Materials
The outer shell is a two-layer Intuitive waterproof breathable with taped seams—essentially a rainshell, which was helpful on a big powder day in Oregon that was ruined by rain. It’s very windproof as well. The two-layered shell is preferable to a 3-layered version because less fabric means less weight to compress the 700-fill feathers, meaning more loft and therefore warmth.

Features
The hood is huge and fully adjustable along with a high, wind-blocking collar. I hunkered down snugly on Jackson’s Sublette Quad on a 10-degree day with 50-mph gusts. The powder skirt is removable, which saves some weight of you don’t like those things. The hem is long for extra protection slashing through deep snow or sitting on a chairlift getting pelted by big, wet flakes. I like that there are only four pockets—it helps keep weight down and makes fewer perforations in the outer shell to create leaks. Some people might want more pockets though.