It seems that the humble fleece jacket is getting a lot of competition these days. There have been quite a few companies that have recently come out with compressible insulation layers designed to replace a fleece jacket in your pack. Not one to be left behind, Brooks Range Mountaineering came out with their own, the…
Fleeces have been the go to insulation layer for quite some time. While they insulate well, there are some significant drawbacks. Chief among these are that they’re not even remotely windproof, and they’re bulky in a backpack. Recently though, there’s been a trend to replace the fleece with a very light down jacket as down…
For all it’s flash, there really isn’t that much innovation in the outdoor world. Sure, designs get reworked on a yearly basis. New breathable fabrics come out, but they’re mostly based on the same technology that came out 30 years ago. That is to say, innovation in the outdoor world is evolutionary, rather than revolutionary….
Merrell’s Spindrift jacket is a heavyweight softshell that’s equally at home on the streets and on the slopes. Read more for our review.
While the company is perhaps most famous for their lines of footwear, Merrell also makes a full line of apparel and bags. We happened to get our hands on the Carbon and Siren jackets from the company to give them a try.
The joke I’ve heard around the Seattle area is that when a Seattleite goes out to a fancy dinner, they put on their dress fleece. Looking through my closet you can find a couple fleeces that could be considered ‘dress fleeces’. These are the fleeces I use on a daily basis when not hiking. They’re…
Ah Arc’Teryx, the Vancouver, BC based company that makes some of the most expensive jackets on the planet. With the price of the Alpha SV recently going over $600 US, you wouldn’t be out of line asking exactly what you get for that much money. Despite the costs, Arc’Teryx is famous for making some of…
Confused by the plethora of jacket options at your local REI? Wondering what a soft shell is and why exactly is that jacket worth $200? Read more and find the answer.