The LightHeart Gear Rain Jacket (MSRP $150) is a lightweight siliconized polyester (silpoly) waterproof rain jacket made the old-fashioned way, without any so-called waterproof/breathable fabric. Coated on the outside with silicone and on the inside with polyurethane (PU), this maintenance-free rain jacket …
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Wiggy’s Waders Review
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 …
Read More »Patagonia R1 Air Full Zip Hoodie Review
The Patagonia R1 Air Full Zip Hoodie is a surprisingly warm and breathable mid-layer fleece jacket that’s perfect for cold-weather hiking and backpacking. It has two zippered handwarmer pockets and a chest pocket, a snug-fitting under-the-helmet hood, and stretch wrist cuffs that …
Read More »REI XeroDry GTX Jacket Review
The REI XeroDry GTX Jacket is a 2-layer waterproof/breathable jacket that’s good for use in cooler weather or as a winter hard shell. While it doesn’t have pit zips, it’s fully featured in every other way, with a two-way adjustable hood, velcro …
Read More »Outdoor Research Foray II Rain Jacket Review
The Outdoor Research Foray II Jacket is a 2-layer Gore-Tex Paclite waterproof/breathable rain jacket that can be worn year-round for hiking and backpacking. Its claim to fame are its TorsoFlo side vents…think pit zips on steroids…which let you unzip the jacket from …
Read More »Enlightened Equipment Copperfield Wind Shirt Review
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 …
Read More »Decathlon Forclaz MT100 Hooded Down Puffer Jacket Review
The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 ($100) is a no-frills hooded down jacket designed for use as a lightweight three-season insulation layer when camping or during hiking rest stops to avoid becoming chilled. Insulated with 800 fill power down, it’s surprisingly inexpensive compared to …
Read More »Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite Rain Jacket Review
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 …
Read More »Fjallraven Keb Eco-Shell Jacket Review
The Fjallraven Keb Eco-Shell is a 3-layer waterproof/breathable jacket built for backpacking and technical adventures. Made from Fjallraven’s recycled Eco-Shell fabric, the Keb Eco-Shell Jacket breathes, wicks, stretches, and completely protects against wind, snow, and rain. With a highly adjustable hood, ample …
Read More »KUIU Peloton 97 Fleece Zip-T Hoodie Review
The KUIU Peloton 97 Fleece Zip-T Hoodie is a versatile and ultralight fleece hoodie that can be worn as an active outer clothing layer down to about 20 degrees but also works well as a mid-layer in colder conditions. It’s amazingly warm …
Read More »Dachstein Extreme Warm Wool Mittens Review
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 …
Read More »Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody Review
The Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody is a lightweight windshirt (wind shell or windbreaker) that can be used for multiple sports from hiking and mountaineering to climbing and trail running. It’s very barebones, with a one-way adjustable hood, stretch cuffs, a zippered chest pocket, …
Read More »Lightheart Gear Alpha Direct Hoodie Review
Lightheart Gear has started making Polartec Alpha Direct hoodies that are great for hiking, backpacking, and lounging around at home. There’s an incredible demand for hoodies made with fleecy and warm Polartec Alpha Direct because it is such a good insulator and …
Read More »REI Magma 850 Down Hoodie Jacket Review
The REI Magma 850 Down Hoodie Jacket strikes an excellent balance between warmth, features, cost, and durability. Insulated with highly compressible premium goose down, it’s an ideal insulation layer for cold-weather camping and hiking when you need a warm jacket to enjoy …
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