Gear Closet: Canada Goose Trenton Jacket

Cold weather gear is essential for anyone who enjoys being outdoors all year round. Being able to stay warm during the winter, or when visiting cold weather destinations, brings a sense of freedom that can be exhilarating, and provides an opportunity to pursue our passions, even when conditions aren't exactly at their best. 

That is exactly what the Trenton Jacket from Canada Goose was designed for. This is a soft-shell that was made for adventure, and designed to keep you warm and dry when the weather is at its worst. If you frequently play outside in cold conditions, than this will be an article of clothing you'll want to add to your own gear closet. 

If you're not already familiar with Canada Goose, they are a company that has been making high quality outdoor clothing – mainly jackets and parkas – for nearly 60 years. Their gear has been worn on expeditions to the North and South Pole, climbs up Everest and other major mountains, and in extreme winter conditions across Alaska, Canada, and many other parts of the world. Over the years, Canada Goose has built itself a reputation for creating innovative gear that performs well in the coldest environments, and that is a legacy that is richly deserved. 

The Trenton Jacket displays much of that heritage in a decidedly high-tech, modern manner. It features water resistant fabrics that remain breathable, something that is vital for maintaining temperature control in challenging environments. The jacket is made of two-way stretch materials that are form-fitting without hindering motion in any way, and its athletic cut is meant to provide warmth without restrictions of movement. Four zippered pockets – two hand, two on the chest – help to keep small items close when needed, and a protective hood, complete with two adjustment points, prevents wind, rain, and snow from ruining your day out. 

This is a jacket that has a lot of nice touches, some of which are not always noticeably at first glance. For instance, the adjustable Lycra cuffs include thumb holes for covering the wrists and lower part of the hand. It also has twin zippers to provide access to the interior of the jacket, while still maintaining a maximum level of warmth. An interior media pocket, complete with headphone loops, will keep your smartphone or other valuable electronics safe and warm as well. Meanwhile, the exterior of the Trenton has several reflective tape highlights that help to enhance the visibility of the wearer in low-light, or poor visibility, conditions. 

Made from fabrics that are meant to be warm, breathable, and durable, this is a jacket that is made for outdoor adventures. Lined with high loft fleece, it is incredibly comfortable to wear, while bringing a good blend of performance and weight for what ever outdoor activities you enjoy. In my opinion, this is about as good as a lightweight, cold-weather, waterproof shell gets, particularly when used on days when you're going to be especially active such as when climbing, snowshoeing, and so on. 

Canada Goose rates this jacket for use in temperatures down to about -5ºC/23ºF, although in my opinion it is warm enough for even colder conditions. I happen to run a bit warm in temperature most of the time however, so your mileage will probably vary. Also, paring this jacket with good base layers will extend its usefulness in colder conditions too. 

This is a serious jacket meant for use in extreme environments, and as such it carries a serious price tag. The Canada Goose Trenton soft shell has an MSRP of $525, although it can be found online at discounted prices. Obviously that price will turn a lot of people off, but if you require a high level of performance out of your gear, particularly in cold weather conditions, than you'll also understand the importance of getting the very best clothing possible. This isn't a jacket that is meant for running errands around town – although it would serve well in that capacity. It is meant for outdoor exploration and adventure, and as a result it delivers performance that matches those expectations. 

Canada Goose has made an amazing product with this jacket, and while it certainly isn't meant for everyone, those who need this type of soft shell will most definitely appreciate what it brings to the table.

Backpacker Picks the Best New Gear of Spring 2015

With spring officially here, it is time to start planning some outdoor adventures, with hiking, backpacking, and camping trips on the agenda. It is also a good time to pick up some new gear for those excursions, and Backpacker magazine is here to help in that department.

The outdoor adventure-focused mag has recently published its spring gear guide, providing readers with lots of insights and information on a wide variety of products. For instance, their backpack overview alone covers more than 18 new packs, each of which were put to the test by over 160 different people in the field. Which packs came out on top? The team at Backpacker were especially fond of the new Atmos/Aura packs from Osprey, as well as the Baltoro and Deva from Gregory.

But backpack aren't the only gear items on the slate of products that were tested. The best new hiking boots were also run through the ringer, as were the latest sleeping bags and pads as well. The magazine even took a look at the top shell jackets, as well as the very best tents for the camping season ahead.

If you're in the market for some new backpacking gear this spring, than you'll definitely want to drop by the site and check out what products won the coveted "Editor's Choice" awards. If you're going to be spending your hard-earned dollars on new boots, packs, or tents, you want to ensure that you're selecting the best that your budget allows. As usual, the Backpacker team is very thorough in their methodology, and there is lots of good insight to be gleaned from their testing. Before you head out to your local gear shop, see what they had to say about the products you're considering adding to your gear closet.

Gear Closet: Rocky S2V Provision Jacket

Summit Day on Kilimanjaro is a long, grueling push to the top of the mountain that begins early hours of the morning, and continues well into the afternoon. It is a difficult scramble up the side of the mountain that – if you're lucky – eventually culminates with you standing at Uhuru Peak, the highest point on the African continent. On the day that I summited a few weeks back it was a cold, windy affair that threatened to make the final push to the top a very uncomfortable one. But fortunately for me I was wearing a new Provision Jacket from Rocky S2V, which proved to be the perfect shell for my high alpine pursuits.

Built from the ground up for outdoor adventures, the Provision Jacket features a form fitting cut that is designed to keep you warm and dry, without inhibiting your ability to move freely. Made from 4-way stretch polyester fabrics and combined with a blend of Hydro IQ, this is a jacket that is meant to repel even the harshest of conditions you'll face during your favorite outdoor activities. In fact, it can resist a torrential downpour, shrug off sleet and snow, and continue to keep you both warm and dry, even when mother nature is throwing her worst at you.

Rocky S2V has incorporated Aerotherm insulation into this jacket to make it the warmest shell possible without adding undue bulk and weight. Aerotherm is made from aerogel, which you may recall was being tested as part of a ultralight, but incredibly warm, climbing suit on Everest a few years back. In this case, the Aerotherm is woven into the chest and arms of the Provision Jacket to provide extra warm and protection from the elements. This wonder-material is unbelievably thin, and yet it is still both water and windproof, something that came in very handy on Kilimanjaro, where the howling winds on the summit would have bitten through lesser materials.

The fantastic design of this jacket doesn't end with the high tech fabrics that are used to keep the elements at bay however. In fact, there are a number of very nice touches woven into this jacket that help to make it a great choice for outdoor enthusiasts who find themselves braving poor weather on a regular basis. For instance, there are numerous pockets both on the exterior of the jacket and the interior, which can help to keep important items organized and close at hand at all times. On top of that, the designers at Rocky S2V also wisely incorporated easy access pit-vents under both sleeves, giving the wearer the ability to regulate their temperature without sacrificing any of the protection that the jacket offers. I found that this feature came in handy while on the ascent of Kilimanjaro, allowing me to stay nice and cool even when I was working hard. But when the situation changed, and I needed to bundle back up, a quick zip of the vents had me warm and cosy once again.

Other nice features include the inclusion of Recco Advanced Rescue Technology into the jacket, which emits an electronic signature that search and rescue and medical first responder units can use to  locate a missing or injured person. An integrated snow skirt, a helmet-ready hood, and an easy to adjust drawstring for fitting help to round out an already impressive package.

As if that wasn't enough, Rocky S2V even includes a nice little kit of "survival essentials" for use with the jacket as well. That kid provides users with some indispensable gear to keep with you at ll times. Items like a signal mirror, an emergency LED flashlight, a company, emergency whistle, and so on. Each slides efficiently into one of the many pockets on this jacket, giving you an extra sense of security while out on the trail.

For me, Kilimanjaro was the ultimate testing ground for this jacket, and it couldn't have performed more impressively. On Summit Day, when I needed it most, it kept me warm all the way to the stop, and prevented the very strong winds from delivering a chill on what could have been a very long, and uncomfortable day. Even after we successfully topped out on the mountain, I wasn't safe from the wind and the cold. That evening we camped at 18,700 feet (5700 meters) in the snowy crater of the volcano, and the Provision Jacket continued to perform incredibly well there as well.

If you're looking for bullet-proof shell to protect you from the weather on your outdoor adventures, you'll be hard pressed to find a better choice than Provision Jacket. It is tough, durable, looks good, and performs even better. Considering everything that this jacket has to offer, the $274.99 price tag is actually quite a bargain as well. Whether you're climbing in the mountains, snowshoeing or skiing in the backcountry, or on a weekend backpacking trip, this is the kind of jacket that you'll want to have with you. Armed with the Provision Jacket, rain, sleet, snow, and wind will hold no fear over you, nor will they prevent you from achieving your outdoor goals.

Great jacket. Great design. Great price. What more could you ask for?