ProView – HIMALI Monsoon Hardshell Jacket Review

With a sea of hardshell jacket options on the market these days, I was pleasantly surprised to find the Monsoon Hardshell not only performed above its price point, but it also managed to be very versatile. 

This winter, OPL reached out to me on behalf of HIMALI about reviewing the Monsoon Hardshell, but more importantly, they were curious if I’d be able to really put the jacket to the test up here in Seward, Alaska. I secretly chuckled and told them “yes” as I thought to myself of the endless wetness here. Sea Spray, check. Dripping coastal rainforests, check. Dumping rain, check. Deep maritime snowpack, check. Windy alpine summits, check.

In terms of a testing ground for a hard shell, I can’t think of one that is much better. Funny enough, though, we managed to avoid a proper rainstorm up here during the whole review period. Maybe it was this crazy winter weather-wise or maybe HIMALI appeased the snow gods because we somehow managed to avoid getting rain and instead were lucky and got plenty of wet maritime snow all the way down to sea level (score!). With favorable conditions lately, the Monsoon Jacket accompanied me on a string of back to back trips in and around the Seward area, including a 40-mile round trip to bag a coveted first ascent of a beautiful peak here. 

Performance

Although I never got a proper dumping of rain, the Monsoon Jacket never wetted through on me during multiple sessions of nuking maritime snow that left me in the white room all day. I was very impressed by the waterproofing of the jacket, especially for how breathable and comfortable it was. I run pretty warm when I am heading uphill, so I am almost never able to wear a hardshell uphill. Remarkably, though due to the Monsoon’s features and breathability, I was able to wear it all day skiing for both the up and down which I haven’t been able to do with any of my other hardshells.

Features:

The Monsoon Hardshell is well-engineered and feature-rich. It boasts very nice and beefy YKK zippers that are a welcome sight since zippers always seem to be the most likely failure point on hardshells. The jacket also comes adorned with harness-compatible pockets that were very nice to have during testing as I was almost always wearing a glacier harness. Being able to quickly stow away some snacks or a ski strap without having to fight a zipper that’s underneath the waist belt of my harness is a simple yet massively underestimated pleasure.

The incorporation of “pit zips” (underarm zips) was also a nice touch that I forgot how much I loved. My current hardshell prior to receiving the HIMALI Monsoon jacket doesn’t have pit zips, and because of that, I can’t uphill with it on whatsoever.

The 20k/20k breathable fabric and pit zips allowed me to keep the Monsoon Jacket on all day instead. The last feature that sets the Monsoon jacket apart from its competition is simple, but shows the high level of thought that went into the jacket’s engineering.

HIMALI included soft fleece on the inside of the cuffs, which really ups the comfort level of the jacket. Aside from these features, the somewhat “standard” features are also included like a helmet compatible hood, hood and waist cinch cords, and velcro-adjustable cuffs. The hood has a firm brim that helps keep it outstretched and is nice and roomy even with a helmet, which gives you a good range of motion without straining your neck fighting the tension of the fabric like other jackets.

Fit/ Comfort

Probably my only con about this jacket is the ever so slightly odd cut. The jacket fits me great overall, but has a tighter waist than torso, resulting in the jacket riding up slightly, which in turn leaves excess fabric in front of your torso. Obviously, results will vary depending on body shape, but I am 6’ 1” and 185 lbs and the waist of the jacket is just tight enough that it won’t fall all the way back down on its own. The length of the arms is perfect though. Many of the hardshells I have used have come up slightly short in this regard. Aside from that, I enjoy the more boxy cut of the Monsoon jacket. This gives the jacket a bit of flexibility when layering and increases comfort.

Look/ Style

I received the “Galactic Cloud” color which we jokingly called “Flat Light” which is an Alaskan staple. The color of my jacket is pretty neutral like a powdered silver, but HIMALI offers a variety of colors. I always enjoy when a company offers some very bright colors along with some neutral options. This jacket has very good attention to detail, which makes it look just as good as the most premium jackets on the market. 

Weight/ Packability

With an average weight of 15.4 oz the Monsoon Hardshell falls right in a nice sweet spot for hardshells. It is a sub-pound jacket that is robust and weatherproof enough for all but the most extreme conditions. Roughly the size of a Nalgene, the Monsoon jacket packs down pretty small for its “class” of jacket. These attributes make it a great option for winter and summer missions alike. I look forward to using this jacket this summer for these exact reasons. 

Durability

The Monsoon Hardshell sports a 50D shell fabric, which puts it roughly right in the middle for hardshell durability. However, after testing this jacket, I think it’ll hold up a bit better than its rating. The Toray fabric is soft to the touch and feels like it’s more likely for the shell fabric to get roughed up or fuzz up rather than split and tear like Gore-Tex when you inevitably get into a tussle with an Alder thicket. My jacket looks great after testing with no visible tears from bushwhacking. I managed to spare the jacket from the worst of it on the last few expeditions. I have no doubt, though, that the Monsoon hard-shell can hang with the best of them and even some of the jackets with higher denier shell fabrics.

Friendliness to the Earth

HIMALI states that they use a fluorocarbon-free water-resistant treatment on the Monsoon Hardshell, which in and of itself is a massive help to the Earth by keeping unnecessary forever chemicals out of the environment. They are also committed to using recycled materials for their synthetic products as well as responsibly collected down (RDS certified). They work with Bluesign, which is a global certification partner that focuses on reducing environmental impact, to minimize their environmental footprint and bring certified products to market. HIMALI also send 5% of its net profits to support Himalayan communities, which includes clean water initiatives.

What Sets This Product Apart?

This jacket stands out from the competition with its great bang for your buck. It easily competes with jackets $100-200 more from competitors. HIMALI also included plenty of well-engineered features on Monsoon Hardshell which makes it quite versatile and comfortable for a myriad of uses. Due to the amount of features, durability, size, and weight, this jacket stands out as a great “single quiver” hardshell.

Who Is This Product For?

I think this jacket’s wide versatility makes it a standout choice for those who are looking for their first hardshell that they can depend on. This would also be a great choice for people looking to level up their hardshell from an “entry level” hardshell that works well in maybe summer or light use to something that is a bit more robust and trustworthy with added versatility.

For example, this would have been a perfect shell for me when I was transitioning back in the day from primarily hiking 14ers back in Colorado and starting to get more into backpacking, mountaineering, and ski touring. The HIMALI Monsoon Hardshell would have been a perfect option for that.

However, it is also equally as good for someone looking for a very dependable jacket that can easily perform with some of the best jackets out there for ice climbing, ski mountaineering, and other winter activities.

The Final Word

Overall the HIMALI Monsoon Hardshell impressed me more than expected. It turned out to be the perfect jacket that I didn’t know I needed. This jacket has all but replaced my current beefy hardshell for most activities due to its features, size, and packability. It also managed to shatter my entire layering system this winter, in a good way.

Thanks to its design I was able to drop a layer entirely which made my system lighter and more efficient. I look forward to using it this coming summer in rainy coastal Alaska where I think it’ll excel as a bomber summertime jacket on bushwhacking backpacking trips and sea kayak based expeditions. yer has become my go to. Climb, hike, ski, and run, all with the Endeavor. 

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