Outdoor Research Review – 2013 Clothing

Backcountry skiing usually isn’t a naked sport—one needs something to wear. Much like our birthday suits, all clothing is pretty much the same though, right? I thought I'd be a bit of a loss for words when
Ferrosi Hoody, Trailbreaker pants. Duffey Lake Road, BC

First off, the Trailbreaker Pants are insanely good. You can get all the technical features from provided links, so I won't bore you with them. Here's a list of Pros:

•    Cargo pockets that are big enough for things like a VHF radio or a map
•    These very same cargo pockets zip from bottom to top (pockets that zip top to bottom are useless for radio antenna)
•    Cordura patches on bottom of leg. These help prolong pant life from crampon or ski edges. I note that I'd like the OR patches to be a bit wider. Being a hack, I have some cuts on the outside of the patches.

•    Pockets accessible even while using a harness.
•    Ass that doesn't wear too quick.
•    Fabric that resists snow sticking to it.
•    Zipper pulls that can be used with gloves.
•    Integrated gaiters.
•    Zippers at the end of the legs where you can zip open to accommodate ski boots.

Last but not least, I absolutely positively love the super long thigh vents. At first I pooh-pooh'ed the idea of needing leg vents in softshell pants. Now I can't do without. This simple feature extends the useable temperature and comfort range of these pants. About the only quibble with these is that it would be nice to have some sort of integrated belt. Anorexia victims like myself usually need a belt to keep my pants from showing plumbers crack.
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Ferrosi Hoody
The Ferrosi Hoody is also an excellent layer. It’s light and packable, and I was surprised at the Ferrosi’s usable temperature range—it vents so well. I came to enjoy annoying my touring partners by never taking it off during climbs, then not layering over it when it came time to ski down. More surprisingly, it has a good deal more water resistance than expected, making it great for anything short of a downpour.

A bit of adding frosting on the cake—the Ferrosi is wearing quite well. It has no wear and tear at scuff points where backpacks usually abrade. There are few downsides to the jacket, largely attributed to its minimalist design—the outside pockets are quite small so you can't do things like stuff skins or VHF radios in them (use the larger inside pockets for that). Also pocket location could be a bit higher as things like backpack hipbelts interfere with access.
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Incandescent Puffy, Extravert gloves
I can't say too much about either the Incandescent Hoody or the Extravert gloves. These are basic clothing items. The gloves in particular look thin and cold but are surprisingly warmer than expected. I also had the (dis)pleasure of using them when shoveling out from under 80cms of way-too-close-to-rain snow that fell in a 20 hour period. The outer layer of the gloves wetted through, but the inner layer was dry, much to my joy. The gloves lack a removable inner liner so if they do wet through, it’s tough to dry them out.

The major issue I have with the Incandescent puffy is that OR incorporated a YKK two-way zipper in it. That zipper allows it to be zipped from the top or bottom, but it has a bit of a catch on it, making it a bugger to operate in the cold without removing your gloves. In my opinion, cold-weather effectiveness of any piece of gear is dramatically reduced if you need to de-glove to use it properly. It's a shame because the jacket is light, warm (800-weight down is about as good as it gets) and minimalist—no useless accoutrements for urban alpinists like hood adjustments or too many pockets—so it’s very packable. The temperamental zipper did limit the Incandescent jacket to hut-based or après-ski activities.
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Incandescent Hoody, Extravert gloves, Selkirk Lodge, BC

Check out the Outdoor Research Alpine Ski Gear Guide available at Backcounty.com