Gear Review: Mammut Adrenaline Jacket

[toughest]

“Even I couldn’t damage this jacket,” reports our most gear-abusing tester, who wore it skiing and climbing in Colorado’s Indian Peaks. The shoulders are reinforced with welded patches of rubberized fabric that resist abrasion from pack straps and extend the waterproofing in those zones (which often wet out soonest, since that’s where equipment chafes the fabric and compromises its DWR coating). And throughout, the three-layer Gore-Tex Pro Shell fabric is abrasion and tear resistant.

“After repeatedly being smashed in my pack beneath loads of sharp climbing equipment, this jacket looks new and shows no wear whatsoever,” he says. Fabric breathability is good, and is enhanced by pit zips, which he needed to prevent overheating while climbing in New Hampshire’s Presidentials on a windy, 20°F day. The high collar and full-coverage hood seal out wind and fit snugly over a helmet; without one, the hood still provides a trim, efficient fit.

Two huge slash pockets on the front are placed high, so they sit above a harness or hipbelt. But the cut fits skinny guys best: On tall, broad-chested wearers, the armholes felt small and pinched, limiting a comfortable reach forward and overhead. The Adrenaline is remarkably light given its tanklike construction, but the weight and price make it best for skiers and climbers who need a bulletproof winter shell. $579; 1 lb. 2 oz.; m’s S-XXL; www.mammut.ch