I’ve spent much of the last 36 years doing what I can to maximize my time sliding sideways in the mountains, including helping to start this publication and locating our homebase at Mt. Baker, WA. Before becoming a mom, my schedule was more flexible and I could focus my attention on the perfect, 30” of fresh, 28-degree days, or even spend a full day touring. Back then, I also had more time to test and evaluate different gear. Now that I’m juggling work and family obligations with mountain time, I need no-drama outerwear that works every time I make it up, whether it’s to lap groomers in the rain with my kiddo on a weekend or getting my mid-week, 9-noon powder fix. I’m not a fan of extra flourishes without added benefit. I don’t have time to pick specific kit elements. I need a fit that’s going to cover all the bases. One that’s created in conjunction with my personal design motto: form follows function.
The Khroma Latok line from Rab is my new favorite solution. It’s everything I need minus everything I don’t. I’m in awe of the thoughtful design elements that have been incorporated throughout, from the Khroma Latok GORE-TEX Pro Ski Jacket’s zippers that are easy to grab with my mitten’s, to the adjustable hem on the Khroma Latok GORE-TEX Pro Bibs that sits just right beneath my breasts while keeping away a draft that sneaks into the kidney zone. Most of all, I’m in love with the Rab Mythic G Down Jacket. It’s like a warm hug that I don’t want to pull away from, one that packs efficiently and layers beautifully with the Khroma Latok Jacket.
Rab's Khroma Latok's primary zippers utilize YKK Vislon AquaGuard. The shell is made with 3-layer GORE-TEX Pro, the PFAS-free solution to staying dry even on the wettest days.
Rab’s Khroma Latok outerwear is highly waterproof thanks to being built with 3-layer GORE-TEX Pro material, essential for regularly riding the Pacific Northwest and similarly wet places. The new GORE-TEX Pro is PFAS-free, making it more environmentally friendly with less harmful, forever chemicals than GORE-TEX shells of the past. The zippers are snag-free and the primary ones feature YKK VISLON AquaGuard. There are three pockets on the jacket and three on the bibs. The front pockets on the jacket have the perfect angle for easy open-and-close and they provide ample storage space, including the biggest pocket I’ve ever had on a jacket—no need to micromanage your phone’s positioning while buckling in.
This kit was designed for long, stormy days and backcountry expeditions, which shows in the details. Khroma Latok GORE-TEX Pro Bibs similarly feature a YKK AquaGuard zipper. The bibs feature reinforced hems to help prevent damage from crampons. They are equally waterproof and breathable and notably include a two-sided drop-zip functionality to make nature potty breaks quicker without losing any warmth.
A closer look at the Rab Mythic G Down Jacket, a warm yet lightweight jacket that layers finely with the Khroma Latok Pro Ski Jacket.
I have been an advocate and wearer of helmets since losing three days from an on-mountain head injury in the mid-90s. The only downsides to helmets come with certain fit related challenges, with being able to comfortably wear a hood long being near the top of the list. Oftentimes my helmet, combined with a neck gaiter and my formidable Irish jawline, have left me with two options on a storm day: a sense of claustrophobia or a drafty chest. With the Khroma Latok jacket and its helmet-compatible hood, I have complete freedom of movement, even when fully zipped. This goes a long way when it comes to breathing deep before looking around and ahead towards the next slash. The reinforced hem on the bibs and articulated knees and sleeves showcase the quality of the kit and provide unrestricted, natural movement.
Ready for adventure, even before you take it out to wear at the mountain. The packability of the Khroma Latok kit is another alluring aspect of this outerwear.
Now comes my favorite piece from Rab, the Mythic G Down Jacket. As I age, I get colder. I’m not ready for an insulated jacket, as I need the flexibility that layering offers for hiking and/or splitboarding or waiting in the morning lift lineup for an hour in the wind and snow so I can get fresh lines. Like I said, I want one kit that can do it all. The Mythic G Down Jacket is the removable, lightweight, easily packable, puffy final piece to the puzzle in making this my ideal kit. The combination of the Mythic G Down Jacket’s heat-reflective Thermo Ionic Lining Technology, or TILT, lining with the midlayer’s body-mapping technology simultaneously provides extra heat to my core and extra breathability to my armpits. Instant warmth without the sweaty pits—gotta love that. The Mythic G Down Jacket was a lifesaver last weekend when I was stuck on a chairlift for 45 minutes in the wind. After finally offloading, I needed to march up the hill to pick up the kiddo from lessons. I was warm on the lift yet didn’t need to stop mid-assent to take off the extra layer. Cotton could never.
I’m running size large in all three pieces, which allows for additional layering, but I also could have sized down to a medium for a more form-fitting style. But even with the extra room to move around, the kit doesn’t feel bulky. All in all, I am grateful for this no-nonsense gear. It’s the sort of outerwear kit that allows me to focus on what’s important, like getting in as many cat-track giggles with my kiddo, and life-affirming powder yowls, as possible.
About the Tester
Age: 51
Height / Weight: 5’6”, 150 lbs
Products / Size :
Women’s Khroma Latok GORE-TEX Pro Ski Jacket | Size: L
Women’s Khroma Latok GORE-TEX Pro Bib | Size: L
Women’s Mythic G Down Jacket | Size: L
Years Snowboarding: 36
Home Mountain: Mt Baker, WA
Riding Style: Freestyle, primarily backcountry and powder focus