REI Co-op Westwinds GTX Jacket
Most durable shell
Our take If you’re tough on your gear, or just don’t want to replace it for a decade, then you’re probably willing to trade a bit more weight and a stiffer feel for a shell that’ll last. If that sounds like you, check out the Westwinds, a burly piece with 40-denier nylon fabric mixed with 70-denier ripstop threads that stood up to a season of hauling big packs and crashing through thick, stiff brush in Montana’s Rattlesnake Wilderness.
The details This shell comes with all the trimmings. Asymmetric cuffs extend over the backs of the hands and cinch down snug enough to seal out wind and rain, even over medium-weight gloves. The Westwinds’ two-way-adjustable, helmet-friendly hood has a stiff brim that kept sleet and rain out of our eyes, and nearly foot-long pit zips add venting. The cut is baggy enough to be too flappy over just a t-shirt, but allows for piling on the layers underneath in cold weather.
$199; 12.9 oz.; m’s S-XXL, w’s XS-XL