Winter Outerwear & Apparel: Reviewers’ Choices (17/18)

Regardless of the activity, the right combination of clothes can be the difference between a great day outdoors versus a miserable, sweaty and / or cold one.

Our outerwear editor, Sam Shaheen, recently put together a guide on how to layer for different outdoor activities. He laid out how to think about each layer and how they work together, and that article should serve as a great way to think about building your own layering kit.

Sam talked about some of the specific pieces of his own layering combinations, and here, we’ve asked some of our other Blister reviewers what their go-to outerwear and apparel is for skiing, riding, and a few other activities.

As with our ski-quiver selections, these aren’t necessarily the best products per se, but they’re the products that our reviewers would choose.

We’ll be adding more of our reviewers’ submissions as we go, and we’d like to hear what pieces or combinations work best for you.

NEXT: The Selections

• Luke Koppa (Ski Touring & Inbounds Skiing)
• Sam Shaheen (Ski Touring)
• Jonathan Ellsworth (Ski Touring & Inbounds Skiing)
• Kristin Sinnott (Ski Touring & Inbounds Skiing)
• Andrew Forward (Splitboarding & Inbounds Snowboarding)
• Cy Whitling (Ski Touring & Inbounds Skiing)
• Kara Williard (Ski Touring & Inbounds Skiing)
 Paul Forward (Ski Touring & Inbounds Skiing)
• Brian Lindahl (Ski Touring & Inbounds Skiing)
• Dave Alie (Ice Climbing)
• Matt Zia (Ice & Alpine Climbing)

4 comments on “Winter Outerwear & Apparel: Reviewers’ Choices (17/18)”

  1. I enjoyed reading what you guys/Gals wear and why. I use similar pieces and you gave me some ideas on adding a couple, namely the Skins A400 3/4 compression tights. I have been using the CWX compression shorts the past few years along with neoprene knee braces, but I like the 3/4 length better.

    I just bought the G-Form Pro-X compression shirt, I have a AC Separation on my left shoulder and a Labrum tear on my right shoulder from a Mountain Bike crash in September, so I have been looking for some form of protection that is not overly bulky and breathes decently.

    Keep up the good work.

  2. As someone who has been looking for replacements for his trusty, but kinda old and gross, Marker Spring Gloves – I share your pain JE – I’ve struggled finding good spring / touring gloves. For me not necessarily uphill – but something with the dexterity that works for errands around a cold and windy NYC, a fall tailgate, or for warmer days we seem to keep hitting on trips west to Utah. I’m intrigued not only by Luke’s description of the M1 Trucks – but also the free shipping and returns – not to mention the price! Fingers crossed. Happy Holidays!

  3. For thinnish gloves,, I really like the OR Lodestar gloves. Unlike most gloves of similar thickness they don’t have any membrain.coating or insert.

    This has two benefits:
    First: breathability and drying time are best in class, so even if you get them wet from snow or sweat, they will dry fast.
    Two, the fleece insulation is part of the outer fabric (back nylon and leather palm) so there are no separate layers sliding across each other, to reduce grip and dexterity.

    Unlike many others they have a fairly weather resistant nylon back, water resistant Pittards leather palm and finger tips, and the leather is lined with a bonded fleece, where most palms are uninsulated.

  4. Do all of you who ski-tour with an ultralight down jacket not worry that:

    1: It will lose loft during the day due to moisture (at the very least from sweat in your clothing from the ascent, if not from snow)?

    2: That you will rip those ultralight fabrics/seams if you wipe out, or ski through some trees/brush?

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