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Black Diamond Apparel

Original Post
Morgan Patterson · · NH · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 8,945

Wanted to find out if anyone has any experience or comments/critiques of the new BD jackets, mens or womens stuff. Just looking to get some feedback and find out what people think about the stuff and if its gonna be around for a while or if they're fails... Good mix of gear? Too expensive? burly and a go to piece of gear? etc...

Thanks for any feedback...

Morgan

jaredj · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 165

I got an Alpine Start windshirt this spring and have used it quite a bit. I got it because it has some stretch and appeared to be more abrasion resistant than a true nylon windshirt. I got it for summer alpine climbing in mostly fair weather.

Based on experience I would recommend it if it fit you well. I think it directly competes with the OR Ferrosi hoody in terms of fabric / design. It accomplishes what I want a windshirt to do (provide wind protection, create a small microclimate around me that an add significant warmth without a lot of bulk or weight, provide some shell protection in light precip situations).

Pros:
Hood fits over a helmet (decently over my Elios; that said super strong winds in your face could sometimes blow it off, as it didn't have a super strong system to cinch down).

Light - no hand pockets meant that this thing was only a couple of more ounces than something like a Houdini or Squamish windshirt. Can stuff into its own chest pocket and go on the harness.

Tailoring - I'm tall and skinny, typically wearing mens' medium garments. I felt like it was cut (along with stretch) to move well while actually climbing.

Cons:
Wish it was a little longer to stay tucked under a harness better. The length is about average for this type of garment, and a little shorter than some more fully-featured softshells designed for winter climbing (which tend to be bulkier and heavier).

Neutral:
I haven't had experiences with which to evaluate its water resistance as I'm a fair-weather climber.

Breathability - My qualitative / subjective opinion is that it breathes better than items like a Houdini or Squamish Hoody. That said, I think we are really bad at objectively evaluating this, so take the claim with a grain of salt. Head over to BPL if you want to geek out on this topic.

If I didn't already have a good midweight softshell, I'd be interested in their BDV hoody.

I've seen a lot of their puffies being resold on forums and eBay, I take this as a possible negative signal about those items.

William Kramer · · Kemmerer, WY · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 935

My wife got me a BDV Hoody for my birthday in July, and I love it. We have had an extremely wet summer up here in Wyoming, and have used the hoody a lot. Spent a day wearing it in the Winds during 18 hours of drizzle with moments of downpour. Stayed nice and dry the whole time. The fit is good, with the sleeves just right length; they are long enough to cover wrists when climbing, but not so long they are in the way. The material is neat, soft against the skin, but tough, yet to see any wear, and its been scraped up against all kinds of rocks and trees. And how it all packs up into the chest pocket is just cool.

Biggest down side to it is doesn't insulate very well, have to be layered underneath.

Have a friend that works with Tip Top SAR that saw mine, and bought one for herself. She has used it on a few searches already and loves it as well.

Dave Bn · · Boise, ID · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 10

I bought the Dawn Patrol hybrid late last fall and used it for ice and alpine last winter/spring.

I liked the slim fit, but the XL was a bit too tight across the chest for me, it's hard to get the zipper all the way up to my chin with out both hands and a concerted effort (which sucks when you're trying to belay someone and the wind picks up).

I love Schoeller so that was awesome but BD went a bit too heavy on the consumer grade features to make a good streamlined shell. Side pockets sit just below a hip belt or harness, zipper pulls are almost too small to use with gloves and the iPod sleeve is a waist of material and a ridiculous feature for an alpine shell.

Stephen Minchin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2014 · Points: 10

I've got a softshell hoody and am loving it - too soon to say whether it's durable, but the fit is great for me (tallish and thin) and the cut works well when climbing but still looks all right when you aren't. I've been living in it, pretty much.

I can't think of any issues I've had with it and am stoked with it so far. Not the cheapest piece of clothing I've ever bought but it fits me way better than any other softshell I tried on. YMMV, of course.

mattm · · TX · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,885

I scored several BD pieces on sale recently (I subscribe the bearbreader "whatever's on sale" mantra to some degree). So far I've been reasonably impressed with their offerings. Frankly, there's VERY little out there in soft goods I consider SO GOOD to be worth paying MSRP. Mammut Champ Pants from BITD and perhaps my Cap4 Hoody and Marmot DriClime (cheap anyway). Not much else is so mind blowing as to be worth full retail.

The BDV series that BD put out MIGHT get that nod from me though. I love, LOVE, heavy weight, non-insulated Shoeller pieces (Champs Pants) for cool weather rock. Not a snow or ice guy so the abrasion resistance is key for me above the lightweight that modern puffs (60g/m2 stuff) offer. Initially impression is I'd pay the (very) high MSRP for BDV stuff, esp the pants. Medium fit my 33" to a T.

I think there were a lot of BD haters out there mainly because "soft goods" are always seen as "selling out" by many. Kind of silly IMO since Patagonia was the originally "BD" offshoot and we LOVE many other soft good brands. Yes, there's a metric ton of "copying" throughout the industry and BD, being new to the game (and having hired Patagonia and Arcteryx people) is as a guilty as the rest. There are many versions of nuts and cams too ;) So far, I like the BD take on certain "staples" more than Patagonia or Arcteryx.

As with ANY of the brands, you have to look carefully at the offerings as certain lines/pieces skimp a bit on materials. PL1 vs Sport for example. This is true for MANY brands (e.g. Pata and their Nano vs Micro puffs)

One of my complaints with the BD Line is there seem to be TOO MANY damn pieces and they are not very clear what the intent is for all that stuff. A bit hard to sort through weights and materials. Arcteryx does this better IMO. BD does have a breakdown of their 3 "core" lines but you have to dig through dealer workbooks to find it stated clearly. The website organization needs work.

So far I like what I see. Not mind blowing but some decent refinements on some concepts. None of the top tier brands dominate each and every design so if BD can carve out a few must haves while hanging in with the rest, they'll be no different that Pata, Dead Bird, TNF etc etc.

d powledge · · Montana · Joined May 2009 · Points: 21

Abused the dawn patrol bibs all last winter, mostly skiing but took them ice climbing several times as well. Definitely impressed with the durability so far. After a hard season they look barely used. I often have a hard time with fit, having pretty stout quads, and I found them to have a nice athletic fit with good mobility. Also have the Access LT hybrid hoody. Again, pretty burly and have been impressed so far with it.

Mike Hancock · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 20

I have the BD belay parka and I used it on Katahdin and Washington last winter without any problems. It is extremely functional and has a great hood to wear over a helmet.

Stephen Minchin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2014 · Points: 10

Ditto for mattm's point about the range being a bit bonkers. I tried on half a dozen softshells that were almost identical but marginally different, with no point to the variation that I could figure out.

AlpineIce · · Upstate, NY · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 255

I purchased the Dawn Patrol softshell pants last year and used them all winter for ice/alpine. I didn't have one complaint except for the cheap, shitty belt they chose to use. The belt comes loose on its own and is pretty much worthless. I would have liked to see the option for suspenders. Schoeller material is breathable and very durable. Sizing is dead on. I'm 5'10 / 170 & the mediums fit very well. Legs are some-what tapered to resist crampons snags. Good stuff.

Kai Larson · · Sandy, UT · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 436

I have and really like the BDV Hoody and pants.

Pants need loops on the cuffs for gaiter cord, but other than that, they are great.

Not a bunch of useless features, just good fabric, and very durable. These are my go-to alpine rock uniform.

My son has the Dawn Patrol LT pants. Likes them for skiing and ice climbing.

Chris Rice · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 55

BD and Patagonia are always hit or miss on fit. Sizes seem kind of all over the place - one time I can move fine the next item I can't pick my arms up in the same size. For the kind of money they charge (way too much!) I expect an XL to be an XL every time anyway. I have gone almost totally to other companies for that reason.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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