Gear Reviews

Smartwool Men’s PhD Ultra Light Sport Jacket.

Review: Smartwool PhD Ultra Light Sport Jacket

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Ultralight JacketSmartwool Men’s PhD Ultra Light Sport Jacket$115, 4.5 oz. (men’s medium)Sizes: S-XLmoosejaw.comSmartwool Women’s PhD Ultra Light Hoodie$120, 5 oz.Sizes: XS-XLrei.com Whether hiking, trail running, or mountain biking, when I need a jacket to manage variability in my exertion levels and/or the inevitable wind, temperature swings, and maybe light precipitation, I look for a couple of qualities in that shell: …

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Outdoor Research Ascendant Hoody.

Review: Outdoor Research Ascendant Hoody

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Breathable Insulated Jacket
Outdoor Research Ascendant Hoody
$249, 12 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-XL
backcountry.com

The range of activities, conditions, and seasons in which you wear a jacket arguably says more than anything else about its value, so I’ll tell you what I’ve done (so far) in my Ascendant Hoody: On a 39-mile, mid-September backpacking trip in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, I wore it in camp on cool, windy mornings and evenings. I’ve worn it as a middle layer on days of skiing downhill at resorts, and as an outer or middle layer skiing up and downhill in the backcountry. And I’ve regularly pulled it on to ride my bike on errands around town this winter. Its versatility derives from having just the right amount of breathable insulation to make it the insulated jacket you grab more than any other all year.

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Review: The North Face ThermoBall Active Jacket

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The North Face ThermoBall Active Jacket.
The North Face ThermoBall Active Jacket.

Hybrid Insulated Jacket
The North Face ThermoBall Active Jacket
$150, 14.5 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
ems.com

The December sun was about to drop over the horizon, and the air temperature was dropping even faster—but I was enjoying the skate-skiing around Bear Basin, in the quiet ponderosa pine forest outside McCall, Idaho, too much to head for the car just yet. It didn’t matter. I knew I could wring out the last minutes of daylight and stay warm, despite my base layer being quite sweaty, thanks to the hybrid design and unique insulation in the ThermoBall Active Jacket.

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Gear Review: La Sportiva Solution Climbing Shoes

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La Sportiva Solution climbing shoes.
La Sportiva Solution climbing shoes.

Climbing Shoes
La Sportiva Solution
$180, 1 lb. 5 oz. (men’s size 41)
Sizes: men’s Euro 33-46, women’s Euro 32-43
backcountry.com

Are you ready to dial up your performance climbing steep sport routes on rock, bouldering, or in the gym? If so, put your feet in rock shoes designed for highly technical climbing and bouldering. While not new, La Sportiva’s Solution offers a radical design and shape that places it among the best shoes in this category, making them a leading choice for climbers who gravitate toward defying gravity. Here’s why.

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Gear Review: MSR Lightning Explore 22-inch Snowshoes

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MSR Lightning Explore Snowshoes 22-inch.
MSR Lightning Explore Snowshoes 22-inch.

Snowshoes
MSR Lightning Explore 22-inch
$280, 3 lbs. 15 oz. (men’s), 3 lbs. 11 oz. (women’s)
Sizes: men’s and women’s 22-inch and 25-inch, men’s only 30-inch
backcountry.com

Here’s the thing about snowshoes: This isn’t rocket science. In fact, it’s not even bicycle science. The basic concept of the snowshoe has been around for at least 4,000 years. But while today’s models essentially resemble the footwear worn by ancient Eurasian hunters and others who were trying to mimic the oversized feet of snowshoe hares, they employ modern materials and designs, and they differ in purpose and details that affect performance noticeably in the backcountry. And that’s exactly where the Lightning Explore 22-inch snowshoes, um, float above the competition.

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