The Rab Khroma Latok Review

The Rab Khroma Latok Gore-Tex Pro 2 Year Review

When the opportunity came to test out Rab’s Khroma Latok we immediately jumped at the chance. The Rab Khroma jacket was winner. Could the Khroma Latok be even better? We took the Rab Khroma Latok GTX Jacket and Pants from Japan to the Callgahan and all the places in between and were incredibly stoked with the jacket but found the fit of the pants to be a bit of a miss.

Overview Jacket

Material: Zoned 80D and 40D Gore-Tex Pro Most Breathable
Size Tested: XL
Color: Marmalade
Country of Origin: China
Days Tested: 2 Years

What is Khroma Latok?

We already know Khroma means color and is the designation Rab uses for pieces that are ski-specific. Enter Khroma Latok. There is no official description of which Latok Rab is alluding to with this line so we are left to choose between two options. The first is sea grapes. A type of algae that is nicknamed Sea Caviar. This is unlikely the Latok Rab is inferring. The other Latok is a group of large peaks that is a part of the Karakoram range. This seems more like the Latok Rab has been influenced by. I suppose Khroma Latok sounds better than Colorful Karakoram, though, that’s up for debate. What’s not up for debate is that the Khroma Latok line takes the Khroma line’s durability and styling up another notch altogether.

The Meat: Gore-Tex Pro Most Breathable

The Khroma Latok Jacket is made of zoned Gore-Tex Pro Most Breathable. Areas that receive higher wear, across the shoulders, outer sleeves, and back, are made with an 80 denier Gore-Tex Pro Most Breathable. The rest of the jacket is made of 40 denier Gore-Tex Most Breathable. This keeps the harder wearing Gore-Tex in the places it is most needed and allows for a lighter material to be used where there will be less abrasion. The result is an XL jacket that weighs in at 648 grams. That’s pretty light for a full featured jacket. I have used this jacket for 90% of the resort and splitboarding days I have been out for the last two years. It shows almost no wear at all.

The jacket does however have a few stains on it. I am a messy eater and find that backpacks tend to grind in dirt and other contaminants. I have done my best to wash this jacket every month or so to keep oils and other dirt from fouling up the pores of the Gore-Tex too much. It is still waterproof to this day and does a decent job of beading still. I have not found the need to redo the DWR coating.

The Potatoes: The Fit

The Rab Khroma Latok GTX jacket fits exactly how I’d want an XL jacket to fit. Loose enough that I can fit a decent mid layer underneath, but not so big that it won’t allow me to throw a big belay jacket over top and be uncomfortable. It fits slightly longer than the Khroma GTX jacket, but not so long it gets in the way or becomes cumbersome. I find many ski mountaineering jackets end a little too high, right at belt line. The Rab Khroma Latok jacket fits comfortably just below the waist line. It keeps you covered but is not exceedingly long. This is not a freeride jacket, it’s meant just as much for the up as it is the down. It fits under a harness without too much bulk getting in the way. The two way zip keeps you covered should you decide to wear that harness under this hardshell.

I have long arms and the sleeves are just the right length. At no time when reaching full length does the sleeve ride high up my arm. I cannot roll up enough windows when air born to change this nor can I drag my knuckles hard enough to foul the cuffs.

Inside each sleeve is an internal wrist gaiter. They are slightly looser than on the previous generation Khroma jacket allowing for a much easier full hand pass through. The material is thin and goes unnoticed when worn, that is until you try to look at your watch. If you are constantly checking your watch while on snow you’ll want to skip using the wrist gaiters. If you drag your knuckles hard then you’ll definitely be using them. Under each arm are amply long pit vents that have 2 way YKK Aqua Guard zips.

Functionality On the Outside

The hood has all the hallmarks of a hood on a top of the line jacket A stiffened peak to keep from flapping in the wind. Two way adjustability means that it can be pulled slightly back from the sides to allow for better peripheral vision and pulled down (or loosened) to allow adjustments for Fitting a helmet or just a ball cap underneath while not having the whole thing flapping loosely in the wind.

The Rab Khroma Latok GTX jacket features 3 external pockets and 2 internal pockets. On the left shoulder is a small pocket designed for RFID season passes. On the left side of the body of the jacket is a rather large Napolean pocket. It is much roomier than the previous generations jacket which barely fit an Phone. Now, the chest pocket will swallow a map and an iPhone Pro Max, easily.

At both sides of the jacker are two massive angled hand pockets. They are positioned just above where most folks would wear a harness. The only caveat here being that the pull tab is a large affair, great for when you are wearing mittens, but leave the pocket unzipped and your harness will surely pinch the zip open. This results in some very good snow harvesting. Make sure you close your pockets. All external zippers are YKK AquaGuard

The whole jacket gets tucked in at the hem by dual cord lock adjustments, if that’s your thing. It is my thing, so don’t judge. I like my hem snug.

The Jacket closes with a toothy 2-way YKK Vislon zipper. There is a snap on the inside bottom to keep the jacket from accidentally zipping upwards. I have never closed the snap and the jacket has never accidentally zipped upwards. At the top you’ll find the mandatory fleece chin guard.

Rab Logo and Chest pocket on the Khroma Latok

Main YKK Zipper on the Rab Khroma Latok Jacket

Functionality On the Inside

Inside the Jacket you’ll find two pockets. On the left is a small media pocket. It’s made with a stretch fabric and snugly fits a Max sized phone. On the right is an open top stretch mesh dump pocket. It would be great if this were a little bigger and had a twin on the other side. Then, I could put my skins inside my jacket securely to warm them back up.

The Matrix powder skirt securely closes with two snaps. Gone are the previous generation Khroma’s pant snaps, likely because the Khroma Latok pants don’t have snaps either. The pants ride high so this shouldn’t be much of an issue anyway. The Matrix powder skirt is silicone lined so it is quite grippy and zips off in case you do not use a powder skirt anyway.

Overview of the Rab Khroma Latok GTX Jacket

This review is late. How late? A Year. That means I wore this jacket guiding and recreating for two entire winters. Had I not ground chocolate into the side of it, and worn a backpack whose straps left dark marks on the shoulders I’ve no doubt it would still look new. I regularly wash the jacket or at minimum, spot clean it when necessary. It has stayed waterproof and not needed a DWR refresh for two full seasons. Sure, it wets out a little quicker than when it came out of the wrapper, but it’s been abused and taken the abuse in stride.

It’s fit is fantastic. The arms are just the right length for me and cover me at full extension but aren’t comically long when my hands are by my side. I can comfortably wear a harness over or under the jacket. It’s lightweight so when I’m routing and want a waterproof shell with me for the downhill it’s not a weight burden at all.

This jacket will take any and all abuse you can throw at it. Ski Mountaineering, Freeriding and probably even sled skiing, though you should definitely look at a darker color then. This jacket will handle it all. This jacket has been a fantastic bit of kit.

Who is the Rab Khroma Latok GTX jacket for?

The Rab Khroma Latok GTX jacket is for the skier or rider looking for a jacket that will take them from storm riding the lifts to bushwhacking, bootpacking and bluebird up-tracking. This jacket does it all. It’s done it for two years. I highly recommend this jacket. Check it out on Rab.

Modelling the Rab Khroma Latok GTX Outerwear

A Guide’s Short term Review of the Khroma Latok Pants.

Overview

Material: 80D Recycled GORE-TEX Pro Most Breathable 3-Layer construction with Gore DWR (154gsm) HH: 28,000mm/RET: Fully recycled Face Fabric.
Weight: 672 grams
Color: Army
Size Tested: XL
Country of Origin: China
Days Tested: 2 weeks

What are the Rab Khroma Latok Gore-Tex Pro Pants

The Rab Khroma Latok Gore-Tex Pro Pants are ski mountaineering shell pants with optional suspenders. They’re built for for the up-track as much as they are for the down by using the same Gore-Tex Pro Most Breathable that the jacket is made of. I admittedly ditched the suspenders and opted for an Arcade Belt instead.

The Good: Materials and Construction

Like their jacket counterpart, the Khroma Latok GTX jacket, the Rab Latok Pants are made of Gore-Tex Pro Most Breathable. Unlike the jacket, the pants are made of solely 80d Gore-Tex so like Ford, these pants are built tough. I’d expect them to take years of abuse on the skin track.

Keep Your Pants On!

You’ve got a few options to hold the Rab Khroma Latok Gore-Tex Pants up. They come included with elasticated suspenders. They do the job but leave a little something to be desired. There are small velcro patches on each side of the pants to keep them a little snug. Luckily, they still come with belt loops! Yes, belt loops. In goes an Arcade Belt, and up stay my pants.

At the front is a double button closure and a storm flap that covers the zip. I’ve taken some decent falls in these pants and not managed to pop them open.

Waist Adjuster on the Rab Khroma Latok Pants

Waist Snaps and Belt Loops on the Rab Khroma Latok Pants

Corner Pocket

There are three pockets on the pants. At the front are two bellowed thigh pockets. Each closed with a YKK AquaGuard zip. Inside the left pocket is a sewn loop that I used to attach my transceiver to. At the left butt cheek there is also a small pocket. I’m also not sure who uses back pockets other than my dad.

Thigh Pockets on the Rab Khroma Latok Pant

Set back on each thigh are massive vents that were a bit of a god send. The thighs on the pants are somewhat narrow. By opening the vents while touring I was allowed a little more freedom of movement. The Gore-Tex Pro Most Breathable material is not very stretchy and with pant legs that are a bit restrictive I needed to find a way for more freedom of movement. Aided in trying to find my stride in these pants was the Knee articulation.

Hemmed In

At the hem each leg is a reinforced kick patch that wraps around the entirety of the cuff and a good ⅔ of the way up the inside of the leg. It’s made of a soft and stretchy material, though Rab does not state what it is made of. On the outside of the hem is a zipper that travels ⅓ of the way up the leg to allow for easy buckle adjustment. There is a flap at the bottom of the hem to protect the zipper when it is in the down position. Inside the hem is a snow gaiter made of Rab’s Matrix Softshell material. It keeps the snow out and is stretchy enough that it will allow for open ski boot buckles underneath.

The Unfortunate: The Fit

I wanted to like these pants. They tick all of the boxes I am looking for in ski pants. Great materials, attention to detail, and a fantastic colorway. Yes, I am that vain. Unfortunately, they never quite fit me right and because of that, I rarely reached for them in the two years I fell in love with their sibling jacket.

I am, by Rab’s sizing chart, and XL at the waist. The pants have a fairly tight thigh, which is perhaps something that goes along with Rab’s “regular” sizing. The only way to mitigate the tight thighs was by wearing the pants fairly high up, something I found uncomfortable.

Due to the mismatched sizing of these pants, I did not wear them much over the two years I’ve had them. It’s unfortunate, I wanted to like them. Great materials, bomber Rab construction, but they really did not fit me well. Next time the opportunity arises for me to test Rab pants I’ll have to go for a XXL, oversized waist be damned.

Who are the Rab Khroma Latok Gore-Tex Pro Pants for?

Like their jacket counterpart, the Khroma Latok Gore-Tex Pro pants are built to last. They are best suited for ski mountaineers with thin thighs looking for pants that will last a long time.