Gear Review: Columbia Carabineer II /Frosty Forest Parka
Cool-weather enthusiasts–skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, & winter hikers–will love this jacket.
Verdict
Three-in-one jacket systems are usually bulky and ill-fitting, but this breaks the mold. The 700-fill inner jacket is lined with Omni-Heat, a silver layer that reflects body heat and boosted my warmth in single-digit temps on Mt. Washington. The puffy mates with a waterproof/breathable, seam-sealed nylon shell, and pit zips on both pieces line up perfectly when worn together. A microfleece liner in the shell adds weight, but made it comfy (not clammy) when I wore the jacket over a tank top on a spring trip in Idaho. columbia.com
Best For
Skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, and cool-weather hikers
Tester Data
> Berne Broudy (plus: Jane Melrose)
> Duration Dec. to April
> Locales/conditions VT, NY, PA, CA, Spain; 5°F-60°F, wind, rain, sleet, snow, sun
> “The long cut in back repelled kicked-up snow when I snowshoed.”