Brand: Outdoor Research
Model: Shiftup
Our take
The Shiftup was one of the first things we grabbed heading out the door, no matter the conditions. One tester wore it while rock climbing in the 50s in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada, as well as peakbagging in 20°F conditions on New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington, and deemed it perfect for both mild and freezing pursuits. The secret is in the hexagonal-gridded polyester fleece. It creates more surface area than typical square-gridded fleece, allowing better wicking as well as trapping more air for warmth. “It kept me just the right amount of warm, but dealt with the sweaty effects of the slog significantly better than other fleeces I’ve used,” he said after summiting Mt. Washington.
The details
The zipper runs so smoothly our tester could operate it one-handed, even while running. Tradeoff: The Shiftup is a little bulky in your pack, but there aren’t too many winter situations where we’d opt to take it off and carry it.
Trail cred
“The Shiftup’s stretch is excellent,” one tester reports. “The 5 percent spandex content meant it moved with my body everywhere from skinning early-morning laps at the local ski resort to sending pitches in the desert.” outdoorresearch.com