Mammut clearly listened to feedback from skiers and riders when they made the Bristol Jacket, and it is an excellent choice for resort-goers. With high-end fabrics, strong attention to detail, and well-thought-out features, the Bristol jacket is a premium option in the lightly-insulated, free skiing/snowboarding jacket category. DRYtech fabric keeps the wetness out and [...]
Mammut is a Swiss brand that falls into the category of high-end performance wear, and caters to the needs of the extreme-use customers, such as mountain guides and other outdoor professionals. The Mammut Nordwand Jacket is exemplary of Mammut’s commitment to performance. The Nordwand is a hard shell featuring GORE-TEX’s top-of-the-line Pro Shell 3-Layer fabric. [...]
If you are in the market for an all-weather, winter hiking boot, take note. The new Delta Boot by KEEN is made for both men and women, and is a very capable option for you winter activities. While KEEN is best recognized for their summer waterfront shoes, their sturdy boots are also very [...]
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 [...]
I just returned from two days at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market (ORWM), an outdoor industry trade show. ORWM is where all the labels (large and small) showcase their new product for the following year, in this case Fall/Winter 2012/13. Retailers come from all over to see and touch the new goods, and to place their [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
I felt fortunate to be able to test a pair of LOWA S-Cruise GTX women’s trail shoes. Upon first removing the shoes from the box my initial thought was, “whoa, these are kind of heavy for a trail runner.” I wondered if they just felt heavy compared to my street shoes. I even asked my [...]
Sorel, once again, mixes fashion-forward and function with the Tofino Canvas Boot. Last year, I tested out Sorel’s Cate the Great and fell in love instantly. Since the Tofinos arrived, I sadly have not stepped foot in my Cates. The Tofinos are not only attractive, they pack features that make them worthy of calling themselves [...]
With the Odin line, Helly Hansen has taken its considerable experience in the technical outerwear industry, and created a collection of products that is perfect for the outdoor professional and demanding consumer. Featuring Helly’s highest-end fabric, Helly Tech Professional, the Odin Guiding Light jacket offers extreme weather protection in a very lightweight and breathable package. [...]
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 [...]
Winter is right around the corner. What shoes are you going to turn to when the snow and slop invades the sidewalks? Boots are great, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes you don’t need all of the extra protection that a boot offers. Slip-on clogs often fit the bill; as they are easy as pie [...]
With travel season in full swing, we sometimes find ourselves packing the car/SUV and wishing we had just a bit more room to fit in an extra suitcase, tent, sleeping, bag, stuffed animal, etc. And while packing a car/suv isn’t the funnest thing on earth, riding in a car with your luggage on your lap [...]
Using a trail running shoe for hiking can be beneficial in a number of ways. First, they are typically much lighter than heavier and bulkier hiking shoes. Second, they are typically a lot more comfortable. Third, it’s easy to have one shoe that can do it all. And while trail running shoes are excellent for [...]
Obōz (pronounce it with a long “o”) is a cool little company out of Bozeman, Montana that takes their outdoor footwear seriously. The company was not one I was familiar with, so I couldn’t stop myself from poking around their website to see who they were and what they were all about – take a [...]
With snow starting to turn to rain in many parts of the US, it’s nice to have a rain jacket that can handle the elements whether you’re hiking the Appalachian Trail or hiking up one of Colorado’s 14′ers. I’ve been testing out the Columbia Peak 2 Peak Jacket over the past few months to see how [...]
For starters, we loved the name of this bag, The Black Hole! Patagonia allows you to select from three different sizes to determine how big your Black Hole needs to be to match your base camp and travel needs. We tested out the 60L version, however the bag is available in 90L and 120L with [...]
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 [...]
The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market gave us a chance to check out what is new and different for Fall 2011. Mountain Hardwear created a lot of buzz with the launch of their newest waterproof-breathable technical fabric, DryQ. MH’s DryQ will be available in 3 sport specific designs: active, elite, and core. DryQ Elite will be [...]
Over the past year, I have been testing out the Sabino Trail Mid GTX by Montrail. This mid hiking boot/shoe is a lightweight hiking companion that is great for longer day hikes and hikes where you want to keep dirt, mud and snow out while providing additional ankle support. During the dry season and summer months, [...]
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 [...]
