The Kästle LX 85 is a resort-cruiser’s ski, ideal for skiers most comfortable arcing up the groomers, but occasionally skiing in soft or cut up snow. “This ski performs best with muscle,” says one tester. “It’s ready to carve and push obstacles out of the way.” Testers scored the 85-mm-waisted ski high scores for Stability, Read more ›
Shoulder Room The MSR Papa Hubba NX 4-Person was the clear loser in this criterion; the lowest ceiling height of the test combined with the smallest interior area rendered it a tight fit for four campers compared to the other tents in this test. The tent could pack four full sized adults in, but we Read more ›
Shoulder Room A quick perusal of the Copper Spur HV UL4 gives away it’s spacious internal environment: 67 square feet of floor area, 2 x 14 square foot vestibules and 50-inch head height. The floor dimensions are 86 x 96 inches. These factors, combined with the nearly vertical walls, gave this tent far and away Read more ›
Shoulder Room The Mountainsmith Morrison EVO 4 was one of the more spacious tents in the test category; it boasts 56 square feet of floor space and the tallest height in the test of 51 inches. Two vestibules of 11 square feet each round out the available space for people and things. The floor provided Read more ›
Shoulder Room The TN4 was the second shortest tent in the test; the sharp corner angles limited interior comfort for any more than three full-sized adults. Add a lack of internal storage (there is no gear loft) and somewhat narrow vestibules, and the tent began to feel even more crowded, especially over the long haul. Read more ›
Materials Strafe’s new Pyramid shell utilizes Polartec’s award-winning NeoShell fabric. NeoShell is an ultra breathable, waterproof fabric with a soft feel and 4-way stretch similar to a lightweight version of the popular soft shell fabrics from a few years ago. Testers were pleased with the durability and longevity of the piece, which held color and Read more ›
Materials The Stio Raymer jacket is a durable waterproof nylon shell made from a 50 denier, 3-layer Dermizax fabric. Dermizax is an ultra-breathable alternative to Gore-Tex with high waterproofness and breathability specifications. This fabric allowed testers to push the physical exertion to the limit and any internal moisture was wicked away while external moisture stayed Read more ›
Material The Patagonia Departer is a lightweight-2 layer Gore-Tex shell and can initially be mistaken for a rain layer rather than a snow jacket. The design is inspired from a classic storm coat previously made by Patagonia and is made of 100% recycled polyester fabric which is keeping in line with Patagonia’s commitment to sustainability. Read more ›
Materials The Helly Hansen Alpha jacket uses a 3-layer Helly Tech Professional fabric that is comprised of a 4-way stretch polyester shell fabric with a polyurethane backing. The face fabric is fairly durable and holds its shape and color well. Zippers are waterproof and heavy duty, ensuring a durable product that is expected to last Read more ›
Materials The Black Diamond Recon Stretch is constructed out of BD.Dry 3 layer material that is fully waterproof, windproof and breathable. Its highly waterproof rating of 20,000 mm is equivalent to that of the Stio Raymer. The stretch fabric is both comfortable and versatile for backcountry skiing or in bounds days while allowing room for Read more ›
Weathershedding The North Face L5 Proprius jacket was designed for ski mountaineering: climbing up and then skiing down. For the varied and rigorous demands of covering big vertical in the mountains they used Gore-Tex Active, a very dependable weather shield. In our testing while ski touring and backpacking it easily fended off four hours of Read more ›
Weathershedding We’ve tested a lot of jackets with Gore-Tex Active membrane and have always been impressed with the weather shedding, especially in comparison to weight. The REI Drypoint stays true to our past experience. It lived up to Gore’s “guaranteed to keep you dry” motto. The build of the jacket was spot on for weather Read more ›