Black Diamond Recon LT Ski Jacket Assessment

You don’t often desire a thick, heavy ski shell within the backcountry. Heavy-duty three-layer shells are nice on the resort. However they’re usually too sizzling going uphill, they usually take up an excessive amount of pack area when you should shed them. In a progressive bundle, the Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT Ski Shell delivers climate safety and breathability in a minimalist design.

This light-weight shell retains every little thing easy. It packs down small whereas offering three-layer climate safety that’s mixed with most breathability. The comparatively slim tailoring avoids extra cloth, however the four-way stretch cloth means it gained’t prohibit motion, both.

When you can layer beneath to make use of this ski shell year-round — even for days lapping the ski lifts — it’s a lot thinner and cooler in chilly, midwinter situations. This implies it’s at its finest as a touring-specific layer and spring resort jacket.

Briefly: The Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT Ski Shell ($400) is a backcountry-first shell that’s constructed to shed warmth and moisture throughout high-output climbing and ship dependable weather-resistance for the descent. As a hybrid possibility, I discovered this jacket works finest for hotter spring days on the ski resort.

Learn our full evaluation beneath or The Greatest Ski Jackets Purchaser’s Information to see how the Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT Shell compares to our different favourite ski jackets.

• Match
  Slim
• Insulation
  None
• Shell
  BD.Dry 3L, 40d Nylon Stretch with PFC-Free DWR End
• Waterproof score (mm)
  20,000
• Breathability (g)
  20,000
• Weight
  482 g

• 
  Glorious breathability
• 
  Good spring ski possibility
• 
  Tailor-made match with stretch

• 
  Minimal pockets, options
• 
  Skinny for winter resort snowboarding

Black Diamond Recon LT Ski Jacket Assessment

Utah-based Black Diamond has a protracted historical past in climbing, snowboarding, and mountaineering. The Recon Stretch LT displays these roots as a ski jacket that’s nominally ski-specific however might function a climbing or mountaineering shell simply as simply.

The Recon Stretch LT follows the model’s sibling Recon Stretch Jacket design, which is almost twice as heavy at 769 g — although that’s nonetheless fairly mild on the spectrum of ski jackets.

As compared, the normal Recon Stretch is extra totally featured with inside stash pockets and that heavier-weight cloth provides further heat and wind-blocking. Whereas that common Recon is nearer to a standard resort snowboarding shell, the LT model is decidedly backcountry-focused.

I examined the Recon Stretch LT Shell Jacket throughout 6 days of backcountry touring and resort snowboarding round Summit County, Colo. My late-spring testing was ideally suited for this lighter jacket, because it supplied sufficient safety for high-elevation summits and descents. But, the jacket was mild and breathable sufficient for resort mountaineering and cruising slushy groomers with out overheating. On colder storm days, I used to be conscious of the skinny cloth however by no means felt outgunned by the climate.

Nice Backcountry Efficiency: Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT

I’ve examined a number of backcountry-specific shells, and lots of sacrifice weatherproofing for breathability. Whereas this ratio is usually factor for mountaineering uphill, if you happen to want high-level waterproofing, the Recon Stretch LT doesn’t skimp. Moist storm snow rolled off the DWR-coated cloth with out concern.

Bootpacking within the intense high-elevation solar and heat late-April temperatures showcased one other power: the Recon’s breathability. On the resort, I by no means felt like I wanted to take the Recon off, even in sweltering spring situations the place a T-shirt can be satisfactory for heat.

When ski touring, the Recon was excellent for chilly, early begins because it minimize the chilliness however didn’t immediately flip right into a sauna like heavy-duty GORE-TEX would have. In hotter temps, the shell needed to come off. However that’s true for me of virtually any ski jacket, as I run sizzling and have a tendency to uphill in only a baselayer except ambient temperatures are nicely beneath freezing.

I toured within the Recon a number of instances with nothing however a efficiency tee beneath. The tender backer layer felt nice towards naked pores and skin. This layer has a practical function as nicely: holding moisture to be became vapor in order that it may possibly escape the BD.dry membrane. 

Whereas mild and breathable, that is nonetheless a 3L shell. So it does get clammy, and also you’ll wish to blow open the vents or take it off as quickly as you are feeling issues getting steamy, lest you moist out your baselayers. 

Match: Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT

I’d describe the Recon Stretch LT as someplace between a slim and common match. This isn’t a protracted, dishevelled freeride shell by any means. But it surely’s not as tight as different touring shells I’ve examined from European skimo manufacturers, both. The hem hangs a couple of inches beneath the waistline, fortunately, and doesn’t goofily trip up like a mountaineering shell would.

The arms even have sufficient size to cinch excessive of your gloves, one other ski-specific tailoring contact I appreciated. Articulating my arms round might pull the cuff again away from my gloves right here and there. So generally I might’ve used maybe one other inch of size, however the arms largely felt about proper.

When sporting a ski pack, I appreciated the streamlined match, which doesn’t shirt out round straps like roomier ski shells do. Likewise, the hood is large enough to accommodate a ski helmet however cinches sufficiently small to guard your cranium when sporting a cap or beanie, too.

One quirk I seen is that when the hood was down whereas I used to be descending, it will sometimes catch wind like a sail, which may be a results of the light-weight cloth.

The boys’s massive dimension match my 6’0”, 190-pound body nearly completely. I seemingly might’ve been comfy in an XL as nicely and gained some attain within the arms in trade for a blousier match. Contemplating I largely view this as a touring shell, I’d stick with the big.

Pockets and Options

There’s frankly not a lot to speak about right here ,and that’s by design. Black Diamond stripped away all however the two chest-zippered pockets for the LT model of this jacket to reduce bulk and weight. This leads to a jacket that packs down tight when rolled up for pack storage. In flip, the load sticks low at simply over a pound.

I respect the minimalism and may reside with no ton of pocket storage since I usually put on pocket-rich ski bibs on the underside. Nonetheless, it’s value noting that you simply don’t get a lot within the Recon on this division. The 2 chest pockets are large however not cavernous. You possibly can simply match a folded-up pair of skins between the 2, however not a lot else.

I ski a 120mm width backcountry ski in a 190 size. Splitboard skins could also be fatter, however the lengths are shorter. So, if you happen to desire carrying small objects in your jacket over your ski pants or bibs, hold this limitation in thoughts.

The venting is nice with two lengthy pit zips that stretch greater than midway down every arm. That is key for dumping warmth without having to cease and shed your jacket layer. Although, generally it’s simply too sizzling for any shell, even one as breathable because the Recon LT. Oh, and there’s a left-arm cross pocket for resort days, which is good to have.

Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT Shell Jacket: Conclusion

The Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT Ski Shell is a minimalist and high-performance backcountry shell. Whereas this mild jacket may also be an incredible outer layer for resort snowboarding within the spring season, you’ll seemingly desire a beefier midlayer or base layer (or each) to enrich this jacket if you happen to spend a number of chilly midwinter days using the ski lifts.

However if you happen to’re searching for a devoted year-round ski touring shell that breathes nicely and packs down simply when it’s time to take it off, the Recon Stretch LT really delivers.

To see the place the Recon Stretch LT matches into the broader panorama of ski jackets, take a look at The Greatest Ski Jacket Purchaser’s Information.