Rex Sanders illustrates how difficult it can be to make accurate product comparisons based on manufacturer-provided data.
Staff Picks 2018: Our Favorite Backpacking Gear of the Year
Backpacking Light’s editorial team, guides, contributors provide their favorite gear choices in BPL’s Staff Picks gear guide for 2018.
Paramo Ostro Ultra Light Windproof Jacket
Paramo’s Ostro Ultra Light Jacket is a new version of the popular Ostro Windproof Jacket with features not often found on ultralight jackets.
Patagonia Airshed Pullover Review
This Patagonia Airshed Pullover Review features a new type of wind shirt that focuses on maximizing the air permeability of the fabric.
Pertex Shield Raises Ante in DWR Finishes for Soft Shell Garments
Woven soft shell fabrics such as microfiber polyester and ultralight ripstop nylons suffer from poor DWR finishes that make their utility in the rain very limited. Perseverance Mills of the UK addresses this concern with the introduction of Pertex Shield. Pertex Shield is the culmination of extensive research to develop a new process for applying […]
Revisiting Wind Shirts
Revisiting Wind Shirts: Breaking the 3 oz Barrier When we last reviewed wind shirts in “Windshirt Wars”, the lightest fabrics were 1.4 to 1.1 oz/sq.yd. nylons and the lightest hoodless wind shirts weighed between 3.2 and 4.0 oz. Hooded wind shirts weighed around 8 oz. Since then, more manufacturers have entered the game with even […]
Ibex Icefall Jacket and Glacier Vest
Both the Icefall and Glacier use Ibex’ Climawool™ Lite, which is similar to Schoeller Dynamic. It has a woven shell of Nylon and Lycra but has a napped merino wool lining. Climawool™ Lite is an upgrade to Schoeller’s Skifans fabric (Ibex had Schoeller modify Skifans to be more resistant to pilling). We found this fabric […]
Cloudveil Veiled Peak Jacket
Weight: 16.3 oz size M The Veiled Peak is Cloudveil’s midweight softshell jacket for aerobic activities. Unlike their famed Serendipity Jacket, which uses a heavier Schoeller Dryskin Extreme, the Veiled Peak uses the lighter and more breathable Schoeller Dynamic fabric. This is a basic no frills softshell. It uses standard Schoeller Dynamic (with its smooth, rather […]
Arc’Teryx Alpha Comp
Weight: 14.3 oz size M The Alpha Comp softshell/hardshell hybrid is a solid performing alpine hiking/climbing jacket. If you don’t expect to be inundated with rain, this jacket can handle just about anything else the elements can dish out. It is tough, abrasion resistant, and highly wind resistant. The jacket is cut trim for climbing […]
Cloudveil Prospector Jackets
Introduction We like softshell garments. You know that. They are superbly breathable and offer a wider range of comfort than traditional hardshell clothing. Stretchwoven softshells, in particular, with their trim cut and freedom of movement, are some of the more comfortable pieces of clothing to wear while hiking, climbing, or skiing. Their ability to shed […]