Mark's Musings

ArcTeryx Norvan SL Rain Jacket is one of the lightest, most breathable rain jacket currently available. I can actually wear it comfortably jogging in cool, rainy weather. I have been using mine for more than two year without any durability issues, but people who aren’t as … “ArcTeryx Norvan SL Rain Jacket Review”

Hats seem to be one of the more personal pieces of gear. More than many items, people seem to care about the style of their hat.  There are a huge number of options with a wide variety of styles, colors, materials, etc. Hats are highly … “Hats”

Like hats, hardware seem to be one of the more “personal” pieces of gear. Unlike “hats”, fit and function rather than style seems to drive most people’s decision making.  The fit of handwear is much more important  than say, a jacket.  Less than 1 cm … “Handwear”

The purpose of the shell is to protect you from environmental conditions.  Finding the right shell is quite challenging because staying dry and comfortable requires managing external moisture from rain, sleet, and snow as well as managing internally generated moisture from perspiration and sweat. There is … “Rain Gear”

Often people will have a single layer of clothing for their legs. Generally legs need less protection from weather than the torso for several reasons. Moisture management is typically less challenging and in most activities (other than climbing) your legs  generate more heat than your … “Pants”

The purpose of the insulation layer is to keep you warm. There are a number of factors which effect how much insulation a person will need to be comfortable for a given set of conditions.  The most significant is the level of activity, or what … “Insulation Layer”

Everyone has their own definition of “softshell” which makes the marketplace quite confusing. My definition of soft shell is any single layer garment which is designed be worn in a wide range of conditions putting an emphasis on breathability over absolute protection from external conditions.  … “Softshells”

Windshirts, sometimes called windbreakers or wind-shells are one of the most versatile pieces of clothing you can use. A simple, unlined windshirt can ounce per ounce provide more warmth than many other clothing items because wind speeds up convection cooling significantly. In many cases a … “Windshirts”

Good base layers will wick moisture away from your body.  In warm weather a wicking base will help keep you cool by provide significantly more surface area than your skin to promote evaporation of your sweat. A base layer can provide addition surface area only if … “Base Layers”