Gear Reviews

Received the Mitts the last day of summer so as far as cold protection I can't judge....as for fit and quality I have absolutely been quite impressed. The fit is perfect and I am Very Impressed with the quality of both the material used and as to how the mitts are made.I have every confidence that these "Mitts" will give me the weather protection that I ordered them for. Thank- You for your MITTS!!!

Well made, great fabrics and design! I have men's medium size hands and they are difficult to slide on, and a bit tight and short. Feel almost like Chinese sizing. Giving them to my wife for Christmas.

The cost, the craftsmanship and the utility make for a 5 star purchase. Very happy.

I purchased the Alpha Direct 90 Hoodie with the kangaroo pocket. The pocket is a very useful add for carrying gloves, buff, chapstick and other lightweight essentials. Combined with the optional thumbholes, it is also a cozy place to warm your hands. I bought a second hoodie in the same configuration for a family member who is walking the Camino.

After I heard about Polartec Delta here on the BTTgearco website, I had to try out a hoodie! I'm glad I did. This is a pretty unique fabric. It's not super thin, delicate, or lightweight like some sun hoodies. I'd say it's more of a midweight. But it breathes well, is stretchy, durable, and dries pretty quickly. I used it on a section hike of the North Country Trail, and it performed well. I like the thumbholes! I'm not sure I'd wear this on super hot days (over 80F/25C), but it's great for weather in the 50's-70's (10C-24C). I wore it under a windbreaker, and it was perfect for a breezy 55-degree day. I can't say much about the stink factor because I only wore it on and off for a few days on trail. But it came through that and didn't seem to be holding a bad smell.

I did have to size down. I usually wear a large, but had to go medium in this hoodie. No problem, though, because customer service at BTTgearco is top-notch. Also, the hood is a little oversized for my taste, but it does fit well while wearing a baseball-style cap. Anyway, this hoodie is now part of my go-to clothing for hikes.

It’s not quite cold enough in MN to put these to the real test on the trail but they work great at the kids hockey practice! The arena is freezing and these mittens along with my puffy are the perfect combo. I’ll be getting another pair for my wife.

My name is Bob, and I have a really bad hoody problem.

I didn’t even know there was a Delta fabric, much less that it is perfect for a medium weight ‘sun’ hoody!

To be honest, I would have clicked anyway, I always do on this site, Justin makes some really nice stuff and he’s a pretty darn nice guy to boot.

The hoody? Excellent quality as usual, dude can run a juke, no doubt about that. The delta is almost micro-corded, stretchy, fluid, mid weight. Breathes well, but a bit warmer than say a crater lake. And a whole lot cheaper!

This hoody and related performance fits shoulder season use perfectly, it is comfortable and seamed for backpacking, very well made. Number 47 in my collection, well worth it!

I live where it’s cold, really cold. A 120 is nice and effective for most days, but those -30F mornings get this beast! So light and soft, yet so so very warm and comfortable. You have the others already, time for the big guns! Justin is the best, a magician with a Juke, I swear.

Great product, great service! Hubs really likes it (he had been wanting one) and Justin made sure it arrived on time for his birthday.

Have not had a lot of time to field test these mitts in cold-weather conditions, but initial impressions leave no complaints. No loose threads or material damage. Good fit, and the mitten-to-fingerless transition seems to work well without a lot of the flapping that other convertible mitts have. There was also an almost immediately noticeable warmth once I put the mitts on, which bodes well for cold mornings coming soon. Not germane to the product itself, but customer service was prompt and effective when I reached out. Great job, Justin!

I haven’t used them yet because the weather is still quite warm, but I think they’ll be great under some rain mitts. I like the weight as well very light!

I carefully measured my hands, following your instructions, and allowed for some extra space when ordering a size Large. Upon receiving the mitts, I found the fit to be smaller than anticipated. While they may be suitable for carrying items without poles, the current size is unfortunately too restrictive for practical use with trekking or ski poles.

Justin was accommodating getting my order to me in a timely manner. I appreciate him being able to help navigate me through the Shopify process. I have yet to test out the gloves but they look and feel great. They fit my medium size hands and my wife’s small size well.

I ordered a Rip-Back Hoodie right before heading to Iceland for the Laugavegur trail. Justin was extremely helpful in getting it to me before I departed. This was my first time wearing Alpha Direct and am now a huge fan. The hoodie quickly became one of my favorite pieces. A+ product and A+ service.

A great well made sun hoodie. I lived in this thing my whole SHT thru hike.
Very comfortable, also handled bug pressure extremely well. Justin is a great guy, great communication. I will definitely purchase from him again.

Great mittens that are warm and match my hoodie!!

Love the hoodie! Great color as well! Thanks Justin, love the hand written note as well!! :)

I bought this for a trip to the Sierra Mountains and loved it. Product is lightweight, warm, and just very well designed. I got the version with kangaroo pocket and thumb holes. Attached picture is me in it at the summit of Mt. Whitney.

The sizing seemed true to size. I usually buy a large in clothing and this in a large fit great. It was longer than most clothing I buy, but that was easily solved using the waist drawstring.

Separately, I want to give a shout out to the owner Justin. I was in a bind with timing and he really helped me out. He responded to emails lightning fast and was just super helpful.

First I want to mention that Justin’s communication while I was figuring out measurements was amazing and made it less stressful for sure, and the hoodie itself is perfect for what I need!

I just took it up to 11,000 ft, 46 degrees and up to 20 mph gusts. I had my puffy just in case but never needed it. I layered a windbreaker over it when needed but often found that I needed to dump heat while active, which is does efficiently when you unclamp the buttons. I run very cold and would have my puffy as an active layer in those conditions in the past, so I’m really happy to have found this system that’s easier to modify.

I’m excited to take this out into more shoulder season conditions, but it’s already been useful in high altitude Colorado summers. Less important for survival, but the way the neckline layers is really cute and stands out from other alpha hoodies! Highly recommend!

Owner very responsive and helpful. Product is top notch. Pride in workmanship is evident. Two thumbs way up!

The fit is perfect, and the material is so lightweight, breathable, and warm. Perfect mid-layer, but doesn’t need to be removed during activities since it is so breathable. Dries super quickly as well. Very much appreciate the attention to detail and the overall quality of the construction. Thanks!

I bought this for my CT thru this summer. I can’t wait to get out there and use it for real. Obviously the fabric is super soft. I upgraded to add thumb holes and a kangaroo pocket. Both were solid choices. I’m 5’ 6” and 155 lbs, and I ordered a small. For me, it’s perfect. It has just enough room for a base layer underneath, and fits with no bulk under my windbreaker. The snap collar is a nice touch. The hood fits over my giant hair without being constricting. Bonus… picking your own snap color! Buy with confidence. Happy trails!

Great Quality & functional! Highly recommend!!

Is it possible to have a sweater that's "too warm?" I don't think so, but the moment I put on my 190 gm Alpha Direct Rip-Back Hoodie there was warmth, warmth, warmth! Light, fuzzy, cuddly... and so wonderfully warm! Sleeve lengths were perfect for me (get the thumbholes), the neck opening was perfect, and the hood cradles your head in sweet, sweet fuzzy insulation. If you really "run cold" the 190 weight should banish any chill.

This is my second Rip-Back (the other is a lighter weight), and I can't wait to use this heavier one around camp (it's probably too warm to use while hiking in anything but the coldest weather, honestly... but we'll see!).

A note about Jason--he's great at communicating, responsive, wonderful with answering questions, and I have no qualms about the quality of work he does. These garments should be considered "technical" and demand some good attention to detail so they don't fray, come undone in the field--and I think he's putting effort into making sure his garments are "quality" products. Thanks to him for great warm gear!

Naked alpha by cottage industries can take a lot of turns, this fit and finish of this piece is excellent. Built with the features I was looking for on long ascents with a heavy pack. Other Alpha pieces I own, with a face fabric, are too loud for bowhunting! This will hoodie will always be on my back in the woods.