Patagonia Kniferidge Jacket

As lithe as an acrobat and as tuned for climbing as it is for the descent, both skiers and riders loved this Patagonia jacket. Run your fingers along the Polartec Power Shield Pro fabric and sure, this is by definition a softshell, but smoothness aside, the Kniferidge defends against rain and snow with the fortitude of a hardshell. “We were bootpacking couloirs at 13K feet,” said one tester. “And the Kniferidge cut a hard line through high winds, spinning ice and cold snow.” Upper body mobility is key when relying on ax and rope, and Patagonia’s climbing history is apparent with this agile design. No pit zips, though testers noted the soft shell fabric remained breathable on heart-pumping high alpine assaults. A mountaineering-friendly fit complements the mobility and stretch of the Polartec fabric for cooperative elasticity in sketchy situations.