Sierra Designs Prima Fusion Jacket

Sierra Designs Prima Fusion

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I like wearing a down jacket when I'm skiing on really cold days. But I usually overheat after a few runs and wish I had a hardshell on instead. Plus, have you tried skiing in a down jacket on a really wet, stormy day? You end up looking like you're wearing a soggy sleeping bag. The good news: I think I might have discovered the solution to this predicament. I had a chance to test out Sierra Designs' new Prima Fusion Jacket. This jacket is new for fall 2010—so it's not even on shelves yet. It uses a technology coined Core Comfort Technology, which is a fancy way of saying they put pockets of Prima Loft Eco synthetic insulation in specific places—like the chest, back, and shoulders—where your body needs the heat most. The places that usually overheat—along the sides, under the arms, near the hood—are vented and uninsulated to allow heat to escape. Sierra Designs also makes the Solar Fusion jacket (pictured here), which has down fill insulation, in both a men's and women's version. It's a smart idea, one that Helly Hansen utilized in their innovative Atlas Flow Down Jacket. So, you've got the warmth of a down jacket (where you need it most), but it's wrapped up in a burly three-layer waterproof/breathable shell, one that handled the windiest and wettest of storm days I threw at it (including an 11-inch powder day at Alta and a near-rainy day in the backcountry of the Sierra). The jacket weighs just 33 ounces, which means you can shove it in your backcountry pack for a tour and you won't feel the bulk of carrying a down jacket. My only complaint? The velcro on the wrist cuffs didn't want to stick, but maybe that was just me.  [$289 (for the Prima Fusion), $325 (for the Solar Fusion); sierradesigns.com]

Sierra Designs Prima Fusion