In reply to BnB:
Update. Wore the Nano Hybrid thingy up Tower Ridge on Friday and the Pinnacle Ridge of Garbh Bheinn yesterday.
Friday was mild on the walk-in and with intermittent drizzle it was one of those maddening approaches when no combination of garments seemed to produce all round comfort. The jacket was comfortable over a short sleeved tee shirt in the dry but not sufficiently weatherproof for the drizzle. Too warm under a hardshell but who enjoys a cold, wet hardshell on your bare arms? A long sleeved baselayer would have fixed that, but then wouldn't work under the hybrid jacket.
Once established on the ridge however, the temperature had dropped sufficiently for three layers under the harness and a really stable, comfortable body temperature prevailed for the trip to the summit and the walk out. Never once was I cold when we pitched the harder sections, nor did I overheat as we moved together over most of the ridge.
I'll add one caveat however. The drizzle persisted until the Little Tower and, while completely dry inside my shell, the inner arms, shielded only by the thin breathable inside forearm patterning, suffered conduction from the cold, damp exterior of the shell. Not disastrously, but certainly enough to remark on it. Scottish winter, in which the full Nano Air excels like nothing else, is probably not the natural home for its little sister. The Alps probably more so.
Yesterday, before the day transformed into summer, was a nice dry spring day with a steady breeze. Too warm for the trudge along the valley, I donned the hybrid jacket as we hit the ridge and the wind picked up. It was immediately apparent that here was the ideal environment. Breezy and dry. The perfect sensation of featherlight insulation and complete breathability. Somehow I was never conscious of the extra breathable arm and body panels, and the cut of the jacket seemed to beat off the wind with its more weatherproof segments. Simply superb. This would be a great mountain cragging piece, especially as I was continually aware how often the extra durable darts on the inner sleeve made contact with the rock. A really thoughtful detail.
So I'd recommend for spring/autumn excursions, but keep a thin long-sleeved tee in the sac to wear under your shell when you're pumping out heat in the rain.
