Enlightened Equipment Men’s Torrid Pullover

A lightweight mid-layer — something to provide warmth between your clothes or baselayers and a shell — is a critical piece of equipment for most backcountry outings.

After 15 years with a Go-Lite down puffy, I was looking for something that worked a bit better in high-moisture situations. I settled on the EE Torrid, a synthetic that weighs only a couple more ounces (8 vs 6) than my old GoLite. I went with the pullover rather than the jacket because 1) the zipper is less likely to fail, 2) less of a cold spot along the zipper and 3) kangaroo pockets are ideal, especially for smuggling sub sandwiches into Nuggets games.

I’ve been extremely pleased with the Torrid. Its first use was backpacking the Grand Canyon on a winter day with temps in the 20s on the South Rim. The Torrid kept me comfortably warm in both shade and sun without getting clammy or restricting movement while hiking. Since then it has been to the Scottish Highlands, on numerous cross-country skiing and hiking trips in the Colorado Rockies, through the Cascades in the Washington leg of the PCT, as well as seeing daily use around town. It excels in active use, for camp lounging and as a sleep garment.

It is somehow both highly breathable yet highly wind resistant. Although not waterproof, it doesn’t wet out quickly in rain or wet brush (plenty of that in WA).

Only two knocks: 1) the openings on the kangaroo pockets are large, and items like light gloves can easily fall out, 2) if your hands are wet, the fabric (10D nylon) clings to them, making it hard to push them through the sleeves when putting it on.

Despite the lightness of the outer shell, I’ve yet to incur a tear or hole. But I’ve had it less than a year and haven’t done any canyoneering in it yet. No issues with seams unravelling or insulation shifting.  The workmanship and fit are outstanding and I anticipate taking this jacket on adventures and outings for many years to come.

On the Tonto Plateau on a cold windy winter evening