Nalehko – Men's Alpha Aspiring Jacket

Product detailed description

Mt. Aspiring is the jewel of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, and the word “aspiring” means “to have ambition.” We’ve never lacked that at Nalehko, which is why we decided to create a unique, lightweight jacket for active movement in both colder and milder conditions. The result is the Nalehko Alpha Aspiring jacket.

Top-of-the-line materials and technology

As always, it took us several months of testing, brainstorming, and countless adjustments before we arrived at this final version. The foundation of the entire jacket is the unbeatable fleece material Polartec Alpha. Over the past 4 years, we’ve tested it in various styles and weights on virtually all of our expeditions and have reached a clear conclusion. There is nothing better than Polartec Alpha. Period. In the outdoor world, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a material that works so well with body temperature and moisture.  For our jacket, we used a lighter weight of the material—60 g/m². Thanks to this, the Aspiring won’t just serve you well in the winter, but those who feel the cold more easily will also enjoy it as a static insulator during the warmer months.

We strategically placed Polartec Alpha to ensure the torso is well-insulated, but left the underarms—where the most heat and sweat are generated—uninsulated for maximum temperature regulation and moisture wicking. The inside of the sleeves is also lined with Polartec Alpha along their entire length. For the outer material, we chose the proven Pertex Quantum Air (weight 29g/m²). It acts as a perfect wind barrier while offering excellent breathability, which is especially important during active movement. A lightweight water-repellent DWR finish is also included, which can handle light drizzle or snowfall. Despite its lightness, Pertex is very durable and can handle the weight of a lightweight backpack.

Fit and Construction

We put a lot of effort into the fit. It is designed primarily for more athletic builds. The jacket features an extended back panel and, of course, sufficiently long sleeves with an elastic gusset, ideal for use with gloves. It also includes two classic, spacious hand pockets with YKK zippers. The main YKK zipper is two-way, making the jacket perfectly suitable for mountaineering use. The anatomical hood fits most people right out of the box. You can also easily adjust it at the back using a Velcro strap. There is also an elastic band sewn into the sides, so the hood adapts perfectly to your head. The bottom hem of the jacket can also be easily adjusted using the integrated drawcord.

Our Experience

Last year, both of our Peters put these jackets through their paces in the USA on the Hayduke Trail, where they subjected the jackets to quite a bit of stress (they very often carried backpacks weighing up to 20 kg). To our surprise, the Alpha Aspiring handled even this. At the same time, the intended versatility of this piece was brilliantly confirmed. The guys were exposed to a wide range of temperatures over a long period, freezing in the morning and then, for a change, baking in the midday sun in the afternoon. On top of that, they were crossing higher mountains, so the Alpha performed brilliantly in all conditions.

Made in the Czech Republic

The entire production process, from the first pencil sketch to the final seam, takes place exclusively in the Czech Republic!

Conclusion

The Nalehko Alpha Aspiring jacket is an excellent, versatile jacket that will find its place whether on winter backpacking adventures, ski mountaineering, or for cross-country skiers who enjoy the scenery. It’s also perfect for regular hiking in the spring and fall months, when you’re constantly adjusting your layers. It also makes for a very interesting option as an insulating layer instead of a down jacket during longer outings. If you’re unsure about choosing a mid-layer, we’ve prepared the NALEHKO guide – How to Choose a Mid-Layer. We now also offer a women's version of this jacket.

NALEHKO Alpha Aspiring :

• Weight: 240 ± 2 g (size L).
• Strategically placed Polartec Alpha (60 g/m²).
• Pertex Quantum Air outer fabric with DWR finish (29 g/m²).
• Insulated full-length sleeves.
• 2 hand pockets with YKK zippers.
• Main two-way YKK zipper.
• Sleeves with elastic gussets.
• Adjustable hem.
• Adjustable, anatomical hood with a visor.
• Extended back.