May 4

May 4 Mountain Hardwear Exposure/2 GORE-TEX Pro Jacket (2020)

mountain-hardwear-exposure2-gore-tex-pro-jacket-front-min.jpeg — Mountain Hardwear Exposure/2 GORE-TEX Pro Jacket (2020)

Big words. Big jacket. But no respect.

Mountain Hardwear Exposure/2 GORE-TEX Pro Jacket (2019)

Type: Shell / Use: Active / Face: Nylon / Insulation: n/a

Technologies: GORE-TEX Pro 3L

In the 60s, it was Eddie Bauer. In the 70s, Rodney Dangerfield. Now, in an outdoors industry that finds itself dragged by fashion towards a certain critical remove, it’s Mountain Hardwear’s turn to get no respect.

First, some words about MHW.

Mountain Hardwear (established 1993) is an enthusiast’s brand from tip to tail. Founded by defectors from the legendary Sierra Designs, MHW was formed to make high-performance gear for mountain athletes who felt underserved by the first wave of fashion-influenced outdoors gear. Marmot Biggies are cool now? Das ist verrückt! Mountaineering gear should be for mountaineers. File some paperwork, give two weeks’ notice, and voila: Mountain Hardwear.

To throw it back to AP Euro, Hardwear’s founders were the Council of Trent. They saw excess, drew lines, then got to work purifying. Two years after Arc’teryx launched their first Alpha SV in plain ol’ GORE 3L, Hardwear pioneered the use of GORE-TEX XCR (think: GORE Pro before GORE Pro). In 2005, a Hardwear-sponsored climber became the first American to summit all 14 8000m peaks. 15 years later, he’s still the only one.

The Mountain Hardwear badge stood for hardcore, uncompromised mountain gear. If you wore it, you were also hardcore and uncompromised. How hardcore? How uncompromised? Well, for one, you probably didn’t care about the logo. And if you did care, that was just the system at work: the kinds of outdoorsmen who blink at double-fonted, MS Paint design work would also be turned off by the brand’s uninspired choices of colors and patterns. Not all were meant for the Church of MHW. If you wanted mass acceptance, go find one of those observant brands with the fun print fleeces.

And for years, that’s just how it went. Hardwear (after 2003, the M Division of Columbia) would create innovative products – the Ghost Whisperer, the Stretch Ozonic – then drape them in an aesthetic most politely referred to as “core outdoors.” They’d win industry awards and forum battles. But the other guys would win new customers.

The very forces that incensed MHW’s founders were here to stay. Rivals like Arc’teryx had adapted. The next wave of reformists had split off. With the writing on the wall, Hardwear – an uber-hardcore True Scotsman, but one with $100 million revenues – began the process no trailblazer ever really imagines.

They started playing catch-up.

In 2018, to celebrate the brand’s 25th anniversary, Mountain Hardwear launched a high-performance collection known as “Exposure/2.” On paper, it honored the Hardwear’s original Exposure jacket and the line’s mountaineering heritage. In practice, it was pure Reformation.

Exposure/2 was high-altitude alpine gear. But it was also colorblocked, with a flattering cut, asymmetric zips and – wait for it – minimized logos. A four-digit GORE Pro bib kit (hardcore!) stole the spotlight. Right behind it, though, came $300 Paclite zip-ups with the same intentional aesthetic. After decades of monastic devotion, Hardwear was turning the ship!

And yet, no respect. You put a man up all the big mountains, and now your psychiatrist’s telling you to pay in advance. No headlines. No #insta fame. No respect.

Here’s why Mountain Hardwear and the Exposure/2 collection needs to be on your radar.

The Exposure/2 GORE-TEX Pro jacket shown is a ballistic missile in the tradition of every other big mountain hardshell. Three-layer GORE Pro keeps the nasty out; adjustments at the hip, hood, and wrist keep your nasty in. There are big pit zips and an interior pocket. It’s waterproof to Atlantis. Cue the Alpha SV and Raptor MiG comparisons. And since it’s color-blocked, send in the clowns.

While GORE Pro hardshells tend to have a lot in common, Mountain Hardwear’s hardest-wearing hardcore jacket distinguishes itself for a surprisingly soft reason: the Exposure/2 is the friendliest summit shell I’ve worn yet.

Get past the aesthetics and go straight into features. For one, there’s a giant internal stash pouch on the left side of the zipper – it’s something the Alpha doesn’t have, and I loved using for anything quick access (phone, tools, etc). For another, Hardwear nailed the fit on this one. My Men’s L fits like a glove all cinched up with a layer in tow. It’s nice to not be awkwardly between sizes, for once, in a $650 shell.

Finally, and most importantly, there’s an unobtrusive place to put your hands. The Exposure/2 features a second set of chest zips hidden between front panels (the teal and blue on this Traverse colorway).

Fellas, it is nice. I’ve never gone ice climbing and so can’t comment on whether the Alpha’s insistence on a single set of mid-chest vertical pockets is essential, but given Hardwear’s pedigree, I’d say they’ve found a solution that works for mountain athletes and the Common Man. It is worth applauding. With your hands. The ones that are now dry and comfortable.

This is a niche and yet very big deal!!!

Aesthetically, I loved the Exposure/2’s bold look. While it’s hard to wear regularly (and really with anything other than black pants), it is supernova fresh. I think the color choice could be tweaked for consistency, but compared to where MHW was, it’s a giant step in the right direction. The fit works. The minimal logos make for cool details (peep that back of the cuff placement). And the Parra-adjacent tonality must be seen to be believed.

If you’re looking for an everyday status jacket, you should choose something more versatile. But – sad truth – if you were indeed looking for a status shell, you probably wouldn’t be shopping MHW. Arc gets the fashion crowd. TNF gets the hypebeasts. But Hardwear? Well, it just gets no respect. None at all.

Here’s why it should.

Overall, the Exposure/2 GORE-TEX Pro Jacket is an insane mountain shell that dares to be different in all the right ways. Features-wise, it is perfect. It’s a GORE Pro nuclear device that wears like a shell half its heft. At $650, it’s a full bite and one perhaps not entirely justifiable on pure #clout points alone. Throw in the divisive colorway and it might not be as easy of a purchase as, say, a Trollveggen Pro at $599.

But it’s a damn good shell – and more importantly, a sign of things to come from one of the outdoors world’s most storied brands. Give Mountain Hardwear a look. Or at least, a little respect.