Gear Review: GoLite Mckenzie Reflexion Jacket

Warmest

At 15 ounces, the Mackenzie Reflexion isn’t ultralight–ironic, if you consider what shells weighed just five years ago. But GoLite says that this waterproof/breathable hardshell will reflect up to 75 percent of your body heat back at you, enabling you to save weight by leaving some insulation at home. One New Hampshire tester spent 25 days in it backpacking the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail and teaching winter survival classes. “I was able to wear fewer midlayers than normal on brisk days,” he reported, “which saved me about a pound.”

Two handwarmer pockets and a Napoleon pocket adorn an otherwise simple design. The shell material, he says, is “durable enough to survive several winters of icy glissades.” In temps above 45°F, testers found the jacket too warm; it’s best suited to cold places and pursuits. $350; 15 oz.; men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL; golite.com.