backcountry skiing apparel reviews

The Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie.

Review: Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie

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Water-Resistant Down Jacket
Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie
$299, 15.4 oz./437g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-3XL, women’s XS-XL, plus sizes 1X-4X
backcountry.com

The wind blew strong and steady and the temperature sat just several ticks above freezing on our mornings and evenings backpacking the three-day loop through Owl and Fish canyons in southern Utah in early May. I was happy to have not brought an ultralight insulated jacket on that trip—as I often do in spring in the Southwest—because my Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie had the heft to keep me warm in that below-freezing wind chill. And it delivers rare protection from wet weather—at a price lower than most high-quality down jackets.

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Beyond Clothing Alpha Aura Jacket.

Review: Beyond Clothing Alpha Aura Jacket

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Hooded Fleece Jacket
Beyond Clothing Alpha Aura Jacket
$180, 12 oz./340g (men’s medium)
beyondclothing.com

On days of resort and backcountry skiing ranging from relatively mild winter temperatures just below freezing to a frigid day ski touring that dropped to 10° F by the time I finished, Beyond Clothing’s hooded Alpha Aura Jacket demonstrated its versatility as a supremely breathable middle and outer layer for cool- to cold-weather activities year-round, with unique design features that improve its weather protection and durability under a backpack.

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The Himali Limitless Grid Fleece Hoodie.

Review: Himali Limitless Grid Fleece Hoodie

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Hooded Fleece Jacket
Himali Limitless Grid Fleece Hoodie
$180, 9.2 oz./261g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL
himali.com

The evolution of fleece has traced an arc toward efficiency and versatility that now seems to be reaching its apex in lightweight fleece hoodies, perfectly exemplified by Himali’s Limitless Grid Fleece Hoodie. The breadth of activities, conditions, and environments where I’ve worn it speak to my point, including a six-day September hike through the Wind River Range, where I wore it on cool mornings on the trail and in my bag every night, with lows from the high 30s Fahrenheit to freezing; and four October adventures: a four-day backpacking trip with temps often in the 30s and 40s and plenty of cold wind, mostly on the Uinta Highline Trail in Utah’s High Uintas Wilderness; a 13-hour, four-summit dayhike in Utah’s Wasatch Range; backpacking in southern Utah’s Escalante region; and a raw, rainy hike in southern New Hampshire; plus a local trail run in the chilly, fading daylight of a November afternoon.

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The North Face Ceptor Jacket.

Review: The North Face Ceptor Jacket and Bib

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Winter Shell Jacket and Bibs
The North Face Ceptor Jacket
$430, 1 lb. 9 oz. (men’s medium)
The North Face Ceptor Bib
$410, 1 lb. 12 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes for both: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XXL
backcountry.com

When you love skiing, you commit yourself to enduring almost any weather conditions for your sport—and that requires a shell jacket and pants that really protect you from the elements. Through numerous full days of skiing at Oregon’s Mount Bachelor and the full range of Cascades weather—dumping snow, cold temps and wind, occasional sunshine and, yes, even winter rain—TNF’s Ceptor Jacket and Bib kept my college-age daughter, a former ski instructor, smiling and ripping all day.

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The Himali Accelerator Down Jacket.

Review: Himali Accelerator Down Jacket

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Down Jacket
Himali Accelerator Down Jacket
$345, 12.5 oz./354g (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL
himali.com

On cool mornings and windy evenings in the low 40s Fahrenheit (4-6° C) in campsites while backpacking the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park and the Nigel, Cataract, and Cline Passes Route in the White Goat Wilderness in the Canadian Rockies in August, my Himali Accelerator Down Jacket kept me perfectly warm over just one or two base layers. By many measures, this midweight puffy hits the target for three-season mountain adventures in its balance of weight, packability, warmth, materials, water resistance, and features—all at a competitive price for a high-quality down jacket.

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