Mountain Hardwear Exposure/2 Gore-Tex Paclite Plus Jacket & Pant

Our take In the wettest conditions, we’re glad to wear a head-to-toe kit for protection, but are also usually bummed by how bulky and steamy it is. Unlike lesser sets, this twofer delivers exceptional comfort in a package that fits well and weighs less than a pound. Gore’s new Paclite Plus fabric sports an improved, durable interior treatment that helps keeps weight low and breathability high while maintaining more toughness than Shakedry (it’s slightly less breathable, though). “While carrying a group-size load of climbing gear through Washington’s Boulder River Wilderness in the rain, I never felt like I was in a sauna,” notes one climbing instructor. He also took the Exposure/2 on four months’ worth of trips in Cascadian weather, but even after rough climbing he hasn’t seen any abrasions in the 12-denier nylon fabric.

The details The shell is light but not too stripped down: Hand pockets sit higher than a hipbelt, the chest pocket fits trail bars, and a drop tail protects the lower back. Ding: The ankle zips on the pants are too short for easy on-off over bulky boots.

$300, 9.1 oz. (shell); $200, 6.3 oz. (pant); m’s S-XXL, w’s XS-XL