The Helly Hansen Mission Jacket has become my go-to ski jacket for the winter season.  This jacket is a perfect choice for the resort skier who wants a bit of insulation without too much bulk, allowing the option to layer up or down according to weather.  The Mission Jacket is stylish, functional, and has some great features.

Helly Hansen did a great job with the fit of the Mission jacket and I was very happy to find that it is the perfect length for me.  I am a little over six feet tall, and have a slightly longer torso, so I often have trouble with short jackets.  The Mission jacket is just long enough to be comfortable and I don’t have to worry about it riding up when skiing.  The powder skirt is also at the right place, falling a little below my belt line.  Speaking of the powder skirt, Helly incorporated a nice system for buttoning it out of the way when you aren’t using it, a very smart and welcome feature.  The jacket is cut with sufficient space in the shoulders for athletically-built bodies, and is flattering.  I had great mobility while photographing a shoot for Vail Resorts in the Back Bowls of Vail mountain.  The sleeve length is ideal for me, and the adjustable cuffs accommodate different arm lengths.  One nitpick about the cuffs: the inner fabric often sticks out beyond the cuff when tightened. See below photo.  It’s certainly not a big deal, but it would be nice to see this small detail fixed in the next version.

A really nice feature of the Mission jacket is the helmet-compatible hood.  Plenty of jackets claim to be helmet compatible, but in reality, are not.  Helly Hansen clearly tested the Mission Jacket’s hood with various ski helmets, because it has excellent visibility and movement with the hood on.  The front of the jacket comes up nice and high without strangling you like many jackets do when fully zipped .  With the hood over your helmet, you can still move your head around without feeling the tugging of fabric.

The Mission Jacket provides a good amount of warmth for the weight, without being bulky.  PrimaLoft 60g Warmcore insulation is responsible for this, and was warm enough for me to need to open the air vents on a 27 degree day.  For most days in the Rockies, you will not need more than a mid-weight baselayer under this jacket to be warm.  The two under-arm air vents do a pretty good job of releasing heat, although Helly Hansen saves its superior airflow system for its highest end jackets.  The fabric is Helly’s excellent Helly Tech PROFESSIONAL, which is waterproof and has a 20,000mm/20,000g breathability rating.  This fabric is one of my favorites for ski wear, and it has a little bit of stretch and a nice hand feel.  The zippers are also waterproof for full protection.  The Mission Jacket has 4 fleece-lined pockets on the front that are well-placed and functional.  In addition, there is an internal pocket for music/phone (though I wish there were an easier-to-access phone pocket closer to the front zipper), and one for longer, bigger items like goggles.  I loved having the deeper pocket for stashing things like a balaclava for cold weather.

I appreciate the thought that Helly Hansen puts into design, and I would recommend the Mission to anyone looking for a light-midweight insulated resort ski jacket.  It is also stylish enough to double as an around-town winter jacket.

The Helly Hansen Mission Jacket is available in four colors:  Fiery Red, Arctic Navy, Arctic, and Black.  Size range is S-2XL.

MSRP is $350.

OR Aspect Pant - Women's

If you are in the market for a pair of versatile ski or ride pants, look no further than the Outdoor Research Aspect Pants. These pants are available for men and women – equal-opportunity awesomeness.

The Aspect Pants are composed of a highly-breathable, waterproof, soft shell fabric (Ventia Dry). I found these pants to be comfortable in a variety of temperatures and kept me extremely warm in all the right places. The soft shell material is backed with fleece in areas that are prone to getting cold, namely your thighs and seat.  The lower legs are backed with a lighter-weight tricot, that allows these areas to vent and breathe. The blending of these two fabrics helps to keep you warm where you need it, but also cool in higher heat areas when skinning or boot-packing up the mountain. These pants also feature generous thigh vents that are easy to zip up and down with gloves or mittens on, to help dissipate additional heat.

One feature that I really liked was the burly scuff guard on the inside cuff,  adding reinforcement to a high wear-and-tear area. I am prone to tearing the inner cuff, and the generous square patch of highly-durable fabric appears that it may survive multiple seasons, even with me. The Aspect pants feature a long, below-the-knee zip for easy on and off, while the leg opening easily accommodates ski boots without feeling too tight, even with buckles open. The internal gaiter stays put along your boot, and can zip off if you so choose. After skiing some knee-deep snow, my inner boot remained dry thanks to a nice seal with the gaiter and the ability to cinch and snap the cuff closed.

As for protection from the elements: the Aspect Pants are extremely water-resistant, though I would not classify them as waterproof.  When worn out in the heavy snow on a full day of adventure, they did the job and kept me dry thanks to the fabric composition and water-resistant zippers.  However, after longer use, I eventually experienced some moisture at junctions within the seams of the pants.  This may be some of the tradeoff you get with highly-breathable fabric.

The fit is a regular one, as opposed to a baggy one.  If you like your pants to be a bit loose, you may want to size up from what the size guide recommends (for example it says I would be a small, but I actually found the medium to be my perfect comfort fit).  The gusseted crouch, articulated knees, and stretch of the softshell allow the pants to really move with you.  Adjustable elastic tabs with velcro help customize the fit around the waist.  Zippered hand, thigh, and beacon pockets keep your small stuff safe.   Add a pair of your own suspenders for a complete backcountry set up.

Overall, the Aspect Pants pack a lot of great features into a streamlined (22 0z.) ski and ride pant. The price tag is a very reasonable $250 for both men’s and women’s styles.  Great pants for a good price.  Remember also that Outdoor Research has an “Infinite Guarantee”, which means their products are guaranteed forever.

The Aspect Pants are available in black only, and in sizes XS to L for women, and S to XL for men.

OR Aspect Pant - Men's

Mammut Artic Mitten

Mammut’s Arctic Mitten features a combo of 600-fill goose down and synthetic fill. Together, the insulation is designed to keep your hands toasty regardless of the temperature or type of adventure.  I am a good mitten/glove tester because my hands are typically colder than most, even when sitting around the evening fire. Therefore, I have been putting the Arctic Mitten to good use on some early-season alpine skiing and snowshoeing outings.

The Arctic Mitten is super lightweight and highly compressible, making them a perfect mitt to stuff in your pack for when the temp really drops. The mittens weigh in at 290 grams (10.2 ounces) and are able to save weight with the combination of goatskin and Pertex Quantum fabric. The goat skin covers the palm, delivering enough stick to easily hold onto ski or trekking poles. The upper is made from Pertex Quantum; for those of you unfamiliar with this fabric, it is Pertexs’ lightest, and offers the best strength-to-weight ratio. One trade-off is its abrasion resistance; while tougher than it appears, this fabric is more prone to tears. After about 2 months of use, I don’t have any tears, but I have been cautious with how I use and store them. I like the combination of the two fabrics, but wish that the goat skin came up and over the fingertips, which would offer a little more wind protection to your tips when skiing downhill.  Note that, while these mittens are water-resistant enough for snow sports, they are not waterproof.

The mittens are available in sizes 6 to 12 (European sizing).  Below is a chart with coinciding American sizes – extremely helpful for finding your fit.

I tested out a size small, which corresponds with the lengths given in the chart, so the Arctic Mittens run true to size. Even with the appropriate size, these mitts are best suited for activities where there is not a lot of need for hand dexterity due to the high loft of the insulation. I typically wore a liner underneath and slipped off the mitts to zip or unzip my jacket or pit zips. The mittens feature a nice gauntlet cuff to go over top just about any jacket, and easy pulls to cinch and seal the mitten. There is also a velcro tab over-top which also helps decrease the bulk a tad, however, even at the tightest position, I required more Velcro to get a proper, snug fit.  I would have also appreciated a wrist loop, so instead of holding them when I took them off, I could let them securely dangle while I fussed with my jacket zipper or phone.

According to Mammut, the Arctic Mitten is optimally suited for expeditions. If you are more weekend warrior than arctic explorer, you will find the Arctic Mitten equally suitable for your next hut trip, backcountry day trip, skiing at the resort on a cold day, or even shoveling the drive. These mitts kept my hands plenty toasty and I didn’t have to use hand warmers with them, which is a rarity these days.

The Arctic Mitten MSRP is $149.

The cut of the Enzo pants is a little forgiving as they are a little baggy in almost all sections of the pant. They’re not snowboarder baggy, but they aren’t 80′s tight either.  I am 6’0 and 175lbs and I found the pants to fit fine.  My pant size is typically 32×32.  If you needed to go up to a 34, I think it would be manageable.  To help get an exact fit, the TNF Enzo pants come with adjustable waist tabs as well. These pants have two zippered hip pockets that are good for holding smaller items like cell phones and point and shoot camera’s.  There are two pockets along the thigh that sit below the hip pockets with the same capacity to hold smaller items such as phones, Clif Bars, avalanche beacons, and more.

For ventilation, there are two water resistant zippers that go down the backside of the leg that go from the butt to mid thigh.  I’ve found these vents to have a good placement as they don’t let snow in and they vent where heat often builds up.  To protect your cuffs from getting ripped up by your ski’s, the cuffs of the Enzo pants are reinforced.  On the inside of the cuffs, there is an integrated gator to keep the snow and wind from getting up your pant legs.  While I really enjoyed testing these pants out on the slopes, I found on super cold days that my legs would get cold easily with normal base layers on underneath.  I am not one to get cold easily, so it is advised to wear a thicker base layer if you get cold easily or if the temps are cold outside.

Overall, I think these pants are a great performer, but for the majority of skiers out there, they might be a little overkill with the higher price tag.  However, if you like to push the limits in the backcountry or like skiing blacks or double blacks, this could be a good option.

The Helly Hansen Enigma Jacket is the greatest jacket that I could not use because of a fatal fit issue.  The Enigma is Helly’s top-of-the-line insulated ski jacket and it is one of the most comfortable and feature-packed things I have ever worn.  No expense was spared in the creation of this jacket and it is a showcase of technology.  Unfortunately, a personal fit issue kept it from being the perfect parka for me, and I will explain in more detail below.

Helly Hansen put every feature and technology that they have developed over their long and experienced history into the Enigma jacket.  The longer I had it on, the more added functionality I uncovered.

Let’s start with the fabric.  Helly Tech® PROFESSIONAL is employed as the shell fabric and it is a special blend that is waterproof, breathable, and has four-way stretch.  Truthfully, it is one of the best technical fabrics I have ever seen.  It has a feel that is almost satin-like while remaining totally durable and has none of the “crinkle” effect present in a lot of shell fabrics.  For insulation, PrimaLoft® Infinity is combined with 90/10/800 fill goose down to keep you warm in extreme weather conditions.  The down insulation isn’t your typical setup and is instead the flagship feature of the Enigma jacket.  The innovative Flow Down system puts pockets of down in areas where core temperature regulation is needed most and allows air to circulate to keep you from getting weighed down.  In practice, I found this to be an amazing way to have the benefits and warmth of down without the bulk normally associated with it.  Down jackets are usually only good for very cold weather and get overly hot when you start heating up; the Flow Down system combined with huge front air vents and behind the arm air vents, make the Enigma jacket way more versatile.

Moving on, Helly Hansen put a bunch of smart touches into the jacket and some of my favorites are the comfortable powder skirt that can be stored in a zippered compartment, the deep “utility pocket” that is perfect for storing your goggles when you are walking to and from the hill, the included goggle wipe that is attached by a clip to one of the chest pockets, and the helmet compatible hood that is adjustable and removable.  I also appreciated the cozy hand warmer sleeves that provide a nice barrier for snow coming up the cuffs.  Unfortunately, I found these to be a little too short for my large hands and was not able to use them with the thumbhole.  I love pockets in a ski jacket and the Enigma delivered, having 8 total.  The small pocket near the end of the arm was perfect for chapstick and small items.  One final feature that should be mentioned is one that might be considered over-the-top, but is actually an excellent inclusion.  The Enigma jacket comes with a nice balaclava that has its own storage compartment located right behind your neck.  The balaclava is attached by a zipper and can be removed and worn elsewhere if wanted.  It’s nice to have this added warmth on hand when it is totally necessary.  As you can see by the length of this section, feature lovers and gear hounds will not be disappointed by the Enigma jacket.

This is the section where I have to give the Helly Hansen Enigma jacket the only knock I had against it and it is the fit.  I must preface by saying that I am 6’1″ and have a fairly long torso.  The Enigma jacket in a size large was a great fit for me in the shoulders and arms and I liked the athletic cut of the torso.  However, I found the jacket to be entirely too short to the point that I would not recommend this jacket to anyone over 5’10″.  Both the powder skirt and the actual hem of the jacket barely reached my pant waist (I do not wear my pants low by any measure) and my size large t-shirts stuck out from below.  Skiing with this jacket left me cold around my waist because being in an athletic stance caused the jacket to raise up above my pants.  As I mentioned in the intro, this is the one thing keeping the Enigma jacket from being my go-to insulated ski jacket.  I strongly suggest trying on at a store to make sure the length will not be an issue for you.  Looking past the length, the fit was excellent and moved well with me as I skied.

The Helly Hansen Enigma is a phenomenal mid- to heavy-weight ski jacket choice for men under six feet tall, or those who ski in bibs.   The $700 price tag is certainly steep, but know that Helly Hansen put everything they had into the jacket.  Innovative insulation and features put the Enigma firmly at the top of the pack in its category.  The Enigma Jacket is currently available in Arctic and Black.

Winter boots often times are full of function, but as many of us know, most lack fashion.  While I am not a fashionista, I do enjoy a good looking and functioning piece of gear.  The Sorel Kitchner Frost High is a winter boot that has the classic leather outer and a rubber toe box area.  The leather goes half way up the calf and is lined to keep your boot and lower leg warm in the cooler weather.  While hiking and walking the dogs in frigid winter temperatures, I found the boots to keep me plenty warm, but not to the point where my feet are sweating bullets.

The sole of the boot is made of a softer rubber that gives you a soft ride and provides good traction.  The Kitchner holds up very well when it comes to winter slush and snow, keeping your feet nice and dry. While the Sorel Kitchner’s are waterproof, they don’t go up as high as the leather goes.  The waterproof section goes up to approximately the top of your ankle.

For style, I think the Curry, Turkish Coffee looks the best.  It looks good with jeans, khakis, and pretty much any other shade you can think of.  As far as fit goes, the upper on the Kitchner Frost High fits pretty close to your leg and if you feel like being a little spunky, you can fold over the leather upper and there is a flannel lining you can show off.  While this isn’t something that I would take advantage of, those who like to push the envelope with style might find it appealing.

Overall, I found the Sorel Kitchner Frost High to be my favorite winter boot to date.  The Kitchner Frost High retails for $185, which is a little spendy, but given the materials used and the timeless look, I think you will get your money’s worth.

Mountain Hardwear Vertical Peak at Keystone

The Vertical Peak Jacket is a synthetic insulated and water proof jacket, so if you are looking to battle some of the harshest elements, this is a good jacket to have on your side, no pun intended.  To start, the Vertical Peak has plenty of pockets to carry all your inbounds ski essentials and more.  There are two side pockets that are lined with fleece to help keep your hands warm.  The pockets are big enough to store a cell phone, wallet, keys, sandwich, point and shoot camera, or any other item similar in size.  There is also a chest pocket on the outside of the jacket that that can hold the previous items mentioned.  This pocket is a tad bit smaller than the side pockets as it should be.  It also has a small hole that connects to the inside in case you want to store your mp3 player or phone and listen to music.  On the inside of the jacket, there are two mesh pockets, one to hold your goggles and one to hold other valuables.

The insulation in the Mountain Hardwear Vertical Peak is lightweight and compact, so it won’t take up a lot of room, but it still ads enough warmth in most situations.  In the super cold conditions, I did end up adding more layers, but since the jackets insulation didn’t have a lot of bulk, it wasn’t a problem.  For the days when you are hitting big powder stashes and you want to keep the snow from getting up your back, there is a detachable powder skirt.  While I really like a powder skirt in a ski jacket, I found this powder skirt to ride up past my waist often times which defeats the purpose.  One thing that I am starting to see in higher end jackets is an extended cuff on the sleeve of the jacket.  The Vertical Peak Jacket has this cuff with a thumb hole, but I found the thumb hole to not be in the right place, so I ended up not using it.  If you have shorter arms, this might work out for you.  I am 6’0 tall with normalish length arms.

For ventilation, the Mountain Hardwear Vertical Peak Jacket has pit zips on both sides of the jacket. These come in handy when the temperatures start to heat up and you need to vent a little bit.  The zippers are lined with a plastic/rubber guard that helps water from seeping in, but this texture also makes it hard to open the pit zips themselves.  I often have a friend or my wife help unzip them while on the chair lift. The Vertical Peak has a removable helmet compatible hood which is nice when you run into super cold windy days.  If you are not a big fan of hoods, it is nice to be able to remove the hood.  I haven’t removed the hood except to make sure the zipper works correctly.

Overall, a this is a good jacket, but I think there are a few things that need to be fixed to make it worth the MSRP of $400.

Obermeyer Coco Jacket in True Red

Finding the right balance between warmth and breathability/ease of movement is always a challenge in cold weather sports apparel.  Obermeyer has achieved that elusive combination with its Coco Jacket — not too hot, not too cold.  Carving turns on the Beaver Creek slopes with my board, my torso twisted about with ease in this lightweight but snuggly jacket, arms surfing from side to side with no binding whatsoever, thanks to the articulated sleeves and interior stretch panels.  It’s got a feminine look, as opposed to the knee-length jackets favored by many snowboarders, but it is absolutely about performance.  As a testament to the Coco’s style, a woman two rows away from me in the lift line yelled  ”WHERE DID YOU GET THAT JACKET?  I WANT ONE!”

Suffering as Coloradans must in feather-light powder (sarcasm), we frequently have plumes finding their way up our sleeves and waistlines.  The Coco’s neoprene inner sleeve liner with thumb tab, which extends all the way into my mitten, completely prevented that, and kept my hands unusually warm and dry.  Meanwhile, the snow skirt shielded most of the powder from my torso.    As external protection from the snow, the Coco Jacket is 20K waterproof, a rating considered to be totally waterproof, even under pressure.

One explanation for this lightweight jacket’s warmth-yet-breathability is the Cocona fabric. The high-surface-area properties of this scientific fabric remove moisture several times faster than previous performance fabrics, even through multiple layers. Another factor is the body-heat-reflective, wonderfully slippery, silver satin lining.  So, those inert periods on the chairlift are not the usual bone-chilling experience in the Coco.  Also, I absolutely loved the fact that the Coco’s hood is roomy enough to fit over my helmet, making windy uphill commutes downright pleasant.  And sinking into the zipped-up collar when the wind picked up, I discovered cozy fleece against my face and not the usual frozen sandpaper-like fabric.  In sum, the Coco’s warmth features are amazingly effective given the jacket’s weight and movement capability.

I like to talk to people, including myself, while sailing down the slopes. But for those who prefer music, the media pockets are smartly designed.  Protected from the elements, your music player can stay warm and dry on the inside left panel, while your phone gets its own velvety, easy-access pocket on the right.  Mesh pockets hold whatever lip balm, credit cards, tissue and other supplies one may want to cart along.

Leading the nation, not just in fluffy powder, but also in avalanche-related fatalities, we Coloradans know that media pockets are not helpful when buried under a slide. The Coco does its part to minimize one’s stay in such an unfortunate position by incorporating the Recco Avalanche Rescue System right into the jacket itself.  A non-powered device, the Recco never loses its signal strength and doesn’t need batteries.  So the jacket bounces back the searcher’s radar signal and doubles the frequency, allowing the Recco detector to locate a burial.

Maureen wore Sapphire on the slopes.

Suggestions for improvement:  I’m a big fan of double zippers, as I like to vent from all sides without having the jacket flap open – and the Coco only has a bottom-up zipper.  However, the breathable Cocona fabric, as well as extra-long “pit zips”, make ventilation very effective anyway.  Also, the waterproof external zippers are very sticky, so that I often had to use two hands and take off a mitten to access them.  Unless I were going to wear the Coco in a rainstorm, I’d rather have less waterproofing in favor of an easily gliding zipper.

Bottom line: I bought a brand new snow jacket at the end of last season, by another manufacturer, but now don’t think I’ll bother to take the tags off.  The Coco is really everything I need: warmth with breathability, comfortable movement, convenient features and just pure style.

The Obermeyer Coco Jacket is available in sizes 2-18, with six colors to choose from:    Black, Jade, Sapphire, True Red, Waterfall (blue/white) and White (white/red).

MSRP $399

[Editor's Note:  Review by Maureen U.]

Women's Bleecker Pants in Deep Purple; note the zippered "hand warmer" pockets

The Bleecker Stretch Pants by The North Face are women-specific, ski/ride pants, new for this winter. The Bleecker Pants feature more than simply feminine colors and slightly smaller sizes;  TNF has tailored these pants to the female body in order to optimize shape and comfort.

The Bleecker cut is a low rise, straight fit through the hips and thighs, with a boot cut or flare. These pants feature not only belt loops, but also velcro side tab adjustments along the outside to further tailor the fit. I found that the Bleeckers sit just above my hip bones and tended to stretch out a bit after a few days on the mountain (I’m guilty of washing ski pants only a few times a year). Having on-mountain adjustment options is a convenient feature to keep them snug, and prevent a draft or snow from entering. The overall fit was true to size. I am not used to wearing fitted ski pants, so it took a few days to get used to form-hugging outerwear. 

The flare of these pants serves two purposes; it gives them a flattering style, but it also allows the pants to easily go over the top of ski or snowboard boots. The cuffs are reinforced for friction along the interior ankle area (visible in lower picture), however, this scuff guard area is small compared to other ski pants that I have tested, and may lead to faster wear and tear with ski tips, poles, etc.  An elastic internal gaiter goes over the top of your boot and helps keep out snow when you find yourself in some serious powder. Thus far, the gaiter has done its job; it stayed put and kept snow out on some early season turns. These pants feature one rear zippered pocket, and two zippered ‘hand-warmer pockets’. I found that these front pockets are too shallow to really use to warm your hands, and are better suited for holding your season pass or lift ticket. The right pocket includes an internal clip, which is nice if you keep your season pass in your pocket all year long, or if you want to hook your keys onto it for added security. Placing a cell phone in these pockets is not advised because, due to pocket placement, it becomes bothersome when sitting on the chair lift. 

Back/side view: note rear zippered pocket and reinforced cuffs

The Bleecker Stretch Pants are waterproof, and constructed from HyVent® 2L stretch twill that is bluesign® approved (this means that the fabric used to construct these pants was made using the cleanest, most stringent methods around). The fabric works to keep you warm and dry, while continuing to have some degree of breathability. I tested these pants primarily at the resort while alpine skiing in temperatures ranging from 10-35 degrees F. I found that these pants had enough insulation to keep me comfortable at the lower temps when wearing my merino base layers. The Bleecker relies upon TNF Chimney Venting to expel hot air, as opposed to a half or full zip ventilation system.  During backcountry pursuits, I would be concerned that the ventilation may be insufficient. In addition, knee and cuff reinforcements may be too minimal for backcountry extremes. Therefore, I feel that these pants are intended for, and best suited for, in-bounds pursuits at your local ski hill or mountain.

The Bleecker Pants are available in size XS to XL,  in three colors: deep purple, black, and white. MSRP $189.