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shop.pearlizumi.com, six ounces
Most of us suffer from having too much stuff. But this two-in-one jacket has zip-off sleeves, allowing it to double as a light weight vest. The result? Greater versatility and fewer items to crowd your gear closet. We like the jacket for commuting, after-work rides, and anytime you need lightweight protection. The sleeves zip off easily, and can be stored in the back pocket when not needed. The lightweight polyester fabric is wind and water resistant—in common parlance that means you can ride in light rain and breezy, cool conditions while staying warm and dry. Our testers report that the fabric has decent breathability—on the long ride from Ft. Davis to Marfa, TX, our tester said that despite high humidity and warm temperatures, she didn’t feel like she was trapped in a sauna. The design includes two hand warmer pockets, a rear pocket, and a zip chest pocket—plenty of room for energy gels, a money clip, and even a soft-sided water pouch. A full-length front zipper lets you vent when you need wind and water protection and extra breathability. Our testers loved the silky feel of the jacket—and the fact that the zippers are covered by wind-blocking flaps, decreasing the dork factor that often accompanies zip-off apparel.
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We’ve liked eVent ever since they entered the market, but they really won us over when they went the anti-Gore Tex route and stopped requiring companies to print their brand on every piece of apparel that used their waterproof/breathable technology. Instead, they decided to work with manufacturers, who could use the eVent tech in any way they desired, becoming an ingredient in a company’s proprietary technology. The end result? More, high-quality waterproof/breathable apparel across the market with a wider price range.
This fall eVent will continue to innovate with gear-makers with the introduction of the eVent DVL textile, engineered for lightweight, high-performance rainwear. The acronym stands for Direct Venting Light, and the first products that will feature this fabric will be unlined garments tailored for high-exertion activities in conditions that don’t demand durable, bomb-proof fabrics. Westcomb’s Focus LT Hoody (pictured, left) comes out this fall. It’ll feature a full-cut design with a Napoleon pocket, an adjustable hood, Velcro cuff closure, and a one-hand-adjustable waist. It’ll weigh 6.8 ounces and retail for $279. And in spring 2013 Rab gets into the game with the Maverick Jacket ($225; for men and women), the men’s Maverick Pants ($180) and the men’s Viper Jacket ($260; pictured, right).
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The three pitching options of the Skyledge tent, including the way to keep the tent dry in a downpour.
The Mountain Hardwear innovation that will likely garnish much of the fanfare in spring 2013 will be the cadre of active apparel outfitted with Cool.Q ZERO, which boasts “active cooling technology.” Pieces like the Way2Cool Short-Sleeve T ($65) will wick the sweat off your skin, then use a proprietary technology to cool your body before the moisture evaporates. We’ve tested the same tech in Columbia products (the parent company of MH) and so far it works. We’ll continue to test and let you know what we find.
Elsewhere on the apparel side, the Ghost Whisperer Down Jacket ($300) offers 850-fill down insulation in a package that weight a measly seven ounces, but should keep you warm and dry whenever the weather gets rough. As with all down products in Mountain Hardwear’s line, the Ghost Whisperer boasts waterproof Q.Shield DOWN. The Plasmic Jacket should also be a fast-mover on the retail shelves. The hard shell jacket employs MH’s proprietary Dry.Q Evap for waterproof/breathable protection, with a sly-looking exposed water-resistant zipper and a wide array of colors. Priced at only $140, it could become a gateway drug to Mountain Hardwear for the uninitiated.
Finally, on the outdoor shelter front, they’re introducing the Skyledge 2 and 3 ($450, $550). The footprint for both the two- and three-tent is included in the price, which gives you three out-of-the-box pitch options: the tent and fly, just the tent, or just the fly, with the tent frame anchored in place by the footprint (pictured, above). This last option also lets you pitch your tent in the rain; just roll out the footprint, assemble the frame, toss over the fly, and then you can then pitch the tent without worrying about getting the tent interior fully soaked. And for the ultra-lighter go-getter, there’s the SuperMegaUL 1, a free-standing one-person tent that weighs in at 1 pound, 14 ounces for $350.
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Looking toward spring 2013, Arc’Teryx will continue to develop some of the best-performing products in the outdoor industry. And while their price points are some of the highest, our experience with their line has proven that you’re buying a jacket, pack, or a lifestyle piece that’ll last a lifetime, not just a season. Here are a few things that have us excited.
The bag line will expand next spring to include a variety of travel packs, which will appear in three sizes, from carry-on to checkable. The duffle-style Covert line will be made of 500D Cordura and a burly double weave for solid weather resistance, and come with stashable shoulder straps, strategically-placed grab handles, and light-colored inner lining to help you find what you need quickly. Meanwhile, the new Haku Rope Pack is destined to become a climber’s favorite crag accessory. The medium-sized shoulder pack incorporates a massive tarp at the bag’s mouth. When you’re ready to haul your rope to the next crag or hike out for the day, you spread out the tarp, dump the rope on it, pick up the tarp by the corners, lift, shake, and—viola—the rope drops into the bottom of the pack. Then you just fold in the tarp, roll the bag closed like a dry bag, and you’re ready to go. No more stuffing and jamming to fit everything in. (We also think it may offer great last-minute travel packing solutions for the less OCD-inclined.) On the backcountry side, the newly designed Aristo packs look interesting; they incorporate “wingman” side pockets at both sides of the pack base for easy, on-the-go access, which lets the pack ride against the lumbar for on-the-trail comfort.
On the apparel side, they’ll playing with a mixture of fabrics, employing patches of Gore-Tex Pro and Paclite in the Theta SL Hybrid Jacket for targeted, on-the-body performance, and mixing up cotton and poly in their 24 lifestyle line. We also love what we saw of the women’s Codetta (pictured), a three-quarter-length hooded jacket made from Gore-Tex, with a hem vent and fashion-forward storm flap over the zipper. This urban, travel-friendly jacket will run for $369.
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shop.hellyhansen.com, 8.4 ounces
Unlike your offspring, you can play favorites when it comes to gear. But it’s also easy to get lost in all the different attributes that inspire that affection. The Odin Fastpack Jacket makes it easier for you by hitting a particular sweet spot: a go-to jacket when conditions carry some threat of rain but you still want to go as minimal as possible. At a feathery 8.4 ounces, it’s the lightest jacket in Helly Hansen’s line, with two wide zipper pockets that double as vents, thin Velcro closers on the sleeves, a chord at the hem, and an easy-to-adjust helmet-compatible hood. That’s it—and that’s all you need in a jacket that disappears into your pack until the weather takes a turn for the worse. The hood felt a bit loose when not worn over a helmet—we were able to adjust it to fit a bare head by pulling in the draw chords, but you may want to wear a visor or baseball hat underneath to add structure. The jacket’s thin fabric boasts HH’s proprietary waterproof/breathable treatment, which kept us dry in a moderate downpour, with only sweated out in really hot, humid conditions. Waterproof zips add to the coat’s moisture-repelling properties. The lightweight fabric won’t stand up to rigorous bush-whacking; those needing a more durable jacket (with the corresponding increase in weight) should look elsewhere.
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