about odor build up.

As the name and materials imply, it’s quite stretchy. I thought this wouldn’t matter for a vest, but it does aid in comfort and movement, especially with a pack being worn over it.

The pockets on this are quite good, roomy, with good positioning. The hand pockets really do help to warm up cold hands too.

This is a nice option over a jacket midlayer when worn under a softshell as it gives a massive amount of warmth, but sheds heat faster when needed.

I’ve found the neck to be a little annoying to me, but I am extremely sensitive to zippers and collars touching the front of my neck. This does tend to poke inwards towards my neck, but isn’t intolerable. It’s a tight collar all around, so there’s good heat trapping when zipped, but it’s not overly tall. You can still sneak a neck gaiter in there if wanted.

I cannot get over the fact that the stuff sack is affixed (sewn) into the front pocket. This is silly, I’ll be cutting this out. I get the convenience, but it’s annoying to have to deal with that in the pocket.

So yes, my biggest complaint is the stuff sack in the front pocket. This is a fantastic item otherwise.

Overall

My overall verdict on this: damned fine vest, and must have for hikers in cold climates. It also makes me want the hoody variant.

Buy here, $195.