Clothing Reviews

I’m a big fan of REI’s clothing because it’s affordable, good quality, and virtually indistinguishable from the other name brand products they sell. This includes their Waterproof/Breathable Rain Pants (the latest update has been renamed “Essential Rain Pants”) which are a steal at $60/pair (often available for less), and are …

Tilley Airflo Hats have an iconic status in hiking and backpacking circles. Handmade in Canada, these durable hats have a wide brim to shield you from sun and rain, they come with a special wind strap developed by sailors to keep it on in windy weather, and even have a secret …

The North Face HyperAir GTX Trail Jacket is an ultralight, breathable rain jacket that only weighs 5.0 oz in a size XL and compresses down to the size of a sandwich bag. This jacket is even lighter weight and more minimal than the first generation HyperAir GTX Rain Jacket (note …

The Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite Rain Jacket is an inexpensive and durable rain jacket with a fully adjustable hood, zippered side pockets, velcro wrist closures, and a cord-adjustable waist. This well-fitting jacket is a great waterproof and windproof layer with fully-taped seams to keep rain out. Priced at an MSRP …

The Montane Icarus Jacket is a warm hooded jacket that’s filled with PrimaLoft’s ThermoPlume fill, a synthetic insulation that’s been designed to mimic down, except for the fact that it will keep you warmer if it gets damp or wet. Like goose down, ThermoPlume consists of small clusters of fibers that …

The Montane Wolf Hoodie is a body-mapped mid-layer technical fleece hoodie with warmer, higher density fleece areas over your core, and thinner, less insulating fleece along your sides, under the arms, and on the neck and hood where you’re most likely to overheat and perspire. The warmer areas of the Wolf …

Baselayer tops and bottoms are supposed to transport perspiration from your skin into your midlayer clothing so that you stay drier and warmer when you’re working hard in cold weather. That’s the theory behind layering. But how many times have you pulled off your fleece sweater, only to find that …

The LightHeart Gear Rain Jacket (MSRP $99) is a lightweight ripstop nylon waterproof rain jacket made the old-fashioned way, without any so-called breathable fabric. Coated on the outside with silicone and on the inside with polyurethane, this maintenance-free rain jacket won’t wet out like much more expensive waterproof breathable jackets that …