The Orage Men’s Altitude Gilltek™ Hoodie Jacket is a great companion across a wide variety of settings, from ski tours or to cruising around the city on a frosty winter day. I wore this jacket for the entire 23/24 season, from the Austrian Alps all the way to the beaches of Southern Europe, and from Christmas markets on dark December nights to spring bike rides. Long story short, this thing works. Anywhere. Anytime. On and off the mountain.
The Orage Altitude Gilltek™ Hoodie Jacket currently sells for €238.95 on orage.com.
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Reviewed: Orage Altitude Gilltek Hoodie Jacket
We had quite a warm winter in the Alps this past season. It only snowed consistently higher up, which meant a lot of glacier skiing in order to score proper powder with a stable and secure snowpack. Skiing at such high altitudes means a lot of shade and a lot of cold mornings and afternoons, not to mention a bunch of bootpacking, touring and quite severe temperature changes throughout the day.
The one thing I would always bring to properly layer up for pretty much the entirety of the winter was the Altitude Gilltek™ Hoodie Jacket from Orage. Combined with a basic base layer underneath and a shell jacket above, I found this to be the perfect combo for me to ski all day in varying weather conditions. Cold to warm. Ascents to descents. The Gilltek technology provided a perfect balance of breathability while going uphill, and warmth on the pauses and the descents. The lightweight construction makes it unnoticeable, even when you’re fully geared up. When the sun popped out and temperatures rose during the day, I could easily roll up the 60-gram jacket, secure it with the practical integrated elastic loop, and store it in my backpack without having to sacrifice much space. As an additional bonus, there’s a hidden packable zipped bag feature integrated in the back of the jacket. Just roll it up, zip it, and it turns into a convenient travel pillow.
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Stuff it in, zip it up...
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...and you've got a travel pillow.
The Altitude Gilltek jacket comes with two zipped hand pockets, providing enough space to store gloves, a phone, your wallet or any other belongings that you would stash in a jacke while walking the streets or cruising the mountain. The soft-stretch elastic cuffs on the wrists keep snow out when you crash. Orage used the same feature on the elastic hood opening, so it fits snugly over your head while riding your bike to the gondola (like we do in Innsbruck) or on a cold, windy hike. It will keep your beanie or cap in place and your ears warm at all times. It even fits over your helmet when it gets absolutely freezing out there. The adjustable hem adapts to fit all body types or clothing styles, keeping the snow out and the warmth in.
There’s also a chest pocket to store cash or smaller phones. I wouldn’t have minded if this pocket was a bit larger so it could easily store my iPhone or even wallet. At times it was a bit tight to get stuff in and out.
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Drawstring bottom hem.
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Soft stretch elastic in the hood.
All zippers are YKK® and the jacket sizing seems standard. I’m 1.88m (6’2”) and weigh 85 kg (187 lbs) and wore a size XXL. I would have actually preferred a size XL, but was still satisfied with the fit. That’s all up to personal taste though. With its light weight and its normal fit, you can almost think of the jacket like a hoodie that breathes and really keeps you warm.
One of my favorite features has to be the back pocket, for easily and also discretely storing tools for biking, my wallet or even a bottle of water. If you ever want to smuggle some drinks into a bar or some snacks into a cinema, this is the way!
Another great feature is the Primaloft® Thermoplumes, that run sort of like tubes halfway across the back. They open up slightly at the bottom, where you can see a perforated membrane. This allows moisture to flow out, while the warmer air your body produces stays in. It’s a refined, lightweight combination of insulation that uses a unique design to balance heat retention and breathability.
Back in the day I would always layer up with a normal base layer, then add a thicker, fleece-style layer under a shell jacket. Whenever I hiked, I would have to get the fleece off. It wouldn’t breathe, and I was sweating like a pig. With the Primaloft® technology, I felt like I could hike while keeping my jacket on, and not be bathed in sweat at the top. Airflow was provided from the minute I started walking. The same goes for hikes.
The jacket is waterproof to a certain point, but it’s definitely not a rain jacket. I wouldn’t recommend using it on a rainy day without adding a waterproof layer on top.
Orage's trademarked Gilltek on the back.
I used the jacket for spring park days, cold winter pow missions, at Christmas markets, bike rides, hikes and even on the humid autumn beaches of Southern Europe. It has yet to disappoint me. Paired with the MTN-X Spurr 3L Jacket and a light or heavy weight base layer (depending on how cold it will really get), the Orage Altitude Gilltek™Hoodie Jacket makes for a super comfy, warm and breathable layering system out in the mountains that I would highly recommend for anyone.
Learn more about the Orage Men’s Altitude Gilltek™ Hoodie Jacket at orage.com.