LEVE Alpha 120 Hoody

I have used this fleece for winter backpacking trips on the AT. I wear a Capilene base layer and this fleece with a wind jacket to hike in the 20’s. Great wicking ability and keeps me comfortable on those hard climbs. I usually shed it in the high 40’s. You can’t beat the warmth to weight ratio. I strongly recommend this fleece.

This is the best layer I've worn for cold days and rigorous workouts. It lets the heat and moisture out but keeps the coolness from getting in. Works super well.

I have to preface this review by saying I was skeptical. I am an older (68) guy who has been a backpacker, climber and skier since the late 70s. "Ultra light" did not exist for many years. For me back in the 80s and 90s a light backpacking trip meant carrying a 45-50 pound pack. If I was climbing or on a winter ski trip, it was more like 60. Anyway, staying warm in the mountains meant a lot of layers, which added up. I picked up my Alpha 120 hoody a few days ago. I was shocked at how light it was in the plastic bag, and how soft the material is. It is listed at 7.5 oz - it came in at 6.9 oz on my scale. Today I wore it on my morning dog walk down by the river - the temperature showed 30 degrees in my car. And that is a COLD DAMP 30 by the river. The Alpha 120 was AMAZING. I wore it over a short sleeve cotton tee shirt and under a super light Patagonia synthetic puffy hoody. I do this walk about five times a week, so I have a lot of clothing combinations to compare it with. I was amazed at the warmth it provided under the light jacket I was wearing. This thing is great! I could see taking the 120 with another Leve layer, a lighter one like the 60 and my super light down hoody that weighs about 10 oz - and staying warm at night in the high Sierra on one of the fall trips I used to love. Temps sometimes get down in the mid-teens at night on those trips. With those layers and a rain shell I would be good to go and I would be saving about two pounds compared to the regular layers I would normally take. And the hood (which I was really skeptical that I needed) works great - it makes the hood on my jacket WAY warmer. Great product! Well made and made right here in the town where I live. I'm looking forward to wearing it under my ski shell this winter. Thanks Cameren! And Leve!

If you have been on a deep dive of the 90 vs 120, the 120 is not as hot as people say, can easily do activities and not overheat, it is however incredibly warm with a shell. One of my favorite jackets of all time.

Most recently my wife and I hiked a 45-mile section of the Rainbow Trail in Colorado. Even in Colorado summers, the overnight temps can easily drop below freezing.

I took a Leve Alpha 120, and my wife had an Alpha 90. The first night on trail dropped easily below freezing. With just my sun shirt and the 120 on, I was able to sit outside of the tent and cook/eat dinner, comfortably. For just a handful of ounces, it’s now an indispensable midlayer for my load out.

My wife’s 90 is her current go-to midlayer. She used it daily on the Rainbow Trail, slept in it, and even wears it around town and to work. That being said, her black Alpha 90 is stylish, yet lightweight and warm.

We’ve both been sold on Leve products and can’t wait to see if they release pants in the future.

~Yeti Legs and Basecamp