The Arc’teryx Atom LT Hooded Insulated Jacket is warm, breathable and provides some protection from wind and precipitation. It’s functionality is ideal for strenuous cold weather activities and its style allows it to be worn around town.
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The Patagonia Micro Puff Insulated Jacket is the ultimate mid-layer jacket for weight conscious backpackers. It is incredibly light, warm and packable. However, it suffers from durability issues and some users complain that the fit is awkward.
The Lowa Irox boot is supportive and stable, especially given its relatively lightweight. The boot is versatile and ideal for long trail hikes with a heavy pack, as well as off-trail scrambling. For hikers seeking a sturdy boot that is lightweight and supportive, the Irox is a terrific choice.
The Salomon MTN Alpine Touring Binding (Atomic Backland Tour) elegantly provides a feature set useful to most ski tourers without wasting weight with unnecessary bells and whistles. It is a very lightweight binding with tried and true technology that results in easy uphill touring and solid downhill engagement.
The RAB Xenon X Insulated Jacket is warm, weather resistant, and comfortable. It trades a lack of breathability for superior insulation, but this jacket is a terrific mid-layer option that can even occasionally fill-in as an outer layer.
The Patagonia Nano-Air Light Hybrid Jacket provides solid warmth and breathability for high intensity activities in cold weather. It cannot be trusted as your sole outer layer if rain or wind is expected, but excels as a mid-layer in these conditions, or as an outer layer in cold, dry and calm weather.
The Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Jacket is a very comfortable high performance rain shell. It’s stretch outer fabric allows for a wide range of motion and its seam sealed waterproof membrane protects from all but the biggest deluges. It is moderately lightweight and has a nice set of basic features.
The Arc’teryx Beta SL Jacket is clean and simple, yet highly functional. It is wind and waterproof, has a well designed hood, and is easily packable and breathable. For high intensity activities, the lack of pit zips could be an issue for some users.
The Patagonia Storm Racer Jacket might be the lightest high performance rain jacket on the market. It does two things and it does them exceptionally well – it is waterproof and it breathes. For high intensity activities in wet weather, when weight matters, this is the jacket of choice.
The Patagonia Capilene Air Crew Top is one of the warmest, lightest, most breathable, and most comfortable baselayers on the market. It does, however, suffer from poor durability and an extremely high price tag.