The Shell Game | Outside Online

You Are Here:

Home >> Gear >> The Shell Game

View the entire 300-plus collection of must-have gear items tailor-made for your adventurous lifestyle. PLUS: A special section on womens gear.

Today's Question
Who makes the best three-season one-person condensation-free tent? answer

What’s the best boot for a Denali summit? answer

Today's Question
What’s the best hybrid bike under $1,000? answer

What is the best cold-weather, full-length parka? answer

Online Favorites

Special Issues

Photo Galleries

Outside Magazine March 2002

Review
The Shell Game

By Greg Melville

Intro | Run, Ski, Paddle/ Weather? Whatever. | Global Citizen/ The All-Rounder | Velo Protection/ Appropriate Technology | Wisp-Smart/ Summit Fever


	From left to right: Mountain Hardwear Tempest SL Anorak, Patagonia Supercell, Cloudveil Drizzle, The North Face Flight Jacket

RUN, SKI, PADDLE
The 12-ounce Mountain Hardwear Tempest SL Anorak offers more than the obvious stylistic (and olfactory) improvements over an Inuit caribou-skin kayaking anorak. The house-brand rain-blocking material—Conduit, a hydrophobic membrane sandwiched between ripstop nylon and mesh—stands up to everything this side of a Northwest monsoon, but with untaped seams, the Tempest SL also breathes almost as well as fleece and compacts like a T-shirt. The large helmet-covering hood stows in the collar, and the Tempest's shoulders are roomy enough for unhindered movement. This shell can be worn year-round for almost anything outdoors, particularly running, day hiking, snowshoeing, and, yes, kayaking too. $155; 800-499-8696, www.mountainhardwear.com

WEATHER? WHATEVER.
The Patagonia Supercell doesn't look, sound, or feel like other sub-$200 shells, those crinkly jackets that seem to beg for an iron every time you pull them out of the pack. The H2No laminate, a vapor-permeable foam beneath the nylon fabric, is as soft as cotton. The Supercell also weighs only 15 ounces—about five to ten ounces less than typical three-layer mountain shells—yet it's stacked with all the features you need for intense aerobic backcountry activities: a stowable hood that fits over a helmet, roomy mesh pockets, ventilation zips that run from the elbow to the hip, and a fleece snot-flap on the collar for...well, never mind. It's especially well suited for those spring skiing trips where you encounter wind, snow, sun, and showers—often on the same descent. $180; 800-638-6464, www.patagonia.com

Intro | Run, Ski, Paddle/ Weather? Whatever. | Global Citizen/ The All-Rounder | Velo Protection/ Appropriate Technology | Wisp-Smart/ Summit Fever