Mammut Aconcagua Jacket Review
I often wear a fleece jacket in moderate temperatures, whether for hiking or everyday use. I think a properly layered fleece jacket is a fantastic garment due to its excellent breathability, quick drying time and good warmth. Therefore, I was excited I got the opportunity to test the Mammut Aconcagua ML fleece jacket. The Aconcagua fleece jacket is made of Polartec Power Grid fabric for maximum thermal efficiency. I received the jacket in May, which was perfect for the moderate temperatures in Scandinavia. For the last few weeks, I’ve been regularly wearing the Aconcagua ML jacket for hiking, everyday use and even commuting on a bike. Here is what I learned about it.
Table of Contents:
The Basics
Mammut Aconcagua: From the Front
The Mammut Aconcagua is a well-insulated fleece jacket although it weighs only 13 oz. (380 grams). The jacket provides better insulation than super lightweight options but less than heavy options like the Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man. Therefore, it’s perfect for a wide range of temperatures and activities. When I unpacked it, I was fascinated by the fabric. It is very soft and brushed on the inside but dense and completely smooth on the outside. The dense fabric on the outside gives some level of wind protection, which is indeed a good thing.
The fabric is also very stretchy not to restrict your movement. That’s expected since the jacket is primarily designed for sports like hiking, mountaineering and trekking. I also quickly noticed that the jacket is made with Swiss precision, without any flaws. All in all, I found the jacket to be high-quality and exceptionally well-made.
The Aconcagua jacket is also environmentally friendly. As a Bluesign product, it is produced sustainably without the use of harmful substances. Additionally, Mammut ensures fair and safe working conditions in garment factories through their Fair Wear commitment. I was surprised to see that the jacket is made in Latvia, Europe. The majority of outdoor clothing is still made in countries like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. These countries are well known for their large-scale manufacturing capabilities, lower production costs but of course also lower quality.
Mammut Aconcagua: Fresh out of the box
Mammut Aconcagua: The jacket is made in Latvia
Mammut Aconcagua: The jacket is sustainably made
Weather Protection and Breathability
Mammut Aconcagua: The fabric on the outside is tightly woven and provides some wind resistance
The Aconcagua jacket is ideal for moderate temperatures – when it’s too cold for just a base layer but not cold enough for a proper winter jacket. The fabric of the jacket nicely traps the warm air because it’s very fluffy on the inside. Another good thing about this jacket is that it has a snug collar made of double layer fabric which increases the warmth. I found the jacket perfect for temperatures around 50° F (10° C). The jacket also blocks wind to some extent because the outer fabric is very dense. Nevertheless, that’s not the main purpose of this jacket. Essentially, it serves as an insulation layer and not a shell layer.
I was a bit worried that the jacket wouldn’t be breathable because it’s quite thick and has very dense fabric on the outside. Nevertheless, my worries turned out to be unnecessary. The jacket provides really good breathability, even during high intensity activities such as hiking uphill. It also absorbs very little moisture and thus dries very fast. Due to these qualities I really like to wear this jacket for hiking and mountaineering.
Features
Mammut Aconcagua: Thumb holes are convenient to preven the sleeves from riding up
The jacket has a full-length zipper which allows you to easily control ventilation and adjust the temperature, when the intensity level changes. The zipper is high-quality, and I had no functionality problems with it during the testing period. Nevertheless, it did bother me a bit that the zipper doesn’t have a chin guard at the top. When the jacket is completely zipped, the zipper can chafe your chin. I solved this by leaving the zipper about 1/2 cm before the top.
The jacket also has two pockets, thumb holes and raglan sleeves. The two zippered side pockets are positioned a bit higher, so they don’t get covered by the hip belt of your backpack. That’s a well-thought-out design. The zippers have loops so you can easily open and close the pockets when you’re wearing gloves. The thumb holes are also well made. The fabric and the stitches there are sturdy, and the fit is perfect. Thumb holes prevent the sleeve from riding up your arms when you’re scrambling or climbing. Raglan sleeves prevent chafing when you’re wearing a backpack, with the seams offset from your shoulders. Read more about raglan sleeves in our Outdoor Clothing Glossary.
Mammut Aconcagua: The zipper doesn’t have a chin guard at the top and can thus chafe your chin
Mammut Aconcagua: Zipper loops enable you to to easily handle zippers with gloves
Mammut Aconcagua: From the Back
Fit and Sizing
Mammut Aconcagua: The jacket provides very snug fit
I got the jacket in size M, and it fits me snugly, almost too snugly I’d say. My chest diameter is 98 cm (38.5 in.) and I’m 180 cm tall (5 ft. 11 in.). Nevertheless, I’m happy I got the jacket in size M because I think size L would be too big for me in terms of length and sleeves. I think the jacket provides the best fit for those with a typical climber’s body shape. The design is for sure tailored to slim people. I’m usually between size M and L and thus I recommend going for a size smaller if you’re in doubt which size to choose. Luckily the material is very stretchy and therefore I can still comfortably wear the jacket despite the snug fit.
Washing and Drying
The jacket is machine washable at 30° C but like most sportswear shouldn’t be tumble-dried. Nevertheless, the jacket absorbs so little moisture that it literally comes dry out of the washing machine. Due to the strong and sturdy material I wouldn’t worry washing this jacket frequently, although it has antimicrobial properties. The jacket doesn’t get smelly even if you wear it for multiple activities without washing it between.
Verdict
The Mammut Aconcagua ML jacket is made with Swiss precision and is perfect for hiking, mountaineering and trekking in moderate temperatures. With a weight of 380 grams, it’s a fairly lightweight fleece jacket. Nevertheless, it provides really good insulation due to Polartec Power Grid fabric. The jacket is also breathable, moisture-wicking and quick drying. The fabric is very stretchy and thus the jacket provides good freedom of movement. I’m really happy with the Aconcagua jacket and I wear it both for sports and everyday use. So, if you’re looking for a new fleece jacket, do check out the Mammut Aconcagua jacket!
If you have any questions about the Mammut Aconcagua fleece jacket, drop me a line in the comments below.
Rating
| Design |  |
| Quality |  |
| Comfort | |
| Functionality | |
We field tested this product. The rating shows its overall performance.About Rating
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Moisture-wicking
- Quick drying
- Odor resistant
- Good warmth
Cons:
- No chin guard at the top of the zipper
- A bit too snug fit
