Lightweight Soft Shell
Rab Boreas/Aurora Pull-On
$75, 9 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
rab.uk.com
Hikes and trail runs on crappy fall and spring days, fast-changing mountain weather in summer, highly aerobic activities in winter—for all of these things, nothing beats a highly breathable, lightweight pullover or jacket. The men’s Boreas and women’s Aurora are ideal for all of those pursuits.
Wearing the Boreas in chilly wind while hiking across snow on the Ptarmigan Traverse in the North Cascades, dayhiking in the Columbia Gorge, and on cool-weather trail runs, I found it delivers a perfect blend of super breathability to prevent my shirt from getting soaked and cuts the wind just enough to keep me from feeling cold. The four-way stretch fabric allows an athletic fit without inhibiting range of motion. The close cut of the hood permits wearing it under a helmet; while the hood isn’t adjustable, it stays put on your head in wind. The deep partial front zipper offers good venting. I found the sleeves a little long but easily rolled up. It’s not coated for water resistance, so expect it to wet out in anything more than a light rain or snowfall.
—Michael Lanza