Toughest Gear: Mountain Hardwear Transition Jacket
The toughest, most versatile windshirt around.
Nine years ago, Mountain Hardwear designers asked for feedback on experimental zip-T’s they were building. We never returned the samples—how’s that for feedback? Made from Gore Windstopper, the shirts handle “all sports, speeds, and weather—short of drenching rain,” says Shannon Davis, senior editor. They fit snug like a baselayer, breathe well enough for winter mountain biking, and cut wind dead. And the outer fabric of map editor Kris Wagner’s sample has survived everything from Shenandoah brambles to 24 Hours of Moab bike crashes. Transition Jacket: $160; 13 oz.; men’s and women’s sizes; mountainhardwear.com