I have been testing out Patagonia’s newly designed R3® Hi-Loft Hoody in the ever fashionable purple hue. The R3 Hi-Loft Hoody has quickly become a personal and family favorite. I say this because we now refer to the purple R3 as “Grimace”. For instance, one might say, “the weather may turn a bit chilly, why [...]
If the whole going green craze has your number but you don’t want to sacrafice on quality and performance, the Helly Hansen Ekolab Recycler Jacket might just be for you. The Ekolab Recycler is a 3-layer waterproof breathable shell that is made of 100% recycled bottles. It comes with water resistant pit zips, taped seems, [...]
A few years ago, the words waterproof-breathable-and stretchy, were not listed as features in one single jacket. Rather, the jacket was waterproof OR breathable, not both. These days, manufacturers, such as Helly Hansen, have found a way to make a jacket that touts all three qualities. Helly Hansen’s Barrier Stretch 3L XP utilizes Helly Tech®XP [...]
April showers might bring you May flowers, and the Marmot Super Mica Jacket offers you protection from April showers so that you hike on to enjoy May flowers. This super light waterproof rain jacket is the perfect piece of gear for those of you that like to go ultra light, but don’t want to sacrifice [...]
This spring I had the opportunity to test 2 jackets that utilized the latest and greatest fabric technology, GORE-TEX® Paclite®. So what is GORE-TEX® Paclite®? Well, simply put it is a fully waterproof and breathable 3-layer fabric that weighs 15% less than other 3 layer constructions. Products featuring Paclite® are designed to endure extreme wet [...]
If you are an outdoor enthusiast that is looking for an ultra light-do-everything shell, then the Meru Jacket by The North Face might just be the jacket for you. The Meru incorporates GORE-TEX® PACLITE technology and many other note-worthy features to make this jacket one of my favorite pieces this spring. First and foremost, the [...]
The Colorado weather is fickle and can change in 10 minutes. This is true year round and is compounded as you gain altitude. This fact makes clothing decisions crucial. You may encounter wind, rain, sun or snow, during a trail run or day hike. I don’t want to pack 3 shells, but I don’t want [...]
Marmot’s Trail Wind Hoody is a featherweight jacket that weighs in at a skimpy 4 ounces (or 116 grams) for a women’s medium. If you are familiar with Marmot products, you may note the distinct similarity to the Ion Wind shirt. Both tops are wind resistant, breathable, water repellant, come with an attached hood, and [...]
I’m a notorious over-packer. So the ultra lightweight, super stuffable Helium Jacket was my rain coat of choice for a recent paddling and fishing trip to Florida. Despite the obvious attention to detail, taped seams, adjustable hood, zipper pocket and partial front-zipper storm flap, I honestly wasn’t expecting much protection from such as small package. [...]
Finding a good shell these days isn’t hard to do with a number of brands making quality products. Finding a great shell on the other hand is a little harder to come across, the Sierra Designs Mantra Fusion is a GREAT 3-layer shell. We tested this shell out while skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, dog walking, and [...]
This spring we have noticed a trend, the reemergence of pastels and the incorporation of super soft fabrics into casual and active apparel for women. Marmot has combined both features into the Plush Jacket, one of their latest additions to the Spring 2010 line. The Plush Jacket has a snuggly soft-brushed fleece outer. The inner [...]
i Are you looking for the perfect all around Spring/Summer Jacket? We may just have a solution for you. The Patagonia Simple Guide Jacket ranked #1 out of all the jackets we have tested out for the Spring. Between performance, fashion, and price, this jacket is superior. Whether you’re out running in town or on the [...]
The Sierra Design’s BTU Jacket lived up to its name as we tested this jacket with temperatures sitting in the single digits and dropping well below zero in the wind. The BTU is designed to be extremely warm and weatherproof with 800 series goose down and a Tropozone waterproof/ breathable shell. We tested the BTU [...]
The Big Sky jacket by Merrell is the perfect blend between performance and style. If you’ve read any of our past reviews, you will know that we are big fans of gear that meets your performance and style needs. The Merrell Big Sky jacket was tested in temperatures between -5 to 50 F. We were [...]
For those of you that are familiar with goose down fill, you know that it is extremely warm, lightweight, and soft against the skin. The problem with down is when it gets wet, the warmth factor goes way down. This problem has been solved by Mountain Hardwear with the release of the Synchronicity jacket which is [...]
The Helly Hansen Hayden Jacket is the bomber jacket that you can trust whether you’re flying down the slopes on sticks or shredding some gnar. We’ve tested plenty of jackets this year and the Helly Hansen Hayden was our favorite, hands down. This jacket not only performs like a rock star on the slopes, but [...]
The Merrell Pika Jacket is a luxuriously soft and cozy casual fleece. The Pika is made of dense polyester fleece fabric that we found to keep you warm when temperatures drop near freezing, while also blocking out some wind. A stand-up collar, satin finish zippers, and satin-patched pockets rounds out the features of this full-zip [...]
The First Ascent Frontpoint Jacket is a great all mountain jacket that combines soft and hard shell technology to provide an excellent barrier that can handle the harsh winter elements. The hood, sleeves, and shoulders are made of WeatherEdge Pro a hardshell fabric that is waterproof and rugged. We found the jacket to be incredibly [...]
Eddie Bauer has recently launched their FirstAscent line of product made not for weekend tailgaters but for serious outdoor adventurers. Some of the biggest names in mountaineering are part of the team developing and testing these products for Eddie Bauer. The Downlight Sweater is a super lightweight, 800-fill goose down jacket and one serious piece [...]
The Columbia Northern Peak II Full Zip is a good choice whether you’re looking for a casual jacket for the fall/early winter season or need a little warm while out doing your favorite activities. The Northern Peak II has a brushed polyester durafleece outer and a fuzzy fleece next to skin inner. It is a [...]
The Marmot Tempo Jacket utilizes Marmot’s M3 Softshell technology to produce a highly breathable, stretchy, water-resistant, and a lightweight barrier to the elements. The M3 softshell technology is Marmot’s lightest and most breathable softshell, making the Tempo jacket perfect for high intensity exercises, such as running. The Tempo jacket weighs a mere 15 ounces and [...]
The DriClime® Catalyst Windshirt won its’ third Backpacker’s Editor’s Choice Award in 2008. This time, the DriClime Catalyst Windshirt won the “Green Award” due to its’ incorporation of recycled materials into the jacket; UpCycle fabric is made from recycled plastic and makes up 100% of the Catalyst lining, while recycled polyester makes up the outer [...]
The Saucony Women’s ViperLite Softshell jacket is new to Saucony’s Fall 2009 line. As many runners will tell you, when the temps start to cool, it becomes more challenging to select the right balance of layers to provide warmth, while also ensuring that one will not be overheating 5 minutes into their run. ViperLite fabric, [...]
