Our picks for the best technical wear
Outdoor Research Axccess
This two-layer Gore-Tex shell is a multitasker. Complete with a powder skirt, attached hood and zip-in balaclava it’s warm on a long lift ride. But it’s also ready to hot the backcountry with roomy chest-to-hip zippers that actually vent when you are slogging. It’s smart too, with pocekts in all the right places. It’s ideal for exploring the sidecountry.
$365; outdoorresearch.com
Powderhorn Powderride
Powderhorn’s ceramic down technology stays warm when cold yet vents when you get steamy, ideal for changing conditions. This season, the brand put that tech in a waterproof/breathable shell.
$475; powderhornworld.com
The North Face Kishtwar
It took us a bit to trust that this soft shell was all we needy for an athletic day on the hill. But once we trusted it we were blown away. The jacket’s Polartec Power Shield Pro stays warm yet breathes extremely well and wards off even wet spring squalls.
$279; thenorthface.com
Rab Infinity
We thought puffy midlayers were a thing of the past but this baby changed our minds. Thanks to a new Pertex fabric that’s light yet quite strong on the outside and 850 fill down on the inside, it never feels like a big hot puffy. That makes it the ideal mid layer for lapping a backcountry run or just chilling in town.
$280; rab.com
Smartwool Zip T
Smartwool never gets old, especially as our favorite baselayer. Simple and effective this merino zip will keep you temperature regulated on the lift and not stink so much when you head out to eat after a long day on the slopes.
$80; smartwool.com
Burton Women’s Joplin
The ideal women’s riding jacket combines performance with sass and the Joplin, which is the prefered shell of Burton’s Gabi Viteri’s, delivers both. The waterproof/breathable membrane is part of the fabric print. Plus, it’s fully seam taped and bolstered with a touch of extra insulation.
$280; burton.com
Arc’teryx Alpha SV
We were shocked at just how much technology Arc’teryx put into this glove, building each finger with “complex three-lobed patterns” that allow for natural hand movement. Even better, they allow for a waterproof breathable membrane that’s attached to the glove itself and stays dry.
$275; arcteryx.com
Fly Low Stash Pants
Built with Cordura and a waterproof/breathable liner with big cargo pockets and the ability to withstand all the thrashing on the lift and backcountry, as well as all the pizza grease and bongwater you can spill on it, this pant is all you need.
$265; flylowgear.com
