I have had a love hate relationship with ponchos. Theoretically they make great sense, but I have tried rain ponchos five times for six month or longer. After each poncho experiment I switched back to a rain jacket. This post is about my current re-evaluation … “Poncho System (+ Insulating Liner for Sleep)”

ArcTeryx Norvan SL Rain Jacket is one of the lightest, most breathable rain jacket currently available. I originally purchased the jacket in 2016. I have made some updates my original post based on longer term use. The Norvan SL works brilliantly when biking or hiking when … “ArcTeryx Norvan SL Rain Jacket Review”

Hats seem to be one of the more personal pieces of gear. People seem to care about the style of their hat than many other clothing items. There are a huge number of options with a wide variety of styles, colors, materials, etc. Hats are … “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. (I have some notes about layering clothing). There are a number of factors which affect how much insulation a person will need to be comfortable for a given set of conditions.  The most significant … “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 it helps prevent convection cooling which increases significantly as the … “Windshirts”

I used to believe a good base layers will move moisture away from your body.  In warm weather a wicking base will help keep you cool by provide more surface area than your skin to promote evaporation of your sweat. In cold weather convection cooling … “Base Layers”