Gear Review: Outdoor Research Vigor Jacket

[bargain]

Extremely lightweight and tough, the Vigor’s Pertex Microlight fabric came out unscathed after multiple encounters with trailside brush in California’s Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The tightly woven, 30-denier nylon yarns “effectively blocked wind and even repelled light rain,” reports one tester. The Napoleon-style chest pocket is uncommonly large: It holds sunglasses, snacks, or even light gloves and a hat. Gripe: The fabric is less breathable than others. $70; 5.5 oz.; men’s S-XL, women’s XS-XL; outdoorresearch.com