"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” — If Muhammed Ali were to trade in his gloves in for the newest top of the line ski jacket, he would definitely rock the Spyder Eiger. The Eiger is a versatile, techy, hard shell that, when layered appropriately, is warm enough for the coldest days Jackson Hole can produce. Yet, it is breathable and light enough for any mid-March day on the beach at A-Basin.
The jacket is equipped with massive underarm vents that enable any ski enthusiast to regulate their core temperature while hiking up their favorite backcountry peak. It is also equipped with strategically placed hand pockets that are easily accessible, even when wearing a multi-day pack. Also, foam inserts in the hem keep the jacket from riding up while wearing a harness, and an abrasive-resistant fabric protects the shoulders from wear and tear while wearing a pack. The Eiger is fully loaded to tackle the most ambitious of ski mountaineering pursuits.
The jackets comes fully equipped with a Recco avalanche system, goggle cloth in chest pocket, data card arm pocket, internal mesh goggle pocket, and an iPod friendly internal chest pocket. Whew, there’s a lot of pockets in this jacket. But, that’s the great thing about the Eiger, it has a pocket for every essential item a skier could posses, yet they all have a crucial role in helping a skier enjoy their day of shredding, where ever that might be.
The Eiger’s only flaw is that the data card pocket lacks a clip to secure your ski pass. Luckily, the goggle cloth’s clip can easily double as pass holder if your mountain, like Jackson Hole, lacks the RF technology that lets you keep your ski pass tucked away while being scanned.
Despite, the Wiz Khalifa-esque black and yellow print, the jacket is incredibly subtle in the way it incorporates high tech features with resort necessities. Unlike the epidemic of tech-inspired hard shells with waterproof coatings that are shiny enough to be seen from outer space, the EIger’s DWR waterproof coating is matte and doesn’t telegraph to the world that you “go on so many adventures.”
Spyder uses a three-layer stretch nylon ultra thin membrane fabric to keep the jacket light, incredibly waterproof and breathable. It also includes a stretch recovery system to help the jacket stay fresh for years to come. To top it all off fully taped seams and 20k waterproofing ensure that not even the smallest amounts of moisture will dampen your day.
The Eiger seems to have anticipated the recent explosion in backcountry and sidecountry skiing, as the Eiger is the perfect jacket for everything from a multi-day touring trip to shredding inbounds bumps. At 25 .oz, it is relatively light weight and highly compressible, which saves space in your pack for more important things, like Go-Pros.
The iPod/smartphone integrated chest pocket and data card pocket help the Eiger remain true to Spyder’s resort background. Whatever your skiing ability and inclinations, the Eiger has more than enough features to keep you warm and dry till the end of day, and it is durable enough to remain your primary jacket for years to come. At its core, it is a highly versatile, fully functional, technical shell that balances resort amenities and backcountry necessities.
Oh, and Chris Davenport summited Mount Everest with it.
