Montane Lite-Speed

When gusts gave way to rain, we kept hiking in the Lite-Speed. It offers a longer-than-average grace period for a windshell, fending off a couple of hours of drizzle thanks to an interior acrylic coating (which still feels soft on skin), a dense weave, and DWR. The nylon fabric repelled 35-mph winds on top of Washington’s 5,629-foot Granite Mountain. Of course, the closer you get to a true waterproof shell, the more air-permeability you sacrifice, and we overheated relatively quickly on a steep, rainy climb in the North Cascades. A fully adjustable hood fits over a helmet, and a small wire brim deflects rain.