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 [...]
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 [...]
With winter in full swing and lots of people heading to the slopes, I hope to bring you this jacket review just in time to help your ski jacket purchase decision. Over the past few months, I’ve been testing out the Mountain Hardwear Vertical Peak Jacket while skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin. The [...]
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 [...]
When it comes to cold weather, Isis has you covered with their Whisper down products. Isis offers a solution for all of your active and casual needs with the Whisper Jacket, Whisper Hoodie, Whisper Hoodie Vest, and Whisper Coat. A few years back, I reviewed the shorter-length Whisper Hoodie, and this year I had the [...]
As most people know, goose down is one of nature’s best insulators and the benefits of its use in outerwear is readily apparent. Depending on its fillpower and amount, down clothing can be a full-on, heavy-duty jacket for the most brutal cold, or a nice insulating layer to add under a shell when temperatures [...]
The Aerial Arson Shell from Columbia Sportswear is a light-weight, high-performance ski jacket that will also serve you well while hiking, snowshoeing, or grabbing dinner in your favorite mountain town. The ultra-breathable, waterproof Omni-Dry® slub fabric outer shell will cut the wind and seal out the rain, and the Omni-Heat® thermal reflective liner will keep you nice and warm. The [...]
Ski and Snowboard season is upon us and what better way to kick off the season to do some product testing on The North Face Perception Jacket. The Perception jacket is a Primoloft Eco insulated jacket with Gore Windstopper to help keep out the elements. Primoloft for those of you not aware of the insulation [...]
For the gear snob that has pretty much everything, but wants to have the newest, lightest and greatest gear, the Patagonia Ultralight Down Hoody might just do the trick. The Ultralight Down Hoody is an 800 down fill jacket that works great as an outer layer and also works nice as under a shell for [...]
Waterproof and breathable has been marketed for many years now, but you know just as well as I do that waterproof and breathable haven’t really gotten along all that well in the past. For this fall/winter, Marmot is utilizing a new fabric by Polartec called Neo Shell. Most people know Polartec for its fleece [...]
Not knowing how the weather will act in Colorado can be a difficult challenge when deciding on layers for going out. If you wear your down jacket you might be too hot, and a fleece might not be enough warmth. That’s where the Mountain Hardwear Lado jacket comes in. The Lado Jacket packs a lot [...]
Before wearing the Powderhorn Gunpowder jacket, I thought all puffy jackets were the same: warm, lightweight and fragile. I would grab a puffy jacket on very cold days when I had no intention of being near trees or other pointy things that could snag a delicate coat. Now I grab my Powderhorn in nearly all [...]
Finding a down jacket that is fashionable and functional is fortunately a lot easier these days than in the past. Thanks to companies like Descente, we now have options. The Puffy Elle by Descente is a good example and provides extreme warmth in a fun package. The Puffy Elle features “superlight down fabric” for insulation. [...]
Over the past few months, I’ve been testing out the Arcteryx Stingray jacket in activities such as backcountry skiing, resort skiing, snowshoeing, and cold weather hiking. As most of us know by now, Arcteryx has a history producing products of great quality and innovation, and the Stingray jacket is no exception. And while I have [...]
If Vail, Beaver Creek, or Dear Valley are the ski resorts you only frequent, we might have found the jacket for you! The Enigma Flow Down Jacket by Helly Hansen is packed full is features and technology that isn’t available in the majority of jackets on the market, but we must caution you, this jacket [...]
The Obsidian Jacket is Mountain Hardwear’s answer to the technical backcountry shell. The jacket is highly breathable and waterproof, making it a great outer piece in inclement weather. It is also cut with room for adding layers underneath, which is essential for any shell. I tested the jacket as both a ski shell and a [...]
If you haven’t heard of Looptworks, it’s time, www.looptworks.com. The Portland, Oregon, company started in 2009, and uses pre-consumer manufacturing excess materials to create quality, limited-edition products. In addition to creating unique and functional products from t-shirts, to computer bags to coats, Looptworks ‘aims to rid the world of waste while inspiring a generation to [...]
When buying insulated jackets I have always thought the puffier the better. So naturally when I got my hands on Mountain Hardwear’s Lunetta Jacket I was more than skeptical. However, thanks to the Thermic Micro insulation I no longer have to walk around looking like the Michelin Man to stay warm. In fact for 15 [...]
Mountain Hardwear bills the Pyxis jacket as a lightweight fleece jacket that flatters the body with feminine lines and athletic fit. True, but the Pyxis is so much more! On brisk fall days it acts as the perfect stand alone jacket, and when the temperature starts to drop just throw a shell over it and [...]
Jack frost may be able to nip at your nose this winter, but he will not be nipping at your core if you are wearing Columbia’s new Women’s Prism Ice Parka with Omni-Heat Technology! Omni-Heat is Columbia’s break through technology that uses little reflective silver dots that bounce heat off of your body to keep [...]
For someone who spends practically every moment of the fall and winter in a puffy jacket or vest (like me) the Gnar Hoody from Sierra Designs is a great addition to the arsenal. While testing this product around town and in the mountains, I couldn’t get the voice of Ned Flanders out of my head. [...]
Eddie Bauer has a long and impressive heritage of equipping some famous expeditions but has lost a lot of its prestige over the last decade. With the 2009 introduction of the First Ascent line, I believe they have made a phenomenal return to high-quality expedition-ready apparel. They have worked with mountain guides and professionals to [...]
The Civetta Jacket from Mammut is more than your standard ski jacket. For instance, the Civetta jacket is extremely versatile for those that are seeking to head out into the backcountry-sidecountry-or stay in-bounds, because with the Civetta you get three jackets in one. The outer shell features Pontetorto® No Wind® that acts as a windblocker; [...]
