Top 6 Backcountry Jackets
Cold, wet and sweaty… exactly how you don’t want to feel as you’re about to drop into a 45 degree couloir. A high-quality backcountry jacket (teamed up with good pants and base layers) will help you avoid this lousy situation, even in demanding conditions.
Being able to rely on your gear is essential to any out-of-bounds expedition - small mistakes can soon become big problems in remote areas. Investing in a product that is used by ski and snowboard professionals around the world, helps to minimise the risks.
We suggest 6 of our favourite backcountry jackets that won’t let you down.
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The iconic Lofoten jacket is a fantastically engineered piece of backcountry kit. Epitomising Norrona’s “loaded minimalism” ethos, this jacket has everything you’ll need for the best freeride experience and nothing more.
Big pockets offer lots of organization options, deep vents facilitate fast dumping of heat on climbs and 3-layer 70 denier GORE-TEX Pro Most Breathable fabric is the perfect solution to delivering maximum breathability whilst retaining long term durability.
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The stealthy Sabre LT is the perfect combination of performance and soft, quiet comfort. This is a highly versatile, progressively designed big mountain jacket built for foul weather protection and fine-tuned to freeride touring.
3-layer GORE-TEX fabric with GORE C-KNIT™ backer technology is quiet and comfortable for efficient movement through wet and frigid winter weather. The jacket's longer length gives extra protection from the elements on deep storm days.
The North Face
Men's Brigandine FUTURELIGHT Steep Ski Jacket
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The Brigandine jacket was designed from scratch and without compromise to meet the exacting demands of the world’s best steep snow athletes. The TNF team questioned every aspect of traditional mountain shell design and the end-result is a fine-tuned and feature-packed piece of precision backcountry engineering.
Reinforced areas around the hood, shoulders, sides and inner arms provide extra protection in high-abrasion zones - with a minimal increase in weight.
FUTURELIGHT fabric sets the new standard for active breathability with totally waterproof protection, whilst the 3D stretch fit, FuseForm minimal seam construction and a practical long length all set you up for epic days hiking and riding the steep and deep.
Arc'teryx
Men's Rush GORE-TEX Pro Ski Jacket
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This is Arc’teryx’ workhorse big mountain jacket, delivering the highest levels of rugged all weather performance. Built tough for big mountain realities, the Rush delivers the highest levels of waterproof, windproof protection with utmost comfort and incredible durability.
Hardwearing 3-layer GORE-TEX Pro sheds rain, snow and wind, but is breathable enough for comfort on ascents. A helmet-compatible StormHood provides coverage with minimal impact on vision, and articulated patterning elevates ergonomic freedom on uptracks and descents.
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Patagonia’s classic Powder Bowl all-mountain ski jacket delivers for lift-access backcountry terrain and charging all over the resort.
Solid, dependable 2-layer GORE-TEX with fully recycled outer fabric keeps out the worst mountain weather whilst offering great breathability. The body-mapped engineered mesh and taffeta lining controls your microclimate and allows intelligent layering. A helmet compatible drop hood works well on long stormy lifts and windswept summits.
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Norrona’s lightest freeride jacket uses soft 40 denier 3-layer GORE-TEX Pro with a knit interlock backer for quiet comfort.
This jacket is still features and performance-loaded with enough storage and venting to cope with long up-and-down mountain days. A slightly shorter length, standard hand pockets and zip-out snow skirt give this jacket year-round outdoor versatility.
For more info about ski clothing have a look at our buying guide.