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Rab Microlight Alpine jacket

• Pros: Adjustable hood with brim; Compresses to size of popcorn bag; Nearly windproof
• Cons: Left-hand zipper; Hand pockets don’t zip; No fleece over top of zipper
• Bottom Line: The Microlight Alpine jacket is perfect for winter camping, snowshoeing or throwing in the bottom of your pack during late fall or early spring hikes.
• MSRP: $200

Rab’s Web site

    When a fleece jacket won’t keep you warm enough and a bulky insulated jacket won’t fit in your pack, the Rab Microlight Alpine down jacket comes to the rescue.
    The UK-based company, known for its mountaineering outerwear, first produced the lightweight down jacket in fall 2008.
    Filled with 165 grams of goose down (with a fill power of 650+), the Microlight Alpine jacket is perfect for temperatures above 35 degrees (when only wearing a T-shirt underneath and just standing around). For more active pursuits, such as snowshoeing, it’ll keep you warm when temps dip into the low teens while just wearing a base layer underneath.
    The virtually windproof jacket, even with its flexible-wire-brimmed, down-filled, adjustable hood, packs into its zippered chest pocket to the size of a popcorn bag.
    But it doesn’t have a hem drawcord, any interior pockets and the outer hand pockets don’t zip (all likely to save weight).
    It also has a left-hand zipper, tight cuffs, a short torso and the company’s sizing chart runs small – so, to be safe, order a size larger than it says.
    While many other companies have similar jackets on the market, the Microlight Alpine competes well in weight, warmth and cost, but it has an extra perk: It has a hood.
    With the correct size the cons can be easily overlooked making the Rab a strong contender in the lightweight down category.

Westcomb Mirage men’s and women’s jacket

• Pros: Curved zipper; Waterproof/Windproof/Breathable; Athletic fit
• Cons: Interior seam tape visible from exterior; Pockets inaccessible when wearing backpack with hip belt; Front zipper sometimes gets hung up
• Bottom Line: The Mirage is a tough shell that will keep the elements out during any snowy activity, but it’s much more expensive than similar jackets on the market.
• MSRP: $550

Westcomb Web site

    eVent fabrics are giving Gore-Tex fabrics a run for their money as they gain popularity in the outdoors world.
    The fabric is said to rival the notorious Gore in breathability while still keeping wind and water at bay.
    And though it’s hard to truly compare the two fabrics outside a scientific lab, eVent fabric definitely wicks sweat while maintaining its windproof and waterproof quality.
    One jacket featuring eVent technology is British Columbia-based Westcomb’s Mirage jacket.
    Westcomb, which is said to rival fellow BC-based company Arc’teryx, is a relatively unknown brand, but it’s not for producing shoddy gear. Its gear, though pricey, is quality outdoors appearal.
    The Mirage jacket, which resembles the Arc’teryx Sidewinder, has a prominent curved zipper that jaunts slightly sideways about halfway to the top.
    The idea is to keep the zipper away from your chin to help prevent chaffing as so many straight zippers do.
    While the sideways jaunt sometimes catches the zipper on the way up, it’s great not having the zipper by my mouth.
    The Mirage has an athletic cut that is true to size and has articulated elbows for easier movement. It has an oversized hood that barely fits over a ski helmet, Velcro cuffs (which bunch awkwardly when tightened), and an adjustable waist cord.
    Of course, it has all the other fixings of a quality snow-sports jacket such as a handful of pockets (including some with an mp3 ear bud port), a powder skirt (although it hangs too low when you’re not using it causing the ends to dangle from the bottom of the jacket when it’s zipped) and pit zippers (which are crucial when you need a little extra ventilation to cool down your body).
But most importantly is the bombproof fabric.
    I’ve worn the jacket in the pouring rain and not even a drop got through. I’ve worn it in strong winds and didn’t feel a thing through the jacket. And I’ve worn it on a strenuous hike in fall while sweating profusely and was actually surprised at how well it wicked.
    I’m not saying it wicked every drop falling from my body, but it helped transfer some perspiration to outside the coat.
    Though it’s pricey, Westcomb’s Mirage won’t fail you no matter how you use it.