Black Diamond Recon Stretch Jacket and Pants

Black Diamond Recon Stretch Jacket
Versatility is the name of the game with the Recon Stretch Ski Shell, it’s ideally suited to in and out-of-bounds missions. In addition to the BD.dry 4-way Stretch shell fabric, the jacket has ample storage with one chest pocket, two mesh internal drop pockets (ideal for climbing skins), and two hand warmer pockets. The built-in pit-zips allow you to dump heat when needed while the removable powder skirt keeps snow out so you can stay warm and dry. Add to this the ski-helmet compatible hood and waterproof front zipper and you’ve got one tough ski jacket ready to take on the elements.

Black Diamond Recon Stretch Pants
Not to be outdone by the jacket, the Recon Stretch Ski Pants of course use the same great BD.dry fabric which is waterproof/breathable and also has built-in 4-way stretch that provides not only comfort but mobility that you’ll appreciate when skiing and ski touring. The offset side vents allow you to dump heat on the skin track while the gaiters around the cuffs keep out the snow and the instep patches guard against ski edges and crampon points. An integrated RECCO reflector will help locate you in the case of an avalanche and the low-profile PIEPS Pocket over the right thigh will securely store your transceiver if you don’t wish to wear it on your chest where it is traditionally carried.

84% Nylon, 16% Elastane - 3L Stretch Woven from Japan with Jersey Backer

• BD.dry waterproof/breathable/windproof fabric.
• 4-way Stretch shell fabric.
• Ski-helmet compatible hood.
• PU Coated centre front zipper.
• DWR treated Pit zips for ventilation.
• Front hand pockets.
• Chest pocket and two skin-compatible, internal drop pockets.
• Lift Pass pocket on the left arm.
• Removable internal powder skirt.
• Adjustable cuffs.

• BD.dry waterproof/breathable/windproof fabric.
• 4-way Stretch shell fabric.
• Updated, low profile PIEPS Pocket.
• Two thigh pockets.
• ¼-leg zip boot access.
• Internal RECCO technology.
• Articulated knees and seat.
• Gusseted construction.
• Integrated, removable belt with belt-loop waist.
• Offset side venting.
• Reinforced instep patches.
• High-mounted snow gaiter.

Chest pocket is ideal for valuables you need close at hand.

The Black Diamond Recon Stretch Ski Shell and Ski Pants offer up a great fit, however, it’s more on the relaxed side which adds to the bulk when trying to compress them down into a ski touring pack. For this reason that I would say the Recon Stretch kit is aimed more at resort skiers who want to venture out into the backcountry occasionally and not for the dedicated backcountry skier who wants to go light and fast. If this is your thing then the Black Diamond Helio Active Jacket and Pants will be more to your liking. This combo is made for ski touring and weights almost nothing as it’s a stripped down version of the Stretch Recon.

Weight and compactability aside, the Recon Stretch Shells have every feature you could ever want including RECCO, pockets-a-plenty, vents, powder skirt, gaiters, Pieps pocket, adjustability galore and the list goes on and on. These are a full feature waterproof/breathable jacket and pant combo made for winter adventure and more specifically skiing. The price point for both the jacket and pants are super reasonable and likely possible only because they do not use a brand name waterproof/breathable fabric, instead, they use Black Diamond’s own proprietary BD.dry technology. I’ve found this fabric to be just as waterproof and breathable as any other Gore-Tex like fabric but time will tell how it really stands up. The most notable difference, however, is the fact that the BD.dry fabric is very stretchy, hence their namesake. I’m always a big fan of any fabric that lets you move naturally and provides stretch for activities which require it. The built-in stretch makes both the pants and jacket very comfortable to wear and ski tour in but doesn’t limit their durability as far as I can see.

Of all the features, the updated Pieps Pocket found on the Recon Stretch Ski Pants has to be my favourite. The original Piepes Pocket was bulky, heavy and kind of cumbersome. This newly designed Pieps Pocket is much easier to use and more streamlined so you don’t even know it’s there. Another feature that I find indispensable on the pants are the long vents for when things heat up, even if you don’t go ski touring these are very handy skiing the resort on warmer days or when you’re redlining it and just need to vent.

The Jacket boasts its fair share of features as well but the climbing skin pockets inside the jacket ideal for keeping your skins warm on the descents. While I’m not a huge user of the powder skirt (given the generous cut of the Recon Stretch Jacket) I am a fan of the jacket’s generous, relaxed fit as it allows for plenty of mid layers to keep you warm and room to move without being impeded by the jacket itself. The large helmet compatible hood is also a nice-to-have when the weather turns ugly and like the pants, the jacket also has generous vents to dump heat.

Overall Black Diamond’s Recon Stretch Ski Shell and Ski Pants are great deal given the quality and feature set they provide for such a modest price. The fit is first rate and I’d highly recommend this jacket/pant combo if you are a big resort skier and sometimes backcountry skier.