We have been riding, walking and climbing in Rab's Vapour Rise equipment for years now, and have always been big fans of the fabric's unique properties. Using a combination of Pertex Equilibrium on the outside with a skim of microfleece liner, it is almost windproof but not quite. While this sounds counter intuitive and requires an additional shell when standing around in cold and windy weather, it is immensely breathable, as excess moisture positively flies out through the fabric. When exercising this is a great combination and drastically reduces that clammy feel after hard workouts.
The Vapour Rise Alpine is a multisport jacket that lends itself well to many different activities. The fit is relaxed so not ideal for all-out road bashing cycling where you want a closer cut, but it is perfect for touring, gravel riding or mountain biking where it is unrestrictive and has room for layering underneath if conditions demand.
The microfleece lined hood is more than just a token gesture, with an excellent wired peak and volume adjuster, and a tie back for rolling the hood out of the way when needed. The collar comes right up over the chin to successfully seal out the weather too, feeling very cosy indeed with its microfleece lining, and the cuffs are Velcro adjustable. When combined with an elastic adjustable hem it means the Vapour Rise Alpine has many different means of ventilating in addition to the superbly breathable fabric. Basically, if you sweat a lot when exercising, this is the shower resistant and - almost- windproof softshell jacket for you.
