insulated jacket reviews

Review: Black Diamond Solution 2.0 Hoody

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Hooded Insulated Jacket
Black Diamond Solution 2.0 Hoody
$299, 13.8 oz./390g (men’s medium) 
Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-XL
Men’s: blackdiamondequipment.com
Women’s: blackdiamondequipment.com

The Black Diamond Solution 2.0 immediately struck me as a unique layer: at first glance, it’s a puffy, but upon deeper inspection, it’s lighter (in weight and insulation) than many synthetic puffies, and also features windproofness and high water-resistance, giving it features found in shells and insulation layers.

I’ve tested the Solution 2.0 as a midlayer and outer layer resort skiing on windy and wet days of moderate snowfall in spring and as my outer layer in chilly campsites while backpacking in the Wind River Range and elsewhere over the summer with the goal of resolving this dichotomy, and I found myself impressed by its performance—the Solution repels wind and water well and provides good warmth for a synthetic puffy of its weight.

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The Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell.

The Best Ultralight Hiking and Running Jackets of 2026

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By Michael Lanza

You’re out on an all-day hike or a long climb or trail run or ride in the mountains. The weather forecast looked pretty good before you set out—but no one shared that memo with the wind that just started hammering your summit ridge, or the spitting rain and hail now pelting you as you contemplate the sudden drop in temperature and the miles between you and shelter. The question now is: What’s in your pack?

If you’re smart—and the weather forecast didn’t look to awful—it’s an ultralight jacket that takes up little space, but is about to gift you with just the right amount of weather protection when you need it.

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Rab Microlight Alpine Down Jacket.

The 12 Best Down Jackets of 2026

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By Michael Lanza

Whatever you need an insulated jacket for, there’s a down or synthetic puffy for your needs, within your budget. And whether you want a puffy jacket for outdoor activities like backpacking, camping, skiing, climbing, and hut treks, or just to keep you warm around town or at outdoor sporting events, this review will help you figure out how to choose the right jacket for your purposes, and it spotlights the best down and synthetic insulated jackets available today.

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A backpacker hiking the Dawson Pass Trail in Glacier National Park.

How You Can Tell How Warm a Down Jacket Is

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By Michael Lanza

While sleeping bags have temperature ratings, with down jackets and other insulated jackets, there exists no easy way to determine how warm any specific garment will be without wearing it outside. But despite the absence of a precise metric for gauging the warmth of down and synthetic puffy jackets, there are ways to assess a specific jacket’s relative warmth before you even see it, using simple metrics. This article will explain how to do that.

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A backpacker above Macon Lake and Washakie Lake in the Wind River Range, Wyoming.

The Best Backpacking Gear of 2026

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By Michael Lanza

The Wind River Range, Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, and the Grand Canyon (all numerous times now). The John Muir Trail. Glacier National Park and the Tetons. The Canadian Rockies. Southern Utah’s Owl and Fish canyons, Buckskin Gulch, and Paria Canyon. Utah’s High Uintas Wilderness, Montana’s Beartooths, and Colorado’s Weminuche. New Hampshire’s Presidential Range. Iceland’s Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails and New Zealand’s Milford Track, Routeburn Track, and Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

These are just some of the places where I’ve recently tested the backpacking gear and apparel that I’ve reviewed at The Big Outside—so that I can give you honest and thorough, field-tested opinions that help you find the best gear for your adventures.

And that’s exactly how I came up with the following picks for today’s best backpacking gear.

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