Super Light ‘Houdini’ Shell — Clip this featherweight emergency rain jacket to your climbing harness (or put it in a backpack) and you can forget it’s there… until the rain starts. At that point, unfurl the slim package (it’s the size and shape of an eggplant) to reveal a waterproof shell with a hood to keep you dry.
Patagonia impressed our team with this 6.4-ounce jacket (men’s size medium), called the Alpine Houdini. It has a laminate membrane to keep it watertight (10,000mm water column rating) and windproof when the afternoon storms rock in to try and wreck your hike or climb.
—Editors and reporters Stephen Regenold, Sean McCoy, Jason Magness, Chelsey Magness, John Peacock, Sam Salwei, Patrick Murphy, and Amy Oberbroeckling contributed to this report.
