“I’d climb Everest in this jacket,” said one tester. We doubt his fitness but not the jacket’s. A top-tier combo of Gore-Tex fabrics—ounce-saving PacLite in the torso and burly three-layer XCR on the shoulders—provides maximum durability, waterproofing, and breathability with minimum weight. Superb details include two-way pit zips, a waterproof zipper opening that swerves away from the chin, and one-hand-adjustable hood drawstrings that tuck away so they don’t thwack you in the face when the wind blows. 14 oz; www.mammutusa.com
Bonus: Three Benjamins ain’t cheap, but the Blaze is a great deal for a PacLite/XCR hybrid.
Bummer: The low-riding pockets can get covered by a hipbelt.