Review: Black Diamond Equipment – Cold Forge Hoody

Black Diamond Equipment

Cold Forge Hoody
blackdiamondequipment.com

If you live in Utah, you need a down jacket. Fortunately, the Utah-based Black Diamond Equipment knows our clime like no other—and our enthusiasm for relishing or braving whatever the greatest snow on earth ushers in. It’s because of this that a puffy jacket so often swaddles us down the block or up a mountain. If there is a sense of the terroir with respect to clothes and style, puffy down jackets articulate that of the Mountain West. That being the case, Black Diamond’s Cold Forge Hoody is the next functionally fashionable item that you need for casual snow sports and for everyday living in cold weather.

I took my black Cold Forge Hoody up to Salt Lake City’s locals mountain, Brighton Resort. As far as conditions went on that day, it was perfect weather for the average rider—around 20 degrees and sunny. I only wore a Smart Wool base layer beneath the jacket, and I felt toasty walking to get my ticket, boarding the first couple of lifts and warming up. To be completely honest, it had been quite a while since I’d been up on the hill. My muscle memory got me down some of Brighton’s curvy, well-groomed blues right off the bat, but I have to admit: I worked up a small sweat fairly quickly. This bit of body heat didn’t throw me, however, because the Cold Forge Hoody’s breathability is top notch. Whether I got off of Majestic or Snake Creek Express, the Black Diamond puffy helped me maintain a comfortable body temperature wherever I was at Brighton’s versatile resort. The Cold Forge Hoody is also supremely lightweight, which allowed me to twist as needed as I got back into the swing of my turns. I would feel confident donning this puffy even with some light precipitation (though if it gets gnarly, I have my sights set on one of Black Diamond’s shells).

In terms of wearing the Cold Forge Hoody out and about, it has been a lifesaver during this especially blustery winter. The bitter winds and some of the surprisingly low temperatures pierced to the bone this season. Wearing the Cold Forge Hoody while getting into my truck with cold air trapped inside is the next best thing to still being in bed. It’s soft, comfortable and damn warm for when I’m in a low gear before any coffee. In my college years, I’d crash on people’s couches in my black-leather motorcycle jacket and feel totally comfortable. Now that I’ve been spoiled by the Cold Forge Hoody, I don’t think that I could ever relax in that other jacket’s rigidity—let alone sleep. When the thermostat has been low, I’ve put this puffy to good use without resorting to draping myself with a blanket at my desk in the office.

I generally don’t opt for easy style fixes, but the black Cold Forge Hoody satisfies my personal minimal-jacket style requirements with an understated element of Utah normcore. It’s a piece that I can virtually pair with anything I have in my wardrobe and dress up or down. That’s not to say that I’m going to wear it as a suit jacket with slacks, but allowing a button-up or polo to peek out with some Zuriick shoes on affords me some sleek flair; or I can wrap up in a black scarf and black sneakers for a more muted look with the Cold Forge Hoody. Whatever the case, I’m always set to look good in varying degrees of cold weather with this jacket.

Black Diamond sells the Cold Forge Hoody in both men’s and women’s sizes/cuts. Visit the Black Diamond Store (2092 E. 3900 S.), the Black Diamond Outlet Store (1795 S. 5350 W.) and blackdiamondequipment.com for Black Diamond products. Also, knowing Utah, we’ve got plenty of cold and snowy weather ahead of us—take advantage of it at Brighton Resort. –Alexander Ortega