GearJunkie awards the Centrifuge Jacket a Top 10 of 2011 Award:

“Our go-to top for cool weather activities like winter trail running and XC skiing, the Centrifuge fits and feels more like a shirt — the front side has a wind-blocking fabric but on back (where you sweat most) there is only a thin, air-permeable fleece. The breathability is matched with a good fit and smart design — thumb holes on each cuff allow you to pull the Centrifuge’s sleeves over your hands, eliminating the need for gloves in temps down to about 40 degrees. A tight hood stretches and fits like a skull cap, and if you zip the jacket up past your chin the Centrifuge offers a thin panel on its collar that you can breathe through.”

Website Monthly Visitors: 12,511
Page Rank: 7/10

Popularity: unranked [?]

Northback Gloves are reviewed on GORP.com:

“Other than a humbling crash, nothing turns a great day on the slopes into a mad dash for the lodge quicker than bad gloves. Outdoor Research offers a simple failsafe solution with their Northback gloves. The waterproof-breathable Gore-Tex inserts keeps hands dry and fully insulated, even in the messiest of East Coast snow (read: freezing rain), the stretchy fabric interwoven between the fingers and across the back allow for close-to-the-skin fit and near-unencumbered dexterity, and a mix of lofty insulation (227 grams on the back, 170 grams on the palm) provide the warmth you need. The palms boast durable, soft leather that wraps around the glove sidewalls for a solid pole grip, and the gauntlet cuffs tie down with a one-hand pull. Little details—like a soft nose wipe on the thumbs and wrist straps to keep the gloves from falling while adjusting mid-lift—round out the bevy of features, but we’re equally impressed by the glove’s clean aesthetic and its overall durability, promising a few seasons of protection against the elements when you most need it.”

Website Monthly Visitors: 25,278
Page Rank: 6/10

Popularity: unranked [?]

Like it or not, the smart phone and other touch screen electronic devices have become mandatory equipment on the mountain while skiing. It’s not just that you need them to let your significant other or your posse know you are running late; your smart phone is also your camera, video camera, compass and on-mountain computer. In short, it has become a tool for everything from assessing conditions, to snapping photos, to looking at NFL scores while you sit on the chairlift.

There’s just one problem. Touch screens don’t work when you’re wearing ski gloves. Some glove manufacturers have tried raised bumps or other features that can engage the screen, but none of those work as well as bare skin—except TouchTec™ leather. Instead of adding something to the leather that will simulate the touch of skin on a screen, TouchTec™ employs a nanotechnology process, which, at its most basic, can be described as microscopic “robots” within the leather of the glove that give it the feel of skin when in contact with a touch screen. And it doesn’t just work in the fingertips—any part of the leather will react with a touch screen.

The end result is a glove that you can keep wearing that works just like your bare hand on your touch-screen device. The technology has been used in fashion gloves since 2009, but Outdoor Research is the first company to put TouchTec™ in the type of gloves you need when out on an alpine climb or skiing. These gloves give you all the protection of our best models along with the touch screen compatibility for, say, tapping out a text from the backcountry or even just operating an ATM on a frigid night.

We put TouchTec™ into two very different gloves to cover a range of activities. The Sensor™ is a light, 100-weight Radiant Fleece™ glove with TouchTec™ on the palm and fingers. It serves well on its own for cold-weather hikes or spring skiing, but it also makes an excellent liner—in brutal conditions remove your heavier outer glove and you can still operate your smart phone without exposing your skin.

Part of our Sidecountry line, the Ambit Gloves™  put TouchTec™ into a high-performance ski-and-snowboard handwear. Seam-taped and waterproof/breathable thanks to the Outdoor Research proprietary Ventia Dry™ fabric, they feature EnduraLoft™ insulation on the back of the hand and thumb, and TouchTec™ leather on the front. And since TouchTec™ is an application, that leather still has all the properties you would want in a ski glove, giving you solid grip on your ski poles when you are not busy checking email on your smart phone.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Once upon a time, there was resort skiing and there was backcountry skiing. One required a ski pack and hard work to reach, the other was a place where you rode lifts and didn’t have to work nearly as hard for your turns. But the backcountry had untouched powder, while the resort had tracked-out lines.

Then the rules began to change at ski resorts. Resort boundary gates and hikes traditionally closed to the public opened up, allowing skiers and riders access to backcountry terrain with the ease of riding a lift. Sidecountry skiing was born.

But the sidecountry is more than just popping out a gate at your local resort. According to ski legend Mike Hattrup, who helped design Outdoor Research’s Sidecountry apparel line, sidecountry skiing is “anything from lift-access backcountry to riding a snowmobile or helicopter. The sidecountry skier wants powder and a backcountry feeling, but they also want big vertical. They don’t care how they get up there—maybe they ride lifts to a hike, or maybe they just coast out-of-bounds to some low-hanging fruit. It’s all about milking pow.”

True backcountry skiing, on the other hand, is certainly about powder, but it’s also about the entire experience. It requires hard work on the uphill, skinning or hiking, maybe even putting on crampons or rappelling into a steep couloir. It’s not easy, but it is deeply rewarding.

Those two experiences require different gear. Backcountry demands self-sufficiency and the ability to adapt to changing conditions. Sidecountry? According to Hattrup, it’s a blending of what you need at the resort and what you need for the backcountry. And that difference is reflected in the apparel and other gear that people use for these two different activities.

To start, backcountry apparel needs to be cut tighter and more athletically, especially the ski pants. This may seem counter-intuitive at first. Shouldn’t more athletic apparel be a bit looser to accommodate motion.  “Not exactly,” says Hattrup. “When you are climbing in snow and ice you need to see your feet. And you don’t want your crampons to rip your pants.”

An example is the Outdoor Research TrailBreaker Pants™, which are cut trimmer than Outdoor Research Sidecountry ski pants, and also employ a Ventia Hybrid™ construction—waterproof-breathable material on the lower legs, where the pants are more exposed to moisture, and stretch-woven soft shell on the upper part of the pants, where breathability for the uphill is more important.

Sidecountry apparel, on the other hand, is cut looser, so it’s easy to do things you’re not doing in the backcountry—like sitting down comfortably on the lift. Think about it this way, the fit in backcountry apparel is designed to move with you, while the fit for Sidecountry apparel is designed so that you move inside of it. Sidecountry ski jackets and pants also require durability to stand up to the abuse of the resort, yet they still have to be light enough and provide sufficient ventilation for backcountry laps.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Outdoor Research Sidecountry gear and apparel designed for the resort or backcountry comes down to the built-in features.

“When you are backcountry skiing, you carry a ski pack, but in the sidecountry your jacket often is your pack,” Hattrup says. “You may have to shove your hat or snacks in a pocket that you can easily access while racing up a boot pack for freshies.”

The most important detail on Sidecountry apparel, according to Hattrup, is the ventilation. If you are in the sidecountry you often need to deal with the rapid temperature change between sitting on a cold lift and sweating while hiking up a boot pack. Hattrup has experienced this over and over in the Jackson Hole sidecountry, where short boot packs turn into aerobic exercise.

“You need quick ventilation,” he says. “None of the boot packs are all that long and it’s such a frenzy that you don’t want to stop to deal with a pack and have people pass you. So it’s key to have quick access to the ventilation zippers.”

Thus, he helped Outdoor Research come up with its CrossFlo™ Ventilation Zippers. They’re like pit zips, except they stretch from hip to shoulder and are angled across the upper chest, instead of underneath your arms. This accomplishes a few things: First, they can be accessed while wearing a pack; Second, they’re easier to reach than pit zips; Third, they’re bigger and offer more ventilation than most pit zips; And finally, they allow access to big internal mesh Shove-It™ pockets so you can stash your hat or gloves quickly and easily during a hike.

The Axcess Jacket™, which is a GORE-TEX® fabric shell with light synthetic insulation and a relaxed, but not baggy, fit, includes the CrossFlo™ zippers. The Axcess Pants™ have similar zippers down the outer and inner thighs that allow skiers to dump hot air quickly when on a hike or a skin track.

Hattrup is also a champion of the zip-out Thermodynamic™ balaclava found in shells like the Axcess Jacket™ and the baffled down-insulated StormBound Jacket™. “I love a neck gaiter,” he says, “but it’s never there when you need it. The balaclava gives you complete protection and slips under your helmet during a storm. It’s always there when you need it, but it’s out of the way when you don’t.”

Finally, all Outdoor Research Sidecountry pieces include RECCO® reflectors for compatibility with the RECCO® avalanche search system used by ski patrols around the world.

In a nutshell, the features in the Outdoor Research Sidecountry ski line will give you flexibility and help manage quick turnarounds—just what you need when you are milking powder.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Your hat (or, to be more precise, headwear) is the most important piece of gear you don’t really think about. It’s well known that you lose most of your heat through the top of your head, but what you wear on top of it can do much more than keep you toasty. Your headgear protects from wind, sun and rain. It’s the best layering item you can carry—immediately effective and easy to put on and take off. It’s a much more technical piece of gear than many people think.

So what to look for when you purchase headwear? To start, you need the right tool for the job. Different materials and constructions protect against different conditions—the same hat that’s a lifesaver alpine climbing in Alaska may not be as effective hiking in the Rockies.

Our headwear is all designed for intense use and built with performance fabrics. All Outdoor Research headwear has a technical story of some kind. And thus, we think about it in categories—wind, thermal, rain, sun and expedition. In each, the fabrics and construction match the activity.

Outdoor Research Wind category headwear can be used for anything from skiing to hiking. As the name would imply, it protects you from the wind, because it integrates wind-blocking fabric such as W.L. Gore WINDSTOPPER® fabric mapped into key areas—for example, around the ears and the forehead. Not only does this block wind, it also adds warmth. Take the Storm Beanie™, built with 30 percent wool and 70 percent acrylic, which gives it warmth, as well as a WINDSTOPPER® Technical Fleece lining, which will both help it breathe and ward off the worst of the weather.

Thermal headwear is first and foremost about staying toasty in cold temperatures. Again, Outdoor Research does this with innovative material choices. The Town Wall Beanie™, for example, is built with  drirelease® Wool, a blend of merino wool and polyester. The fibers of the two materials are woven together, which combines the best of both—the beanie is warm, light and wicks away sweat. It’s ideal for everything from snowshoe jaunts with the dogs to skiing backcountry laps.

Rain headgear is where you will find full protection from precipitation. These hats use the same type of waterproof/breathable membrane protection you would find in a jacket or tent to keep the weather out and still allow sweat to escape. A crowd-pleaser that has become a standby in the line, the Seattle Sombrero™, is built with seam-taped, three-layer GORE-TEX® fabric. Rain hats are ideal for long backpacking or paddling trips—times when you don’t necessarily want to wear a hood for long hours.

Sun headwear is key in the desert or even on hot summer days. And it’s especially important up in the high peaks where harmful UV radiation is stronger. It won’t provide as much protection from precipitation but a hat like the Sombriolet™ is key for short- and long-term protection from the deleterious effects of that big disc in the sky. The SunShower Sombrero™ converts from sun hat to rain hat with a waterproof Pertex® Shield cover. Many Outdoor Research hats with brims also feature a unique half-folding brim that allows you to tuck the hat into a pack or your pocket without damaging it.

Expedition headgear provides the highest level of protection for big trips and extended time out in nasty weather. Take the new Transcendent Beanie™. Like a sleeping bag for your head, it’s built with 650+ power fill down wrapped in layers of nylon. It’s light and packs down into a tiny pocket, smaller than an energy bar, making it a possible lifesaver if conditions go south in a hurry.

Many hats in the Outdoor Research line, like the Hat for All Seasons™, defy category. Part sun-hat, part ball cap, wind-blocking and thermal, this one lives up to its name.

So, consider where you’re going, what conditions you’re likely to encounter and what the most extreme conditions you might come across are. Let that inform your choice.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Think of the shell of your backcountry ski jacket as an extension of your skin. Just like the biggest organ in (or should we say on) the body, your shell has two very important purposes—to keep you dry and to breathe. The problem is that those two objectives are often at odds with each other. Wear a completely waterproof shell and you sweat like a pig, but truly breathable jackets won’t keep out foul weather. Just like your skin, a good backcountry shell needs to adapt to changing conditions, and move sweat away from the body as well as it keeps out precipitation.

The secret to that perfect balance of waterproof breathability is the membrane, a porous barrier sandwiched within a shell that won’t let moisture in but will let sweat escape. Now here is an important point: the actual fabric is more than the waterproof/breathable membrane. That membrane is bolstered by the layers that surround it. This combination—the type of fabric and type of membrane—determine what type of performance you get out of a backcountry shell. Now, if all that makes choosing the right shell for you sound confusing, we suggest you look at the balance between how much protection you need, how heavy you want your shell to be and the weather conditions you will be facing. The easiest way to do that is to look at shells according to the fabrics and membranes in them.

Our most durable shells, the ones that keep out the worst of the elements yet survive the most abuse, use top-of-the-line GORE-TEX® Pro Shell fabric. Built with input from guides at Canada’s Yamnuska Mountain Adventures, the Mentor Jacket™needs to repel day-upon-day of nasty weather yet still allow for athletic skinning and climbing. We used Pro Shell fabric here because it’s durable enough to handle rough use and also provides the highest level of waterproofness and protection that pros and hardcore users require. The deal sealer, though, is durability; this jacket will hold up to abuse.

Sometimes you want that same protection but require a bit more breathability. So we have created hybrid shells, too. By combining GORE-TEX® Pro Shell with GORE-TEX® PacLite®  fabric in our Furio Jacket™ and Furio Pants™, we put the heavy protection of GORE-TEX® ProShell where you need it on the shoulders and side, and use the lighter, airier GORE-TEX® PacLite®  in the rest of the jacket to cut down on weight.

For some of our lighter shells, we use Pertex® Shield. It’s a fabric that boasts a durable face fabric—that’s the first layer of your shell, the one that faces the elements—with a waterproof/breathable membrane. It’s also quite light. When the professional guides in our International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) test team asked for a simpler shell for alpine climbing and backcountry touring, we turned to this material to build the Paladin Jacket™. Their feedback? The lighter fabric moves well during athletic exertion like ice climbing or touring to alpine refuges.

The Outdoor Research proprietary Ventia Dry™ and Ventia Hybrid™ waterproof/breathable construction is used in other applications, including in some hybrid jackets, like the Alibi Jacket™ and Alibi Pants™, where we want to meld waterproof protection in key areas, like the shoulders and hood, with soft shell fabric elsewhere for breathability. While engaged in sports like ice climbing, it offers waterproof protection from ice and water falling from above, while leaving other areas of the jacket more breathable so sweat can evaporate. We also use Ventia Dry™ construction in the popular Outdoor Research Mithril Jacket™, which looks and feels like a soft shell but has a full waterproof-breathable laminate, so it’s actually a fully waterproof shell.

Then, there are stretch-breathable soft shells, like the Cirque Jacket™ and Cirque Pants™. These fabrics block most wind and light precipitation, but don’t include a waterproof/breathable membrane. The upside to not being waterproof is that they are extremely breathable, so they often work better for high-output activities, especially in dry, cold conditions.

Beyond the fabric and membrane, look at the features on a shell. Pick a jacket and/or pants that have the type of pit zips and pockets or even hood style that will serve you best where and when you plan on using the shell.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Even the best waterproof/breathable fabrics in ski jackets need some venting when you’re alpine climbing or backcountry skiing. The body heat you create during these activities is enormous, and stopping to shed layers can eat up valuable time or even leave you vulnerable in dangerous avalanche terrain. But you also might simply need venting when the sun pops out from behind the clouds or you are busting to keep up with your posse at the resort. We’re not saying waterproof/breathable fabrics don’t work, or that you don’t need the best breathable protection from foul weather, but there are simply times when venting is mandatory.

“A big hole in your jacket vents better than any membrane ever will,” says International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) guide and famed ski mountaineer Martin Volken, who helped Outdoor Research design its mechanical venting systems. “It’s not difficult to overwhelm certain waterproof/breathable shells when you are working hard. Even when the temperature is down below zero, your body can generate an incredible amount of heat, especially if you are breaking trail.”

With that in mind, we have tackled the concept of venting with two different systems: CrossFlo™
and TorsoFlo™. CrossFlo™ venting is our answer to those passé pit zips. It’s a pit-to-chest vent with a two-way zipper that not only allows you to vent while on the go without removing a pack, but also gives you easy access to internal pockets within the shell. That means there’s no more messing around to get to your skins or energy bar.

“Pit zips are tough to reach,” says skiing legend and OR gear advisor Mike Hattrup. “It’s a three-step process if you have to take off a pack, unzip and put it back on. With CrossFlo, you just pull and open the vent in one quick motion while you are moving.”

CrossFlo began in our Sidecountry ski jackets and pants. It’s crucial to a shell like the men’s and women’s insulated GORE-TEX® Axcess Jacket™, where its adjustable venting helps make the transition from huffing and puffing out-of-bounds to riding cold lifts far more comfortable and easy. You will also find it in light-and-fast shells such as the Backbowl Jacket™, which is built with light, waterproof/breathable Pertex® Shield and is ideal for rapid laps on powder days.

Our other proprietary venting system, TorsoFlo™ is designed for full, hardcore venting. TorsoFlo™ vents use two-way zippers that run from the pit to the hem of the shell. As Hattrup describes it, “It turns your shell into a poncho.” And we planned it that way—not only can you vent when working hard, you can also zip up in a hurry when the weather deteriorates. TorsoFlo™ is a mainstay for our serious alpine shells such as the burly GORE-TEX® Pro Shell Maximus Jacket™, as well as lighter alpine shells including the Furio Jacket™, a GORE-TEX® Pro Shell/GORE-TEX® Paclite® hybrid made for lighting-fast ascents and descents.

Hattrup considers both systems essential when he’s banging out backcountry laps at Jackson Hole Resort, Wyo., where stopping to mess with a pack and unzip can bump you back in line while someone else snags your freshies. “It’s a frenzy. Stop and five people pass you. With these systems you can grab the zipper, get the vent open and keep moving.”

Popularity: unranked [?]

Some of the most confusing terms in outdoor gear are the names “hard shell” and “soft shell.”

When most people hear those two terms, they think a hard shell is just that—firm to the touch, waterproof and breathable, good for shucking off precipitation and keeping you dry. Say “soft shell” and most folks think of a warm, flexible shell that breathes well and moves with them during athletic endeavors but won’t be much use when the weather gets wet.

In broad terms, they would be right. But fabric advances are allowing these technologies to be fused in more and different ways. There are jackets that look and feel like soft shells that are fully waterproof. And there are hybrid jackets that meld waterproof materials with soft shell to combine the best features of both. So how does that help you? A little knowledge goes a long way. Start by learning what the options are, then apply those to your intended activity.

When it comes right down to it, there is no formal industry-wide definition for the terms “soft shell” and “hard shell.” The “soft shell” came into vogue about a decade ago when some fabric manufacturers began making soft, stretchy materials that repelled wind and light precipitation, but weren’t fully waterproof. In cold, dry climates, these “soft shells” worked 70 percent of the time or more for an outer layer.

The first soft shells were called that name so that they could be differentiated from the hard, less-breathable but more weather-protective shells that were standard technical outerwear.

Now, let’s back up and talk about hard shells. The fabric of a hard shell is essentially a sandwich. In general, hard shells use a porous waterproof/breathable membrane. This is the meat of the sandwich, the all-important center which keeps precipitation out but allows perspiration to move through it and away from the body. The most well-known of these membranes, the ones used in fabrics like GORE-TEX® for instance, are made of a material called PTFE (but membranes can also be constructed from a variety of other materials). The important thing is that this membrane is what makes a jacket waterproof.

The membrane itself is very thin and stretchy; it cannot be used as a jacket or pant on its own. Thus, it is applied to the inside of a fabric, to make that fabric waterproof. Then, to achieve a fully waterproof designation, any seams are sealed with a waterproof tape. So the outer fabric can be hard or soft, but the result is the same—a waterproof shell.

Finally, other layers are used. One bonds the membrane to the outer fabric. Then, there is usually some sort of protective layer inside as well, to prevent abrasion of the membrane from the inside. Once fused, all of these layers look and feel like a single layer of fabric.

But wait. There is one more step: Usually, a treatment called DWR (which stands for Durable Water Repellent) is applied to the outside of the shell. DWR makes precipitation bead up and roll off the shell. Since it is so visibly effective, people often think seeing the DWR at work means a shell is waterproof when, in reality, DWR is simply a first-round of protection; the membrane is what truly keeps water away from your skin. (The DWR treatment can be reapplied to a jacket after it wears out.)

Take all of these layers together and you have a hard shell.

Soft shells, by contrast, are typically thought of as using softer fabrics, often with mechanical stretch, that provide good weather protection by virtue of the fabric itself, not the membrane. However, like hard shells, they usually have a DWR treatment applied.

An example of a true soft shell is the Outdoor Research Cirque Jacket™ and Cirque Pants™, which use a four-way stretch-woven fabric that blocks most wind and shed lights precipitation. Soft shells have a lot more weather resistance than a fleece or other porous fabric would have. And, in a cold, dry environment, they are often all the outer protection you need, particularly if you are being active and generating heat from your activity. But, in a full-on rain, they are not completely waterproof.

Again, it’s a tradeoff. A traditional soft shell is substantially more breathable than a hard shell that uses a membrane. Thus, in the right situations, they provide an appropriate amount of weather protection in a design that prevents you from getting to sweaty from this inside.

And that’s where the line blurs. Today, Outdoor Research has apparel that combines soft and hard shell technology. A shell that feels soft on the outside may have a very effective waterproof/breathable membrane on the inside. There are also “hybrids,” shells that combine soft and hard materials and membranes to protect some parts of the body better and give others more stretch and breathability.

The Outdoor Research Mithril Jacket™ looks and feels like a traditional soft shell, but it actually features a fully waterproof-breathable membrane inside and it’s fully seam-taped, so it’s a soft shell that performs like a hard shell.

And the Alibi Jacket™ is a hybrid piece that uses a soft shell fabric with a waterproof-breathable membrane on the hood, shoulders and upper arms so that you have waterproof protection on parts of the jacket that are more exposed to the elements. Other parts of the jacket, like the back and underside of the arms, are a more traditional soft shell material, so those areas breathe and stretch better.

From a larger point of view, on one end of the range you have classic hard shells that provide bomber resistance against the elements, on the other you have breathable, stretchy soft shells, and in between you have a number of different options.

So how to choose between a hard shell jacket or a soft shell jacket, or some combination of the two? Match the materials and design to the activity you want to do and the typical weather you’ll be encountering.

“The easiest way to look at it is, a hard shell is for when you need the most protection from heavy precipitation, or when you won’t be moving as much,” says ski legend and Outdoor Research design consultant Mike Hattrup. “Any time the aerobic level increases, I look to the soft shell, even if it is precipitating, and especially if it’s somewhere cold. When it comes down to it, I want a shell that allows me to keep working at a comfortable temperature.”

Popularity: unranked [?]

The key to dressing right for outdoor adventures is being able to adapt quickly to changes in the weather. Those changes can come externally, from temperature shifts and precipitation, and also internally, as your body heats up according to how hard you are working. The key to achieving the versatility to deal with the elements? Proper layering. Dress with the right combination of layers and you can react quickly to any situation.

Using skiing as an example, Outdoor Research design consultant and ski legend Mike Hattrup thinks about how and where he will be skiing before choosing his layers.

“I have two basic layering techniques, one for the resort skiing and another for the backcountry skiing,” says Hattrup, who tests Outdoor Research apparel and gives feedback about how our layering systems can work best in concert. “At the resort, you pick your layers at home, and that’s what you have all day. When I pack for sidecountry and backcountry skiing, I bring three basic layers. I look at the weather and choose a base layer according to how cold it is—the colder the temperatures, the thicker the layer. In the backcountry, you will be changing layers often and I carry more in my pack.”

According to Hattrup, each layer should provide successively more protection from wind and precipitation. That base layer is your first line of protection and, as Hattrup points out, can be the only layer you wear when you are, say, pounding out laps spring skiing. The next layer, the mid layer, should provide some wind protection but mostly works to keep you warm. Insulators like the Outdoor Research Neoplume Jacket™—built with 60-gram PrimaLoft® insulation—are ideal here, since their synthetic fill will still be effective even if it gets damp.

But in the backcountry, Hattrup also carries what he calls an “X” layer, a super-warm insulating layer. The Outdoor Research 650+ down-filled Transcendent collection for men and Aria collection for women work well here. They can also serve as mid-layers at the ski resort on a cold day or alpine climbing when conditions are cold and dry.

The last layer, the shell, won’t provide the warmth of an insulating layer, but it is the essential protective outer layer to shield against wind and precipitation. Outer shells can be hard shells or soft shells, and many times people will choose to bring one of each for backcountry adventures, since they both offer distinct advantages.

Choose a shell based on the conditions you will be facing. The Outdoor Research Mentor Jacket™ is built with GORE-TEX® Pro Shell, the highest level of waterproof/breathable protection we offer. Plus, it’s durable, having been developed with input from the guides at Canada’s Yamnuska Mountain Adventures.

Our shells built with Pertex® Shield, such as the Paladin Jacket™, which was developed with input from our International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) test team, are ideal for backcountry laps or alpine ascents.

Hybrid shells that combine hard and soft shell technology, like the Alibi Jacket™, are built with physical exertion in mind—they provide more protection in exposed areas and more breathability in others.

Soft shells like the Cirque Jacket™ only repel wind and light precipitation but are far more breathable than a hard shell.

When you want to combine layers, say at the ski resort, Outdoor Research offers insulated shells like the StormBound Jacket™, which combines a Pertex®  Shield outer with 650+ power fill down insulation inside.

Here’s one last piece of layering advice from Hattrup. When you are moving fast or in the midst of an activity, one effective way to change your layering system is to open (or close) zippers that offer quick ventilation. It’s something you can do on the fly that does not require stopping and digging around in your pack.

Outdoor Research designers have given a lot of thought to zipper venting systems and tested them in the field to come up with two innovative solutions.

TorsoFlo™ venting, in a jacket like the 3-layer GORE-TEX® Maximus Jacket™, allows you to open your shell from the armpit all the way down through the hip area. This allows for serious air flow without having to shed the entire shell. Think of it as a pit zip on steroids.

CrossFlo™ venting, in a shell like the GORE-TEX® Axcess Jacket™, allows you to vent from chest to hip across the front of the jacket. This is ventilation system Outdoor Research uses on its Sidecountry shells, because it works while you’re wearing a pack. It also has several other advantages.

Popularity: unranked [?]