ON TEST
Welcome to our new series, where Ski+board’s team of testers put a range of gear through its paces
RAB KHROMA GTX PRO JACKET + BIB PANTS
Tested by Chrigl Luthy, gear tester
PRICE: Jacket £500, bib pants £425
REVIEW: Rab, which started as a small climbing-focused brand in Scotland, has matured into a company which, in 2022, is making off-piste and mountaineering-focused ski apparel that rivals the bigger players in terms of quality and construction. I was instantly impressed with the list of features that their flagship models, the Khroma GTX Pro Bib and Jacket, have to offer.
The Khroma range comprises of several models, from more breathable, to more insulated, to more value-oriented propositions. These GTX Pro models sit at the top of the line due to their use of multiple Gore fabrics to achieve the highest level of waterproofing and breathability (28,000mm), while adding durability.
First off, my favourite, the bib pants. I love a bib pant that is smartly conceived. By this I mean one that is comfortable, breathable, practical and has adaptations for alternate uses. On this score, the Khroma GTX Pro bib is unequivocally the best I have tested. The bib portion is made of Rab’s Matrix softshell material, meaning that in no way does it feel restrictive or too warm, as bibs often do; instead the Khroma bib just gives you the good stuff, i.e. keeping snow out and preventing your pants from sagging when hiking. The bib works so well in fact that I see no reason one would ever need to remove the bib and braces, which is possible thanks to the zips Rab has incorporated.
What else impressed about the pants? The good-sized thigh/knee pockets – perfect for a hat, gloves, even skins in a pinch. The ¾zips allow for serious venting when ascending too. The kick patches at the cuffs are burly enough to endure my erratic crampon ascents – and Rab has continued the patch on the inside to defend against wear from the boot buckles – clever stuff.
One slight complaint would be the depth of the crotch of the pant; I found that I had to adjust the braces to elevate the crotch adequately to make kick-turns on steep terrain possible. This meant the pant leg rose up a bit on the boots. Either the crotch could be higher or the pant leg longer. But the fit is pretty spot on, for the jacket also. I wore an XL and am 82kg at 188cm.
As for the jacket, I found the pocket placement was perfect. Things like over-sized toggles on zips are also some of those tiny features that make a big difference. The hood worked well even with the single toggle at the rear. I like the cut of the hem, which lowers from front to back. I’m a big fan of the pre-articulated elbows too, like the knees on the bib, so you don’t feel like you're wearing a bin bag.
For the descent, I layered up with Rab’s Cirrus Alpine Jacket (£165). Using synthetic insulation, it’s cheaper than its equivalent down-filled options and with only a 50g weight penalty – and you know it will continue performing in wetter weather too. The Cirrus has a soft-lined chin guard and elasticated cuffs, meaning it is comfortable at the crucial contact points for longer periods. I like the elasticated hood, which meant I could deploy the hood even with the zip fully zipped up.
VERDICT: I’d wear this set-up on long tours (I already have, and in total comfort, on the way up and down), as an everyday suit – its durability should help – and for mega deep days... the list goes on.
ORTOVOX DIRACT VOICE
Tested by Chrigl Luthy, gear tester
PRICE: £300
REVIEW: The more intuitive a transceiver is to use, and the more comfortable it is to wear, the more likely you are to take it with you on a daily basis in the mountains. On this front, Ortovox has succeeded. The profile is slim, rounded and rubberised with moulded grips on the sides for easy manipulation even with gloves on. The buttons are spaced well apart. The Flag button, for multiple burials, is easily accessible. The large Send/Receive switch on the back can be actuated while wearing gloves, and has a reassuring click to its action. The display is well illuminated. Potential buyers who wear glasses should be fine reading the instructions – the direction arrows, for example, are very large and clear. Perhaps the only harder-to-see indicator is that of the 'burial counter' on the bottom left of the screen, to indicate the number of transceivers in Send mode.
Users who have experienced the frustration of exploding alkaline batteries in their transceivers, when left in over summer, will enjoy the fact that this is a lithium-battery device that is USB-chargeable and requires no battery swaps (until its next indicated service – 2026 for my test model).
The harness for wearing it around the torso, and the cord for attachment to a loop in a pant-pocket, are also both giant steps in ergonomics and comfort compared to Ortovox's top-end model of only a few years ago. It even weighs a few grams less that my old S1+ clam-shell.
The Diract, being Ortovox’s flagship model, has a Standby Mode for users who are digging or making emergency calls rather than actively searching – this is important in case there is a secondary avalanche and it allows the device to revert to transmit in case of minimal movement, which could be a lifesaver.
Right, down to the ‘Voice’ element. This is something Ortovox is rightly very proud of, being the first to incorporate such a feature. It is a crisp, clear, powerful voice that shares the commands with you, confirming ‘Send Activated’ or ‘Keep Right’ or ‘Go down to the snow’s surface.
There is no question that verbalising these commands is ‘non-essential’ – however, my impression is that, under a state of duress, having a guiding voice could be useful in helping the operator, especially those less-experienced, to keep their composure and execute an efficient search.
The device will instruct the user to follow the arrow, which can be slightly confusing for those who have not practised searches and are unfamiliar with the non-linear pattern of the radio waves, but I'm convinced that it is a positive addition – the user is able to use the arrows and metre-distance-to-victim just the same as with non-voice beacons.
VERDICT: Ortovox took a chance by adding vocal instructions, the risk being that it might have over-complicate the operation of the device. But in my opinion the addition is unobtrusive and is integrated seamlessly and successfully.
Tested by Chingl Luthy, gear tester
MARMOT WARMCUBE ACTIVE NOVUS
Tested by Nicola Iseard, editor
PRICE: £320
REVIEW: I can always tell how much I like a product I am reviewing (in this case the Marmot WarmCube Active Novus) when I can't decide which of its features I want to mention first. I think for many people, although it can be subjective to body shape, the Achilles heel for insulated jackets is often the fit. Many of the hugely popular down
and synthetic ribbed-style offerings can feel like they are floating around on top of your mid-layer, like a sheet of bubble wrap, a sensation accentuated by their typically glossy nylon outer-material.
The fit of Marmot’s WarmCube Active Novus, on the other hand, conformed anatomically, it felt dynamic and with no tight spots. It just feels good to wear, like a favourite fleece. A feeling accentuated by the matt-finish outer.
For my height, 5ft 7in, I can often size up to a Medium, but with this Novus, thanks to very generous sleeve length (thank you Marmot – no gap between jacket sleeves and gloves!) and a slightly extended hem length, lower in the rear, the size Small was perfect.
More important than the fit to Marmot is the incorporation of their new WarmCube technology. Marmot is having another crack at making insulated jackets 'active' (it's in the name) – such that you can engage in moderate activity (like a quick bootpack to access some snow) without suddenly over-heating.
Their approach is to knit cubes of 3M Thinsulate synthetic insulation in a way that allows for airflow between the cubes when the wearer is moving, while still benefitting from the warmth when they are stationary. Remarkably, in general usage I found it to be as warm as my down-filled equivalents, so the fact it reduced temperature spikes, meant it has all the performance I need for all but the most severe weather.
The two front pockets are very generous and there is a simple inner stuff-pocket. The zip is robust enough for a jacket like this, lying smack in between the ultra-light models and the burly reinforced ones. Top marks, Marmot.
VERDICT: Super comfy with clever tech. For a multi-use insulated jacket, this is the top of my list.
Tested by Nichola Iseard, editor