Lightweight Backcountry-First Shell: Black Diamond Recon LT Jacket Review

You don’t usually want a thick, heavy ski shell in the backcountry. Heavy-duty three-layer shells are great on the resort. But they’re often too hot going uphill, and they take up too much pack space when you need to shed them. In a progressive package, the Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT Ski Shell delivers weather protection and breathability in a minimalist design.

This lightweight shell keeps everything simple. It packs down small while providing three-layer weather protection that’s combined with maximum breathability. The relatively slim tailoring avoids excess fabric, but the four-way stretch fabric means it won’t restrict movement, either.

While you can layer underneath to use this ski shell year-round — even for days lapping the ski lifts — it’s much thinner and cooler in cold, midwinter conditions. This means it’s at its best as a touring-specific layer and spring resort jacket.

In short: The Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT Ski Shell ($400) is a backcountry-first shell that’s built to shed heat and moisture during high-output climbing and deliver reliable weather-resistance for the descent. As a hybrid option, I found this jacket works best for warmer spring days at the ski resort.

Read our full review below or The Best Ski Jackets Buyer’s Guide to see how the Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT Shell compares to our other favorite ski jackets.

Black Diamond Recon LT Ski Jacket Review

Utah-based Black Diamond has a long history in climbing, skiing, and mountaineering. The Recon Stretch LT reflects those roots as a ski jacket that’s nominally ski-specific but could serve as a climbing or hiking shell just as easily.

The Recon Stretch LT follows the brand’s sibling Recon Stretch Jacket design, which is nearly twice as heavy at 769 g — though that’s still pretty light on the spectrum of ski jackets.

In comparison, the traditional Recon Stretch is more fully featured with interior stash pockets and that heavier-weight fabric offers additional warmth and wind-blocking. While that regular Recon is closer to a traditional resort skiing shell, the LT version is decidedly backcountry-focused.

I tested the Recon Stretch LT Shell Jacket across 6 days of backcountry touring and resort skiing around Summit County, Colo. My late-spring testing was ideal for this lighter jacket, as it provided enough protection for high-elevation summits and descents. Yet, the jacket was light and breathable enough for resort hiking and cruising slushy groomers without overheating. On colder storm days, I was aware of the thin fabric but never felt outgunned by the weather.

Great Backcountry Performance: Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT

I’ve tested a lot of backcountry-specific shells, and many sacrifice weatherproofing for breathability. While this ratio is often a good thing for hiking uphill, if you need high-level waterproofing, the Recon Stretch LT doesn’t skimp. Wet storm snow rolled off the DWR-coated fabric without issue.

Bootpacking in the intense high-elevation sun and warm late-April temperatures showcased another strength: the Recon’s breathability. At the resort, I never felt like I needed to take the Recon off, even in sweltering spring conditions where a T-shirt would be adequate for warmth.

When ski touring, the Recon was perfect for cold, early starts as it cut the chill but didn’t instantly turn into a sauna like heavy-duty GORE-TEX would have. In warmer temps, the shell had to come off. But that’s true for me of almost any ski jacket, as I run hot and tend to uphill in just a baselayer unless ambient temperatures are well below freezing.

I toured in the Recon several times with nothing but a performance tee underneath. The soft backer layer felt great against bare skin. This layer has a functional purpose as well: holding moisture to be turned into vapor so that it can escape the BD.dry membrane. 

While light and breathable, this is still a 3L shell. So it does get clammy, and you’ll want to blow open the vents or take it off as soon as you feel things getting steamy, lest you wet out your baselayers. 

Fit: Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT

I’d describe the Recon Stretch LT as somewhere between a slim and regular fit. This isn’t a long, baggy freeride shell by any means. But it’s not as tight as other touring shells I’ve tested from European skimo brands, either. The hem hangs a few inches below the waistline, thankfully, and doesn’t goofily ride up like a hiking shell would.

The arms also have enough length to cinch over the top of your gloves, another ski-specific tailoring touch I appreciated. Articulating my arms around could pull the cuff back away from my gloves here and there. So sometimes I could’ve used perhaps another inch of length, but the arms mostly felt about right.

When wearing a ski pack, I appreciated the streamlined fit, which doesn’t blouse out around straps like roomier ski shells do. Likewise, the hood is big enough to accommodate a ski helmet but cinches small enough to protect your skull when wearing a cap or beanie, too.

One quirk I noticed is that when the hood was down while I was descending, it would occasionally catch wind like a sail, which might be a result of the lightweight fabric.

The men’s large size fit my 6’0”, 190-pound frame just about perfectly. I likely could’ve been comfortable in an XL as well and gained some reach in the arms in exchange for a blousier fit. Considering I mostly view this as a touring shell, I’d stick to the large.

Pockets and Features

There’s frankly not much to talk about here ,and that’s by design. Black Diamond stripped away all but the two chest-zippered pockets for the LT version of this jacket to minimize bulk and weight. This results in a jacket that packs down tight when rolled up for pack storage. In turn, the weight sticks low at just over a pound.

I appreciate the minimalism and can live without a ton of pocket storage since I normally wear pocket-rich ski bibs on the bottom. Still, it’s worth noting that you don’t get much in the Recon in this department. The two chest pockets are big but not cavernous. You can just fit a folded-up pair of skins between the two, but not much else.

I ski a 120mm width backcountry ski in a 190 length. Splitboard skins may be fatter, but the lengths are shorter. So, if you prefer carrying small items in your jacket over your ski pants or bibs, keep this limitation in mind.

The venting is great with two long pit zips that extend more than halfway down each arm. This is key for dumping heat without needing to stop and shed your jacket layer. Though, sometimes it’s just too hot for any shell, even one as breathable as the Recon LT. Oh, and there’s a left-arm pass pocket for resort days, which is nice to have.

Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT Shell Jacket: Conclusion

The Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT Ski Shell is a minimalist and high-performance backcountry shell. While this light jacket can also be a great outer layer for resort skiing in the spring season, you’ll likely want a beefier midlayer or base layer (or both) to complement this jacket if you spend a lot of cold midwinter days riding the ski lifts.

But if you’re looking for a dedicated year-round ski touring shell that breathes well and packs down easily when it’s time to take it off, the Recon Stretch LT truly delivers.

To see where the Recon Stretch LT fits into the broader landscape of ski jackets, check out The Best Ski Jacket Buyer’s Guide.