Rab Baseline Jacket

The Baseline immediately became a staple of my front side skiing and backcountry kit.

Billy O’Donnell – Pro Skier, Coach, Guide

Founder – RIDGE Mountain Academy

Ht: 6’            Weight: 171 lbs              Waist – 32              Jacket size – 42 Slim                  

Baseline Jacket Review

Size purchased: L

Overview: I received the Baseline Jacket mid-way through the 2015 ski season. It immediately became a staple of my front side skiing and backcountry kit. I was able to use it while uphill lapping my local ski resort, Whitefish Mountain Resort, during local ski touring day trips and during a 7-day hut trip with RIDGE Mountain Academy in the Canadian Rockies this spring.

I used the Baseline as a mid layer in temperatures ranging from 0°F to 40°F during the winter and spring. My ski tours ranged from high output uphill training laps to slower daylong tours.

Fit: The Baseline fits my body snuggly through the chest and shoulders, as an active/ athletic piece should. The longer sleeves made using the thumb loops comfortable, as opposed the shorter sleeves I’ve found on products with similar features from other manufactures.

The hood is just the right fit and feel. The torso length is a bit long and wide for my build at the waist, but fit my ski partner great who is 6’2". I end up having to bunch, under my shell, at my waistline.  

Warmth: The Baseline uses a Polartec fleece grid pattern, which provides an amazing amount of warmth, compared to the jacket's lightweight feel. I was comfortable ski touring with the Baseline and a thin wool base layer in temps down to about 10°F. Once it got any cooler, I added a shell for extra warmth.

Performance: The Baseline performed quite well for me. It’s lightweight, compact, and extremely packable and it provides just the right amount of warmth for a mid-layer and great breathability for a doubled layer under a pack. In addition, I could not believe how incredible it was in the hot touring weather of spring season. I could also leave it on top of a thin wool layer and feel like it was breathable without sweat build-up.

Once I added a shell following an uphill push, I felt dry and warm almost immediately. What an amazing piece coupled with a very thin wool base layer!!

Durability: My Baseline shows little signs of wear, even after half a season's use. It still feels, looks, AND smells new! I can hardly tell that I used it almost every day for the second half of the season.

Pros: Everything above!

Cons: Excess material around waist for my build and height