This midlayer jacket review keeps growing, and we’ll have more to come, but the following review of three jackets gives you a snapshot of the versatility and broad spectrum of fabrics and focuses that companies are providing.
Years ago, before the advent of new lightweight breathable insulations, like Polartec Alpha, we would have to layer up with bulky fleece under our shells or puff jackets. Fleece is a great insulator, but it lacks good wind resistance and therefore does not lend itself to being a good outer layer on windy days. The new ultralight insulations look like feathery fleece, but act to trap heat more like down. These new hybrid jackets create a ‘micro climate’ with an incredibly wide temperature range. Worn over a super light wool or synthetic base layer, they stay on comfortably throughout a wide range of conditions, keeping you warm, dry and fully mobile.
We picked jackets that have a modicum of lightweight insulation but also plenty of stretch, either in panels or the actual shell fabrics (inside and out). These jackets are unique in that they work extremely well as an outer layer on days that are not super windy but cold enough to need core warmth. They are incredibly versatile and a must for every mountain person’s quiver, whether for climbing, ski touring, trail running or most any active mountain pursuit. We put them to the test rock climbing and dry tooling as an outer layer, and ski touring and ice climbing as a mid layer.
