Review: Mammut Haldigrat HS Women

Fit

The Haldigrat hardshell kit is perhaps a bit on the bigger and baggier side. At 5’4” and 115 pounds, I wore a small jacket and size US 2 pants. Both were on the bigger and longer side for me - but given that this is a freeride-oriented kit, I think the baggier style works and it certainly makes it easy to accommodate different base layering systems underneath.

As such, the Haldigrat Air HS jacket was roomy on me but I appreciate that this means I can fit a bigger puffy underneath for colder days in the backcountry or frigid in-bounds days in the middle of winter. It wasn’t so big as to be annoying when I didn’t have many layers underneath.

The Haldigrat HS Bib Pants are easy to adjust and the chest panel is comfortably snug without being restrictive. The pockets on the pants are wide enough that they don’t feel too tight when they’re actually full. The bib cuffs fit nicely over lower-profile touring boots with little fuss and can fit over bulkier alpine boots too. The cuffs are small enough, however, that they don’t feel too baggy when worn over regular snow boots or sneakers. Inside, the powder gaiters fit nicely over boots and provide great protection when breaking trail or making deep turns.

Pockets and Features

There’s nothing too novel or fancy about the pockets layout the Haldigrat hardshell kit offers but the pockets and features they do have are well-designed and function really well. The bib’s thigh pockets are the perfect size to accommodate a phone, ski strap, and some chapstick. One of the thigh pockets even offers a neoprene phone sleeve that not just keeps your phone in place, but also lightly insulates while skiing - helping to maintain all-important battery life. The pocket zippers are reinforced and waterproof which made them a little sticky initially but is also highly effective at keeping items in your pockets protected from snow and water.

The chest pocket on the bibs is designed with the Mammut Barryvox avalanche transceivers in mind, with a loop to keep your transceiver attached. Most modern beacons will fit easily into this pocket. The zipper for this pocket is strong but super easy to open and close making it a good option for those of you who like to carry your beacon in your pocket and not in a harness.

I really liked the big chest pockets on the Haldigrat shell jacket. These are different sizes which is kind of nice for guiding you on where you might stash skins versus where you might put a smaller item. Notably, the jacket does not have a powder skirt, which is totally fine but something to be aware of if. If more protection is important to you, you can cinch down the waist of the jacket to keep the elements out.

Both the Haldigrat shell and the bib pants offer solid options for ventilation. The jacket has underarm vents with zippers on both ends, making it super easy to let in some air for high output activities. The bibs offer thigh side zip vents (on both sides). Ultimately, I was pretty impressed at how lightweight and breathable this kit felt while moving uphill given that it’s made of hardshell material. I certainly found myself using the vents but they worked to regulate temperature and were really all I needed to feel pretty comfortable going uphill in this kit.

Performance

Given its ability to vent well, the Haldigrat kit is a great option for a backcountry hardshell. The fabric moves well for different activities and, even though it's a hardshell, the Haldigrat offers pretty good breathability. The freeride-oriented cut enables you to decide what layers you want underneath and makes the kit a really versatile option. I certainly would layer up underneath for a day at Alta but would be equally happy wearing them over a baselayer or directly on my skin with a t-shirt or shorts for a high output day in the backcountry. The jacket packs down nicely to fit into your touring bag if you don’t need it for the ascent.

When it comes to protecting you from the elements, the Haldigrat definitely has your back. I skied plenty of deeper snow and wet powder this season, staying toasty and dry on the inside without making me feel like I was unable to breathe.

I probably won’t use this kit as much for warmer spring objectives but Mammut nailed the design and materials on this for the bulk of the winter season.

What would a perfect day in the Mammut Haldigrat Kit look like?

You wake up to a fresh blanket of powder in your home mountains… and it’s still dumping. So, you head to your favorite backcountry spot to get some fresh powder turns. Thanks to the Haldigrat kit you stay warm and dry for a full day of deep powder skiing and you’re able to regulate your temperature pretty well as you transition from the skintrack to the descent and back again. 

The Mammut Haldigrat HS Hooded Jacket and Bib Pants are available now.