The Alopex is designed for the winter hills, especially snow sports. For the latter it has two features of little interest to most walkers. The first is a snow skirt. This is sewn-in and so can’t be removed except by cutting it out. The second is a Recco Rescue Reflector, which forms a sizeable lump on the back of the collar. This sends out a signal to rescue teams equipped with Recco detectors. It’s designed for avalanche search and rescue.
In other respects the Alopex is a reasonable waterproof jacket. The pockets are roomy enough for maps and sit above a pack hipbelt. The hood has a wired peak but the wire is at the back not the front of the peak with a stiffened brim in front of it. This gives good protection and allows for side vision but isn’t as versatile or as stable in high winds as hoods with the wire at the front of the peak. The fabric is comfortable and reasonably breathable. The cut is on the slim side so for wearing over much insulation a larger size than usual may be needed.
The weight is reasonable for a winter mountain jacket but the price is the highest of all the jackets tested. Unless you want those snowsport features there are better, less expensive alternatives.
