Aether Summit Jacket $465

www.aetherapparel.com

The Good: Trim fit, but still enough room to layer up when it gets cold.

The Bad: No armpit venting made it hard to regulate heat, hood is not helmet compatible.

The Ugly: Trying to ventilate the jacket while sweating after a long climb, sweating at altitude is no bueno.

The Summit jacket is a slim fit shell suited well for layering up as conditions get cold. The jacket has a durable triple layer shell with taped seams that shields well in high winds, and a soft Polartec™ collar to seal in neck warmth. The fitted hood holds tight with a back cinch, but is not helmet compatible which makes it hard to use with head protection. Zippered cuffs mate nicely with gloves, but also fit well when gloves aren’t necessary. Plenty of accessible pockets hold gear securely close at hand with hip and chest compartments big enough for phones, energy bars, and the basic essentials. The chest compartments are especially useful with nice flaps to keep gear secure, but no zippers to bind up on while searching for that last energy chew. The interior phone pocket has a pull strap to lift the device out, but it was too small to fit my Samsung Galaxy S4 at all (to be fair, my Lifeproof case makes it one of the larger phones out there).

We tested this jacket while climbing Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 during a long multi-day summit run.  The jacket was also worn on a few hiking excursions and to the office when the weather turned cold at home. Aside from performing great during the summit run, the trim cut blended in just fine for daily use. While the price of this jacket is a bit high for a shell, the quality workmanship and durable materials are what I would expect from a high-end jacket. It would be nice to have underarm ventilation, and a bit of soft material at the cuff points where wrists tend to rub.

So if you’ve got the cash and are looking for a daily-use shell to fend off the elements that can still keep up on the trail, the Aether Summit Jacket should keep you covered in style.

Aether Apex Pants $375

www.aetherapparel.com

The Good: Accessible pockets, generous belt loops, leg vents.

The Bad: Should be more flexible in the knees, gaiters should be longer.

The Awesome: Shell material is built for durability. Not much stretch, but plenty of protection.

The Apex pants are made from durable 3 layer fully taped seam oxford shell with a soft tricot backer for comfort and warmth.  The pants have large belt loops at the top, with hook-and-loop cinching as well for a dialed in fit. The boot opening has a built-in gaiter that sealed against the boot well, but had a tendency to ride up during strenuous activities. Ventilation is provided via two large thigh vents that kept the pants from heating up too much during high intensity fun. Aether also includes a RECCO™ reflector that can assist rescue personnel in the event that you get caught up in an avalanche.

We tested these pants out on the multi-day summit run up Mt. Whitney, and also during a few local snow days.  The pants regulated heat well when layered on top of a merino base, and stood up strong to bitter winds. One of the difficult points we found was a pinch point at the back of the knees when squatting, this happened despite the ergonomic fit.

These pants held up well to abuse, and stayed comfortable during extended periods. Just like the jacket the price for a pair of pants is pretty high,  but if durability and robust protection are in order, these pants will not disappoint.