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240+ videos — gear reviews, conditions reports & backcountry edits
ORTOVOX 3L Ravine Shell Jacket & Pants Review
Ortovox revitalizes the backcountry shell category with the 3L Ravine Shell Jacket and Pants, blending eye-catching color blocking with technical performance. By focusing on a minimalist design, PFC-free materials, and climate-neutral manufacturing, Ortovox delivers exceptional comfort and weather protection for dedicated touring.
Ravine Jacket
- PFC-free and climate-neutral.
- Minimal design that packs down small.
- Fun colour combinations.
- Generous cut allows for layering and a greater range of movement.
- Designated cell phone pocket.
- Merino inserts where needed most.
- No hand warmer pockets in the jacket.
- No internal stash pockets in the jacket for skins.
- Overlapping collar can get in the way when not in use and the snap seems redundant.
Ravine Pants
- PFC-free and climate-neutral.
- Fun colour combinations.
- Generous cut allows for layering and a greater range of movement.
- None noted
The Ravine Shell kit relies on Dermizax NX technology—a non-porous PU membrane that offers complete windproofing and an impressive 20,000mm water column alongside outstanding breathability. Designed specifically with freeriding and touring in mind, the vibrant color palettes and unique fabric blocking create a distinctive aesthetic that stands out on the skin track while keeping weight and packability to a minimum.
Ravine Jacket
However, the jacket’s streamlined approach does come with trade-offs. The lack of standard hand-warmer pockets and internal mesh stash pockets means there is no place to warm hands or stash climbing skins on quick transitions. Additionally, the overlapping collar layout can feel slightly obstructive when worn unzipped, making the snap closure feel somewhat redundant in practice.
Ravine Pants
Side ventilation zippers and an adjustable hook-and-loop waistband ensure precise fit and heat regulation during intense climbs. With Merino wool inserts placed strategically in cold-sensitive zones, the Ravine Pants strike a fantastic balance between lightweight packability and targeted warmth.
Features
Ravine Jacket
- Adjustable storm hood
- 100% merino insert in the chin area
- 2-way front zipper
- 2 large front pockets
- 1 integrated cell phone pocket made of merino mesh
- Long underarm ventilation
- Adjustable cuffs
- Adjustable waistband
- Breathable
- Waterproof
- Adjustable hood
- Underarm ventilation
- Windproof
Ravine Pants
- Adjustable waistband with optimized hook and loop fastener
- 2 extended thigh pockets, with an additional mesh pocket and light carabiner for an avalanche transceiver in the right pocket
- Side ventilation zippers
- Merino inserts in areas that are sensitive to the cold
- Anatomically shaped knee area
- Integrated gaiters
- Loose fit
- Windproof
- Waterproof
- Breathable
- Adjustable waistband
- Leg ventilation
Final Field Verdict
The first thing you’ll notice about both the Ortovox 3L Ravine Shell jacket and pants is that they use a streamlined minimal design which is contrasted by asymmetrically placed fabric colours for a little fun, providing more personality than other solid-coloured shells. Both the jacket and pants have a spacious freeride cut without being baggy or oversized. This provides much-needed room for layering underneath and some built-in fabric stretch means that you get plenty of range of motion while skiing and climbing.
The Merino Deep Shell fabric is quite effective at keeping out moisture and letting heat escape but the wide pit zips on the jacket and leg vents on the pants did come in handy when I started to build up a sweat. After several days of touring, I have come to really enjoy wearing this kit, it looks good, performs well and also considers the environment when it was created which makes me feel good. I appreciate how small the shell packs down when I don’t need it as backpack space is a precious commodity, of which the Ravine Shell Jacket did not take up much.
One feature I was missing was hand warmer pockets on the jacket. Call me old school but I just think you can never have enough pockets and with only two on the jacket I was looking for more space to place things—but that’s just me. One feature that I thought was so simple yet so good was the second snap on the hem of the pants. This allows you to decrease the pant width at the leg hem which makes for a more snug fit around your ski boots and comes in very handy when you are in your city boots and don’t want massive bell bottoms.
Overall I give Ortovox high praise for their well-thought-out design of the Ravine Shell Jacket and Pants as they perform well and are light and minimal by nature. I think that the colour palettes they use and the unique blocks of secondary fabric colours are a bold style that really works well and makes the apparel stand out.
