It’s the end of 2016, and as is our annual tradition, a time to look back at the best gear we tested this year. Of the hundreds of products GearJunkie staff and team athletes reviewed and put through the paces, these items stood out as some of the best.
Arc’teryx Procline Boot
Ski-touring boots tend to limit ankle motion. The Arc’teryx Procline gives greater mobility, including 50 degrees of forward flex and side-to-side movement in the cuff. The result is a hybrid unlike anything before, letting you efficiently ski uphill, lock in for going down, or add crampons when the terrain gets steep.
Polartec Delta
Polartec launched a new cooling fabric called Delta. It’s made of a contrasting weave of hydrophilic lyocell fiber, which retains perspiration, and hydrophobic polyester. The result is a material that disperses moisture and increases airflow, keeping you cool, while preventing the garment from becoming soggy or clingy. We’ve tested it to good results, better than other cooling shirts that use chemicals to simply feel cool to the touch. Delta is the most effective cooling fabric we’ve used yet.
Columbia Outdry Extreme Eco
Many jackets are made with polluting chemicals, notably perfluorinated compounds, often shortened to PFCs. Columbia Sportswear eliminates the bad stuff with its OutDry Extreme ECO Shell — the jacket’s materials, membranes, and treatments are PFC-free. Bonus: Its fabric comes from a recycled source, and it’s sold stark-white because the company uses no dye.
Arc’teryx Procline Boot
Ski-touring boots tend to limit ankle motion. The Arc’teryx Procline gives greater mobility, including 50 degrees of forward flex and side-to-side movement in the cuff. The result is a hybrid unlike anything before, letting you efficiently ski uphill, lock in for going down, or add crampons when the terrain gets steep.
Polartec Delta
Polartec launched a new cooling fabric called Delta. It’s made of a contrasting weave of hydrophilic lyocell fiber, which retains perspiration, and hydrophobic polyester. The result is a material that disperses moisture and increases airflow, keeping you cool, while preventing the garment from becoming soggy or clingy. We’ve tested it to good results, better than other cooling shirts that use chemicals to simply feel cool to the touch. Delta is the most effective cooling fabric we’ve used yet.
Columbia Outdry Extreme Eco
Many jackets are made with polluting chemicals, notably perfluorinated compounds, often shortened to PFCs. Columbia Sportswear eliminates the bad stuff with its OutDry Extreme ECO Shell — the jacket’s materials, membranes, and treatments are PFC-free. Bonus: Its fabric comes from a recycled source, and it’s sold stark-white because the company uses no dye.
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