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From windy summits to bountiful winter powder turns, the jacket you choose for your backcountry adventure has different attributes and strengths than your resort-oriented ski wear. How breathable it is, how much protection against the elements it gives you, and how easy it is to move in as you head up the skintrack all factor in heavily. We tapped our most experienced backcountry enthusiasts to use and abuse over 30 jackets designed for ski touring and high-output backcountry adventures. Here are our favorite pieces that performed well in whatever conditions we threw at them last season.
The Winners at a Glance
Unisex/Men’s Jackets
- Editor’s Choice: Strafe Cham Jacket
- Most Rugged: Dynafit Tigard Jacket
- Most Streamlined: Ortovox Ravine 3L Jacket
- Most Lightweight: Helly Hansen Odin BC Infinity Shell Jacket
- Best Resort/Backcountry Crossover: The North Face Summit Tsirku Jacket
- Best For Storm Skiing: Rab Khroma Diffuse GTX Pro Jacket
Women’s Jackets
- Best For Dry Climates: Orage Boulder Hybrid Jacket
- Best For Wet Climates: Mountain Hardwear Routefinder GTX Jacket
- Most Packable: Arc’teryx Alpha Jacket
