Eddie Bauer BC Uplift

Our take If you’re counting ounces and pennies, this is your shell. Eddie Bauer’s direct-to-consumer model and a streamlined feature set help keep the price down, while wispy Pertex Shield 2.5-layer fabric does the same for the weight. And there’s no tradeoff when it comes to weather defense: “I got caught in an intense wind- and rainstorm storm in Taiwan’s Yangmingshan National Park,” recalls a tester. “I was able to focus on the steep trail without worrying about getting soaked.”

The details The one-toggle adjustable hood preserves peripheral vision, though it’s a tight fit over a climbing helmet; you also get one chest pocket that fits an energy bar. Biggest sacrifice: Breathability is average.

Trail cred “I could push the elastic cuffs up over my forearms when I was climbing hand cracks in Squamish, British Columbia,” one tester says. “But they still kept the weather out when they were at my wrists.”