Hard Shell
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Every outdoor situation demands a slightly different layering system, but with these three puffies and three shells, you can pretty much do it all
The company claims it has made a more waterproof, more breathable jacket. We took it ski touring to put those specs to the test.
Our favorite puffies and shells for men and women, whether you鈥檙e riding lifts or out for a tour
Focus on fit, insulation, and fancy extras (or lack thereof)
Heavy-duty and highly visible, the Nordwand Advanced HS jacket is making a splash at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market
The sad story behind one of the outdoor industry's smartest hard-shell designs. Turns out, we were the problem.
When to wash your shell, how to apply a DWR, and whether to choose a spray-on or wash-in
Dress for success when you get snow, rain, and sunshine, all in 24 hours
This jacket is knit from recycled polyester "yarn," making it dump heat better than its competitors
Columbia just reinvented the rain jacket, and it works great
Gear companies from around the world released their brand-new summer 2016 products this week at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City. We pored over all of it, and these five products鈥攆rom a brilliant new water filter to a totally reinvented waterproof jacket鈥攚ere our top picks for Gear…
Could this be the last rain jacket you鈥檒l ever buy?
Barely-there shells for all kinds of conditions
An extremely sophisticated, somewhat mystical process that will surprise you
The Fuse Uno is revolutionizing the way jackets are stitched together.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the Summer 2013 Buyer鈥檚 Guide, including the Rab Maverick.
A company never satisfied with the status quo has designed two new jackets that are as cozy and comfortable as some of your favorite pieces
In the past 12 months, Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, Polartec, Gore-Tex, and Stoic have introduced new waterproof-breathable membranes. We won鈥檛 bore you with the wonky details of their lofty claims; all you need to know is that each is more breathable than many of the jackets we鈥檝e been raving about for years.
Nordic skiers and cold-climate runners will love this aerobic-oriented jacket, which has a wind-blocking front face and a thin, breathable back.
国产吃瓜黑料 picks the essentials for March, including the Arc'teryx Motus Crew.
国产吃瓜黑料 picks the essentials for January, including the Westcomb Switch LT Hoody.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Nau 3/4 Length Cocoon jacket.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Jones Snowboards Mountain Twin.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Canada Goose HyBridge Lite jacket
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Helly Hansen Odin Mountain jacket.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Cassin X-All -Mountain ice ax
What's the best technical shell for skiing? I'm looking for a jacket that isn't bulky and provides versatility in more than one season.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Helly Hansen Barrier Stretch 3L Jacket.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Marmot Nano.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Patagonia Torrentshell Pullover.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Columbia Peak 2 Peak jacket.
We'll be rafting the Grand Canyon in August and the gear list includes a full rain suit. Any recommendations? Steve Charleston, SC
I'm looking for a lightly-insulated jacket to ski in and use for general winter wear. I would love something that is waterproof, stretchy, layerable, and versatile. The big thing is, I need it to FIT. I'm a short guy (5'6") with an athletic build. Seems like whenever I try on jackets at a retailer, the sleeve cuffs are dragging on the floor. Any advice for us shorties who are in search of the magic shell? Jon Cleveland, OH
I'm looking for a waterproof hard shell outer layer, preferably three-ply, for winter activities...skiing, hiking, snowshoeing. Somewhere between bombproof and minimalist?MikeNewton, MA
I'm going on a mountaineering expedition in Peru's Cordillera Blanca next summer. Being a college student, I don't have tons of money to shell out, so what is the best hard shell jacket for the best price?BryanBoone, NC
I am looking at replacing my Marmot shell after ten years of use. As was the challenge last time, I am having a hard time with fit. I am 6'3" and most sizes that fit are XL, which means I have the proper arm length; however, it is too big around the torso. The misconception is that tall is big when tall is often fit. Do you have any recommendations for a shell that will give proper fit without sacrificing performance and durability? Daniel Ottawa, Ontario
“I’d climb Everest in this jacket,” said one tester. We doubt his fitness but not the jacket’s. A top-tier combo of Gore-Tex fabrics—ounce-saving PacLite in the torso and burly three-layer XCR on the shoulders—provides maximum durability, waterproofing, and breathability with minimum weight. Superb details include two-way pit zips, a…
HIGH-PERFORMANCE HIPSTER Newcomer Scapegoat absolutely nailed “performance casual” with the Rosti, which instantly felt like an old favorite. It’s ideal for resort cruising and sidewalk surfing. On the slopes, the waterproof-breathable fabric, PrimaLoft One insulation, and meticulous seam-taping stood up to driving squalls at Beaver Creek. It doesn’t have tons…
Good for Backcountry 1. No matter what the weather, the Icefield was ready. The shell—a slightly stretchy, very sturdy ripstop polyester with a waterproof-breathable membrane—shucked off epic dumps at Jackson Hole and wet slop on Washington’s Mount Baker. But inside was the perfect amount of…
Good for Trail When the weather waffled between freezing rain and slushy snow, this top-shelf technical jacket hit its stride. It’s a hybrid—a 750-fill down sweater wrapped in an eVent hard shell—that never wet out, even in a deluge, but breathed well enough for alpine treks and…
Where are the gills? On a fast hike uphill in 40-degree weather, the latest iteration of Hardwear’s Epic fabric showed no signs of vapor trap. And when I picked up the pace, cracking the large pit zips and mesh-backed front pockets kept me cool. High-class touches include a laser-cut,…
THE CLASSIC If Toyota made a jacket, it would be a lot like the Escape: solid performance, great value. Made of Gore-Tex Performance Shell (the new name for the classic two-layer waterproof-breathable fabric), the Escape shucked off the elements in the nastiest Northwest storms. It’s not as light as comparably…
THE CRUISER Good for Backcountry The Burnside is neither the lightest nor the most technical jacket here, but that’s not this crossover shell’s point. The two-ply waterproof-breathable polyester shell repels precipitation well enough for a full day on the slopes or a long hike or walk…
You might not recognize all the new jacket ingredients these days, but the main courses remain the same. There are still waterproof-breathable hard shells for full-on deluges, breathable and stretchy soft shells for just about every other kind of weather, and the growing category of lightly insulated jackets for…
If God is in the details, the Zorro is heaven-sent. The hood, which adjusts behind the head and below the chin, cinches out of view with or without a helmet—making it the best we tested. The gaping chest pockets easily accept backcountry skins or salami, and the solid pocket…
MOST VERSATILE New Gore-Tex Pro Shell fabric, which is lighter, more comfortable, and more durable than the company’s former top-of-the-line stuff (XCR), is one of the season’s standout innovations. The key is a softer inner fabric that works great when worn over a base layer. In the La Grave, Marmot…
MR. VERSATILITY Good for Backcountry Looking for something you can backpack in all summer and then ski in come winter? The Troll Wall is your jacket. Simply detach its powder skirt and you’ve got a lightweight—just 19 ounces—and easy-to-pack rain shell you can wear year-round. The…
Versatile Hybrid Much like the Ruston, the Doublet is a soft/hard shell hybrid. While it’s not 100-percent waterproof, it offers up way more protection than your average soft shell. But don’t get hung up on classifying it. The Doublet’s hood, shoulders, arms, and body are constructed from highly water-resistant ripstop…
(The Hybrid)This mix-and-match jacket uses two types of fabric to deliver a blend of soft- and storm-shell performance. Waterproof-breathable nylon protects the shoulders, chest, and hips—the points where you get the most exposure. Stretchy, breathable material covers the sweat-prone areas of the core. The hybrid won’t keep you…
SOFT BUT BURLY You know you have a winner when testers argue over who gets to wear it. Such was the squabbling over the Langtang, which, despite being cut from Gore-Tex Soft Shell fabric, performs more like a storm shell than a softie. It’s completely waterproof, of course, and survived…
MINIMALIST PERFORMER Good for Backcountry Like the Marmot (near left), the waterproof-breathable Shuksan was a tester favorite among all-season jackets. True, this pared-down shell has no winter-specific features, but that doesn’t mean it can’t handle the cold. The well-designed hood can accommodate a helmet, and the…
Simple Security Talk to any jacket designer and he’ll tell you the same thing: The more pockets and doodads a waterproof jacket has, the more seams it requires, and thus the more opportunities water has to seep through. That’s why the Stash, part of online gear retailer…
Patagonia has virtually erased the line between soft shell and storm shell with the Spraymaster. The incredibly stretchy, astoundingly waterproof, and impressively breathable lightweight shell fuses the best of both worlds. Call it a firm shell. And rest assured, it’s the one jacket that will prompt you to seek…
HARD CHARGER Consider this category-defying hybrid a soft storm shell. Waterproof-breathable eVent on the shoulders, arms, and hood keeps you dry, while the seam-taped and NanoSphere-treated Schoeller Dynamic soft shell breathes well and is incredibly water-resistant (and impervious to apr猫s beer and wine, which we also tested). Westcomb dared us…
RAIN While the ultralight, compressible Kulshan repels snow and rain as well as a fully featured rain jacket, the eVent hard-shell material, a waterproof laminate, is still miraculously breathable. Wear it when you plan to bust ass on a wet day. rei.com…
Mountain-Ready Eddie Bauer went all out to create its new line of high-end outerwear, packs, and accessories, enlisting the help of an A-Team of mountain guides like Ed Viesturs and Dave Hahn. You can tell. The Rainier Storm has everything we look for in a versatile shell: easy-to-adjust pit zips,…
Remember that high school buddy who souped up an old Datsun 510, then went looking for suckers to race? The Taku is his kind of jacket. At first glance this 2005 Gear of the Year pick is just another storm shell, but a closer look reveals a whole lotta functional…
FEATHERWEIGHT First impression: Too light to abuse—or rely upon on in really nasty weather. But doubters became believers in the field: It’s every bit as durable and waterproof as jackets twice the weight and didn’t slow testers down on a wet-weather run from the summit of Mount Adams. The trick?…
1. Keeping rain out is never the problem; a $2 poncho can do that. But if you want a jacket that also holds up the other end of the bargain, letting moisture out, it’s going to cost you—usually around $200. Which is why we were so impressed with the…
You can pretty much bet on a short, fierce thunderstorm on your hike. This shell has welded seams and a cinchable but ample-size hood to make sure not a drop of rain gets through. And when the weather clears? It scrunches to the size of a grapefruit in your…
FLYWEIGHT CONTENDERThe seven-ounce Essence is no sissy, thanks to a tough ripstop nylon fabric. The tapered cut keeps excess fabric from flapping—but a little extra material under the arms keeps the jacket from sneaking up your torso when you go for that just-out-of-reach bolt. This two-layer, welded-seam shell is armed…
On a spring heli-ski trip in British Columbia, this synthetic-filled jacket provided a near-perfect balance of warmth, protection, and breathability. Credit the Windstopper shell, long pit zips, and removable hood. 1.9 lbs; mountainhardwear.com…
Heading someplace hot and wet? The Cruiser is your jacket. It’s cut from eVent fabric—arguably the most breathable waterproof fabric on the market—and has big pit zips for extra venting. As for keeping water out, the combination of an extra-tall collar and four-adjustment-point hood is as good as it…
Testers raved about how smoothly this waterproof trench coat transitioned from hikes in the woods to art galleries. Plus it was pineapple-size in our suitcase. merrell.com…
VIKING-TESTEDThis is virtually the national label of Iceland—and for good reason. When it’s raining daggers in Reykjav铆k, this two-layer piece keeps you bone-dry, thanks to an eVENT waterproof-breathable membrane that bars rain and wicks away perspiration. Soft fleece lines the collar and pockets, and a zip-off hood moves with you…
1. An eco-conscious makeover of one of Marmot’s most popular pieces for the past 15 years, the redesigned Catalyst won over nearly every tester. An outer polyester fabric kept out blasts of wind, and the soft recycled-polyester liner stayed cozy even while wicking sweat. Our favorite update: Stretch-fabric panels…
The WeatherEdge was this year’s biggest surprise. Less than $120, pit zips, a fully functioning hood? There really isn’t a catch, though. It’s every bit as waterproof as jackets that cost twice as much and, while it’s not quite as breathable as the pricier jackets here, all you have…