Green Scene Gear: Helly Hansen North Marker

High level performance in a low impact package—that’s Helly Hansen’s North Marker 3L XP Ekolab Jacket in a nutshell. This waterproof jacket has a polyurethane membrane that’s breathable as Paclite, and dry even when I was kneeling in a puddle to pitch my tent. The jacket is cut long in back for extra weather protection, with pit zips and a removable powder skirt that kept weather out and let me temperature regulate 99% of the time in conditions from mist to snow. Pros: All non-fabric parts are 100% recycled, and fabrics use low impact dyes and durable water repellents (the stuff that makes the rain bead up on the outside of your coat). Cons: the fluorocarbon-free DWR coating wets out within a couple of weeks of wear, though you still stay dry inside, and you can refresh it with a Nikwax wash. Great for 4-season hiking, skiing. We tested it from Vermont to Colorado, Scotland to Peru, in -10° to 60°F from sea level to high altitude. Our testers review:  “Green gear has come a long way. Eco no longer mean compromising performance.” S-XXL, $325, hellyhansen.com.

-Berne Broudy