The majority of our testing took place in the field, which meant wearing jackets on mountain adventures where staying dry is a safety issue. Most of the jackets were tested over a three-month period during late fall and early winter in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, the Columbia Mountains of British Columbia, and California's High Sierra. The activities we enjoyed in each of these jackets included ice climbing, backcountry skiing, resort skiing, and hiking, as well as regular everyday use around town, such as shoveling the driveway. Multiple people used each of these jackets and gave their opinions on their performance. While field testing formed the basis of our knowledge and ideas about these jackets, to more accurately compare them side by side, we also devised and conducted numerous controlled tests for each metric, as described below.
Weather Protection
The majority of this testing took place in the field across a few dozen mountain ranges across the planet. Our testers wore these hardshells in rain and snow while hiking, climbing, scrambling, skiing, and camping. To simulate their performance during a heavy downpour, we also conducted a controlled test in the shower. We put each jacket on, zipped it up, pulled on the hood, and stood under the shower for at least 3 minutes to see how the jacket held up in a serious rainstorm. We also conducted the test with a helmet underneath the hood.
Mobility & Fit
To accurately compare fit, we wore each jacket one after another with the same base layer and thin insulation underneath. We also examined their fit while wearing a helmet, a backpack, or a climbing harness. During these tests, we took careful notes on several aspects, including the sleeve length, hem rise, hood comfort, and fabric bunching.
Venting & Breathability
This metric was mostly tested on the skin track during backcountry skiing days by wearing our hardshell for the entire uphill, even if we felt too hot to do so. For a more accurate comparative test, however, we wore them while riding a stationary bike indoors. For this analysis, we wore a Capilene base layer beneath each hardshell jacket. We spent 15 minutes warming up to a sweaty state, then wore each contender one after another as we pedaled on the bike. We looked at all of our notes across the field and objective indoor testing to formulate a final score.
Weight
To determine a jacket's weight, we weighed it on our independent scale immediately upon arrival, before it had a chance to get wet or dirty. We ignored the manufacturers' claimed weights and measured every product ourselves.
Features & Design
Testing of a jacket's features mostly took place in the field. First, we identified all the features on each jacket, and then, while out adventuring, made a concerted effort to test and observe how each feature worked. We gave preference to optimally functioning features over pure quantity. We also considered what a jacket was advertised for and how well that matched its overall design.
