Home Gear Review: Peak Performance Treeline HIPE® 2.5L Shell Jacket

Review: Peak Performance Treeline HIPE® 2.5L Shell Jacket

A lightweight, nicely judged shell that is as comfortable in the hills as it is trying not to look like you’ve just come back from them.

Feature type Review

Read time 3 min read

Published Sep 07, 2026

Author BASE editorial team

BASE editorial team BASE writers and editors who live and breathe adventure every day. We love adventure storytelling as much as we love adventure itself.

Our Verdict

A jacket for wet walks, uncertain forecasts, trail days, travel and everyday life outdoors.

RRP	£220
Weight	Approx. 387g
Features	50D lightweight ripstop, 2.5-layer HIPE®, Waterproof rating \| 10,000mm, Breathability \| 10,000g/m²/24h

Pros

Lightweight at 387g
Proper waterproof and windproof protection
Clean, understated design
Good everyday-to-outdoors versatility

Cons

2.5-layer construction isn’t aimed at the demands of sustained technical mountain use
Relaxed fit won’t suit everyone

WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR

There is a strange tendency in outdoor clothing to assume that everyone is either attempting an FKT or standing outside a coffee shop.

The Treeline occupies the rather more interesting territory between the two. What I want from a jacket like this is simple: something light enough to carry every day, genuinely waterproof when the forecast gets it wrong, breathable enough to walk in without immediately creating my own weather system, and comfortable enough that I don’t resent wearing it when I’m not actually outdoors.

It also needs to work as part of a layering system. A shell shouldn’t dictate what you wear underneath it, and a relaxed fit is useful here: there is room for a fleece or midlayer without turning the jacket into a portable parachute.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The first thing that stands out is the shape. The Treeline has a deliberately relaxed, slightly boxy silhouette rather than the close-to-the-body cut you find on more technical shells. That gives it a noticeably more contemporary feel, but it also makes practical sense. There is room to layer underneath without having to buy two sizes larger than usual. It’s also an unusually clean-looking piece of outdoor clothing.

THE TEST

The Treeline is at its most interesting when used for the sort of outdoor days that don’t justify a dedicated technical shell. That means wet walks, trail hiking, changeable weather, travelling, cycling between places, and those irritating days when the forecast promises sunshine but the sky clearly has other plans. We put it to the test during days of weather flux at 2000m + in the French Pyrenees in summer where there were daily storms at around 4pm.

WHO IS THIS ITEM FOR?

The Treeline makes most sense for people who want one waterproof to cover a lot of different lives. It’s for the person who walks at weekends, travels frequently, commutes occasionally by bike, goes hiking when they get the chance and would quite like their waterproof to look normal when they arrive at the pub afterwards. It is also a good option for hikers who don’t routinely head into seriously exposed or technical terrain.

WHAT STANDS OUT?

THE VERSATILITY

The Treeline’s biggest strength is that it doesn’t demand to be treated as specialist equipment. It’s an outdoor jacket that happens to be quite good at being an everyday jacket too. That makes it more likely to get worn, which is ultimately a more useful measure of performance than how impressive the specification looks on a website.

THE WEIGHT

At 387g, it’s light enough to carry routinely without constantly questioning why you’ve brought it. For a fully waterproof shell with an adjustable hood, pockets, proper cuffs and a two-way waterproof zip, that’s a useful weight.

THE FIT

The relaxed, boxy cut is a departure from the increasingly athletic fit of technical outdoor clothing.

VALUE FOR MONEY

There are plenty of good waterproof jackets below £200, and once you move towards £250 you’re getting into the territory of some very capable technical shells. So the Treeline doesn’t win simply by being waterproof, its value lies in the combination of weight, design and versatility.

BASE BOTTOM LINE

It’s light, properly waterproof, easy to layer and deliberately understated. The 10,000mm waterproofing and 2.5-layer construction won’t compete with the most serious mountain shells, but that isn’t really the point. This is a jacket for wet walks, uncertain forecasts, trail days, travel and everyday life outdoors.

Want to stay dry from the wet and warm from the wind?