ProView – Mountain Hardwear Men’s Chockstone Hoody

So, you’re packing for your sick climbing trip in the Rockies — it’s Autumn.  You’re so excited to be alone in the wilderness, plugging cams and cruising alpine walls. Obviously, cams are anyone’s goto; they’re sleek, and they take less work and less time to give you security on the wall. But does that mean you’re going to leave your nuts at home? No way. 

The Chockstone Hoody is your set of nuts.

Is it the sleekest design, tech advanced, bells and whistles jacket on the market? Nah. But it’s light, durable, affordable, and always there when you need it, in every scenario. 

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It’s dependable, which is worth its (very light) weight in gold when high performance climbing is required. I’ve said some mixed things about the Chockstone and you may be feeling confused. Should you buy this jacket or not? Let’s dive in.

Features

Flexibility is key on the wall, and never once was I limited by this jacket’s design or material. However, as many Mountain Hardwear products do, it runs a little broad and boxy. Part of the reason I wasn’t restricted was due to the extra material I’m not usually accustomed to in the arms and shoulders. Fortunately, that extra space made it easy for me to layer a larger puffy underneath without restriction of climbing movement. I think the fit is entirely subjective to what you want out of the jacket, and its advantage over more athletic fits is that you actually have the option for bulky layers without looking like the Michelin Man. 

I would have like to see a helmet compatible hood, but it does fit a hat well without coming off during effort.

I mentioned before it’s a pretty simple design, but with features where it counts. High abdominal pockets ensure you can warm your hands and access the essentials even in a harness. Honestly, we’ve all been there- trying to cram frozen hands into pockets trapped underneath a tight harness- well no problems with the Chockstone. My favorite feature is the protected outer chest zip, I spent a 3 day of climbing trip constantly storing my phone, gloves, and snacks in it. There are also larger pouches inside the jacket which made it easy to warm my frozen climbing shoes and stash things as I needed. And to top it all off, the whole jacket stuffs neatly into its own zipper pocket at just under 14oz for easy packing on those bluebird easy days.

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I am not a clean person when I camp. I relax in the dirt, wipe my chalk covered hands on my jacket, spill coffee, spill beer… My clothes go through the wringer, but the Chockstone was like new even after some heavy wear, most likely due to its double weave DWR material. Needless to say, I was pleased.

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The Final Word

Overall, I give the Mountain Hardwear Chockstone Hoody 4 out of 5 stars. Like I said, it’s like a set of nuts; valuable, affordable, versatile, lightweight… but not the sleekest for sure. 

Best suited for alpine climbers, the value justifies the jacket.

Shop the Mountain Hardwear Men’s Chockstone Hoody on Outdoor Prolink. Not a member? Apply today!