Clothing Reviews

Montane’s Atomic Rain Pants are lightweight waterproof/breathable rain pants with thigh-high side zippers for easy ventilation and temperature regulation. They’re ideal for spring, autumn, and winter hiking in highly variable temperature conditions when you need rain protection for your legs, but cool temperatures can chill you unless you can vent …

Prana’s Stretch Zion Hiking Pants are my favorite hiking pants. They’re buttery soft with just the right amount of stretch. They have snaps in the legs so you can roll them up if you get too warm and include an integrated belt, something that I wish all hiking pant manufacturers …

The Outdoor Research Apollo Jacket is an inexpensive but fully featured waterproof/breathable rain jacket that can be used year-round for hiking and backpacking. Priced at $99 dollars, but often available for less, it compares favorably with other value-priced rain jackets like the Marmot Precip and Patagonia Torrentshell Jackets. The Apollo …

Frugal hiker that I am, really, I picked up a couple of pairs of REI Sahara Convertible Pants on sale. They’re quite thin nylon pants with color coded zip off legs and lots of pockets, including side cargo pockets. I’ve never been a huge fan of convertible pants or cargo …

The Montane Featherlite Smock is a wind shirt that’s good for trail running, hiking, and backpacking in cool or windy weather. Wind shirts are versatile ultralight  layering garment, usually weighing just a few ounces, that you can wear over a thin fleece or wool pullover to prevent the wind from …

Icebreaker’s 200 Oasis Legless base layer bottoms are a 100% Merino Capri-length pant.  The below-the-knee design reduces bulk around your lower legs.  They feature a brushed elastic waistband and flatlock seams for comfort.  The Merino wool offers great warmth, breathability and odor resistance.  The Oasis is made of light 200 …

The Montbell Down Balaclava is insulated with 800 fill power down and can be used to augment an insulated jacket or as a part of a backpacking quilt sleep system. Weighing 3.1 oz (87 grams) it is a highly adjustable piece of headgear with two rear volume adjusters, two elastic …

Darn Tough Mountaineering Extra Cushion Socks are serious socks for seriously cold weather. They are Darn Tough’s thickest sock and 25% thicker than their standard cushion sock. They are made of a combination of merino wool, nylon and lycra spandex to improve shape retention, longevity and wicking. They feature fine …

The Mountain Hardwear Down Hooded Ghost Whisperer Jacket is an ultralight 800 fill power hooded down jacket that’s a great addition to your pack as part of your layering system, especially for winter adventures.  Weighing only 7.3 ounces for the women’s and 7.8 ounces for the men’s, it’s hard to …

If you’re a hiker and you work outdoors, even if it’s just around the house, you know that you can buy perfectly good winter hats and gloves at Home Depot, Lowes, or Amazon that cost a fraction of the gloves you can buy at REI. For example, these insulated Firm …

You don’t need to buy an expensive rain jacket for hiking and backpacking because an inexpensive one will work just as well as one costing an arm and a leg. In fact, most backpackers use rain jackets that cost $100 or less for just this reason. While outdoor clothing manufacturers …

The North Face Tech Glacier 1/4 Zip Fleece Sweater is one of the most popular fleece garments ever made. It’s been one of the North Face’s most popular items for years, but it’s also a very respectable fleece pullover than can be used year-round for serious hiking and backpacking. Fleece 101 …

Finding a good pair of winter hiking pants that will keep you warm while venting excess sweat is one of the more challenging pieces of clothing for winter hikers to acquire. While beginner winter hikers can get by with layering a pair of synthetic long johns under a pair of …

The Seirus Combo Clava is fleece balaclava with an integrated face mask to protect your nose and face from frostbite. I use the Combo Clava for above-treeline winter hiking in the mountains, where frostbite is a real concern on windy days. As a hiker, it’s important to completely cover your eyes, …