Clothing Reviews

Arc’teryx’s Gamma AR Soft-Shell Pants are ideal for winter hiking and snowsports, with a double-woven softshell fabric that breathes well with a good deal of built-in stretch. The fit is roomy, especially for Arcteryx clothes that generally run slim, with enough room …

Marmot’s Minimalist Shell Mitts are waterproof/breathable shell mitts insulated with a lightweight liner that can be worn alone or layered over insulated gloves or mittens. They are made of Gore-Tex Paclite with reinforced leather palms and are seam-taped for leak-proof protection from …

Outdoor Research Phosphor Down Mitts are warm down-insulated mittens for people who get very cold hands during winter hikes or when downhill skiing, snowboarding, or snowmobiling. They’re insulated with 600 fill power goose down and made with Goretex Infinium with Windstopper. While …

The Minus33 Woolverino ¼ Zip Hoodie is a micro weight, wool blend long sleeve shirt that works well for a cool weather base layer. Woolverino is a blend of Merino Wool (84%), Nylon (12%), and Spandex (4%), which adds strength, elasticity, and …

The Patagonia R1 Air Full-Zip Hoodie is a warm mid-layer fleece that’s ideal for use in very cold weather when worn by itself over a baselayer or under a hardshell jacket. It’s made with recycled polyester fleece and has a unique textured …

Dachstein Extreme Warm Wool Mittens are very warm boiled wool mittens popular with mountaineers. Made with very dense boiled wool (more on this below), they’re windproof and virtually waterproof. When the mercury drops near zero or below, these are the mittens you …

The Outdoor Research Superstrand LT Hoodie Jacket is a lightweight jacket insulated with a new type of polyester insulation that OR is incredibly excited about and hyping like mad calling it “synthetic down” and claiming that “it’s as soft, light, and lofty …

Sealskinz Waterproof Cold-Weather Work Gloves are multi-use winter gloves perfect for splitting wood, shoveling snow, downhill skiing, ice climbing, and winter hikes. You can tell they’re intended for winter sports because they have loops on the back of the index finger to …

Wiggy’s is a cottage manufacturer that makes a variety of products ranging from cold weather sleeping bags to insulated outwear for the wilderness hunting/military market. Their claim to fame is insulation they call Lamilite, which is a popular synthetic insulation called Climashield …

The Decathlon Forclaz Trek 100, 23F Degree Down Packable Puffer Backpacking Jacket ($80) is a no-frills hooded down jacket designed for use as a lightweight three-season insulation layer when camping or during hiking and backpacking rest stops to avoid becoming chilled. Insulated …

The Enlightened Equipment Copperfield Wind Shirt is an extremely light wind shirt that weighs close to 2 oz but still has all the features that hikers and backpackers need for temperature regulation in cool and windy weather. If you’ve never used a …

The Decathlon Quechua MH100 Hiking Fleece is an inexpensive lightweight quarter-zip polyester fleece pullover (hoodless) that can be worn by itself for warmth or layered under a wind-resistant garment like a wind shirt or a waterproof garment like a rain jacket/shell. While …

My warmest winter hat is a Mountain Hardware Dome Perignon beanie. It’s a timeless classic in hiking and mountaineering circles. This is the hat I put on when I’m hiking back down a mountain in winter and I feel the cold wind biting …

Outdoor Research Transcendent Down Gloves provide great warmth and excellent dexterity, which can be a difficult combination to achieve in an insulated winter glove. While mitts and mitten shells are a winter hiking essential, they don’t provide enough dexterity to hold an ice …