Black Diamond Alpenglow Hoody

Great sun protection and versatile base layer.

Sun hoodies are becoming increasingly popular so I thought I'd try one out. I like versatile systems and in the past have used baselayers along with an OR Sun Runner Cap which uses a snap-on/off neck cape. That approach has worked fine too. But I found the Alpenglow to be an attractive option (e.g., the attached hood means no fiddling with attaching/detaching the cape or retrieving a hat that blows off during an unexpected gust).

The fit is good—not too loose or too tight—just about right, at least for me. The hood is large, allowing hats/helmets under or over, but can be a bit floppy. Sun protection is very good. Fabric heavier than some but is pretty breathable and dries quickly.

There are no thumb holes in this hoody, compared to many other brands. It would be nice to have them, to extend the coverage a bit over the hands. This isn't a big deal though, and is even a benefit when wearing gloves.

Background

This is my first sun hoody and season of use. Put it to the test on a sunny climb of Mount St Helens and it performed as expected.