Mountain Hardwear

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Mountain Hardwear

33 mentions from real owners

• #1Dec 26, 2025

  Best winter parka money can buy?

  I’d recommend a Mountain Hardware Absolute Zero Parka, it’s great for walking to Starbucks or getting the mail on a cool day.

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• #2Dec 1, 2025

  What is the warmest down coat for under $500?

  As a jacket hound, owner of way too many jackets, there are 2 ways to go about this. A very heavy duty super warm jacket like you are referring to (like the north face McMurdo parka, Duluth trading Ruffer Puffer, and of course others in higher price ranges). These are very good options for very cold days - if you live in the north, they are smart to own (even to keep in your car for those bad situations of getting stranded). The warmest single layer jackets are heavy compared to high performance gear which is geared towards higher activity and need for flexibility (skiing, snowboarding, climbing, cross country skiing). Whereas the super heavy/warm single jackets are great for a football game in December in Greenbay or Chicago, standing on the ice ice fishing for hours, being at an outdoor Christmas market for hours in the cold and windy, of if you walk a mile or more to work in a cold windy city like Chicago on a frigid day).   The weakness of the single layer extra warm jacket is that on many days it is too warm for the jacket. Like running errands when you are in a heated car or indoors for much of the time. That said, I have 4 ultra warm jackets - 2 Canada Goose Parkas, 1 - 800 fill Mountain Hardwear jacket 20 years old and should be replaced), 1 - Arc'teryx Rush down jacket (wearing today in the teens). I spend a LOT of time outdoors, even when it's very cold (-20 to 10 degrees out). In these Temps, these parkas cannot be replaced by layering for a combined total cost of $1,000.  That said, for more active cold weather activities, the layering approach is the way to go. Then I like the following - mountain hardware Monkey Man fleece (get the square inner pattern fleece vs. a solid/smoother inner layer fleece), Patagonia for a mid weight down layer OR Arc'teryx for a synthetic down layer, and then a hard shell layer that has some sort of soft inner layer for added warmth vs. just a straight hard shell (that is really just a more rugged rain jacket). Then you also can look at soft shells vs. the hard shell as the outer layer on nice non precipitation days (even though manybsoftshells have a DWR sprayed on finish, they are not generally waterproof.

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• #3Nov 6, 2025

  Best winter jackets that are worth the price

  Layering is the best way to keep you warm and dry. Gortex outer jacket (I have Arcteryx but it's rather expensive; fleece jacket for the middle layer and thin down jacket for innermost layer (Mountain Hardware for Fleece and down layer). My down weighs less and a pound and those 3 layers keep me warm and dry in extreme cold. Gortex handles the wind chills while keeping you dry but still need the other layers for warmth. You can always remove one of the two inner layers if you get too warm. You won't feel bulked up with these 3 layers. The Arteryx Beta AR jacket has zippers on each arm if you start getting warm and don't feel like removing a layer. .

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• #4Nov 5, 2025

  Best winter jackets that are worth the price

  Mountain Hardwear Subzero parka is unbelievably warm. https://www.mountainhardwear.com/reissue.html

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• #5Nov 1, 2025

  Will this survive me the North Dakota winter?

  I have become a big fan of mesh baselayers vs solid-woven fabrics - they vent SO much quicker and still insulate well when worn under a solid midlayer. For midlayers, I prefer “active” fabrics that let me vent easily - I have a Mountain Hardwear MonkeyMan 200 fleece that I can feel the breeze through, but a weatherproof outer layer takes care of that. Polartec’s Alpha Direct fabrics are highly regarded for it’s insulative-yet-breathable properties, but I hear it sheds. I also have come to prefer half- or full-zip vs quarter- or pull-over for. Pit zips can help a lot, also. You may also want to consider vests vs sleeved jackets for your mid-/insulation layers. Sleeve bulk adds up, can decrease mobility, and will negatively impact the insulating properties of your layering system. I don’t see any down-filled options in your shopping cart, so maybe consider a puffy vest over your midlayer. In cold & snow, especially, I greatly prefer my weatherproof layer to be oilskin - I don’t have to worry about it snagging or tearing on brush and it’s straightforward to patch in-the-field with needle & thread if I do manage to do something to it. I re-proof it a couple times a year and it holds up well to rain/sleet/snow.

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• #6Oct 10, 2025

  Looking for the thinnest and most insulting jacket

  So there a few that come to mind. In the past Mountain Hardwear’s ghost whisperer was the jacket to buy. I still have mine and it’s great but not sure there aren’t better ones out there after Columbia bought mountain hardwear. I would check out Rab and Patagonia’s version of a light jacket.

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• #7Oct 4, 2025

  Closest fleece to warmth of the Patagonia R4 (no longer made)

  Mountain Hardware has a fleece jacket called Monkey Fur that is a very thick fleece jacket. Mine is about 6 years old and is my base layer for most winter activities in Alaska.

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• #8Aug 4, 2025

  what winter coat are yall using?

  I have a hooded Mountain Hardwear windbreaker with a medium weight lining and a hoodless Marmot puffy. The windbreaker is good for down to the low 50s, but lower than that I wear the puffy, and when it’s truly freezing I wear both. Both are more than ten years old and holding up great.

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• #9Aug 4, 2025

  what winter coat are yall using?

  Mountain hardware down parka. Or any ski/mountain rated jacket

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• #10Jul 1, 2025

  Three Person Backpacking Tent

  Can consider the Naturehike cloud up 3, big agnes copper spur UL3, Mountain hardwear Mineral king 3. All are highly rated 3p backpacking tents. FWIW I recently did an analysis on reddit data on camping tents. Basically ranked them by aggregated sentiment (in the past year). Maybe you'll find the results helpful [https://redditrecs.com/camping-tent/filters/best-for-ultralight-backpacking/](https://redditrecs.com/camping-tent/filters/best-for-ultralight-backpacking/) You can filter by ultralight, backpacking, 3p, seasons etc and get a breakdown of what ppl have said for the most popular ones

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• #11Mar 7, 2025

  Best women’s parka without down insulation

  Here’s part of the problem: BIFL and synthetic insulation don’t mix. The warmest synthetic insulation is made of polyester fibers, which, over time, when exposed to repeated compression - stuffed into your pack, body weight against your car seat (wearing while driving, etc.), will collapse and deadened the insulation. The less an insulation lofts, the less warm “dead air” it traps = diminished thermal efficiency. I realize you don’t want down, but down is much, much more resilient to collapse from compression cycles, while offering a higher warmth-to-weight ratio. If synthetic is a must, options with PrimaLoft or Apex polyester insulations will be the warmest for a given fill weight. Start here: - [Mountain Equipment Alpamayo Jacket](https://us.mountain-equipment.com/products/alpamayo-womens-jacket). If you’re ok wearing a men’s jacket, the [Mountain Equipment Citadel](https://us.mountain-equipment.com/products/citadel-mens-jacket) is THE synthetic belay jacket to have. - [Arc’teryx Nuclei SV](https://featheredfriends.com/products/arcteryx-nuclei-sv-parka-womens?variant=44782162870471) - [Mountain Hardwear Compressor Alpine Jacket](https://www.mountainhardwear.com/p/womens-compressor-alpine-hooded-jacket-2092471.html?dwvar_2092471_color=417) - [Black Diamond Belay Parka](https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/womens-belay-parka/?colorid=26857)

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• #12Mar 1, 2025

  Recommendations for Women's Waterproof Rain Coat & Over Trousers for Hot, Humid Summer Conditions?

  First off, there’s no way light breathable and durable is going to be cheap. You get what you pay for here. That said prioritize pit zips. Mountain hardware or comparable hardshell with pit zips or H/H sailing foulies (summer racing, not the offshore coats) would be my starting point for this search (I’ve owned both and bought similar for my wife). Anything light and breathable may last a decade, but probably not for life. Aec’teryx gamma pants are magical if you want full leg coverage.

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• #13Feb 8, 2025

  Mountain Hardwear is NOT BIFL, their quality is terrible.

  I have a down sleeping bag that I've camped in ~10 times per year for about 20 years. I burned a hole in it in 2006, patched it up, and it's still going strong.

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• #14Feb 5, 2025

  Anyone know any brands where you can buy puffer-jackets that have "Cinch Cords"

  Mountain Hardwear

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• #15Feb 2, 2025

  Mountain Hardwear is NOT BIFL, their quality is terrible.

  My mountaineering pack from them is by far the best backpack I’ve ever owned. I also have two lightweight down jackets from them and they are warm and as advertised.

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• #16Feb 2, 2025

  Mountain Hardwear is NOT BIFL, their quality is terrible.

  I’ve done almost 10 years of field work and constant (seasonal) use in my Mountain Hardware puffer jacket, and it’s still pretty much perfect. Aside from a few stubborn stains, it’s awesome.

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• #17Feb 2, 2025

  Mountain Hardwear is NOT BIFL, their quality is terrible.

  To be fair, 100 miles isn’t a lot. That said, I love my Crater Lake sun hoody. It’s survived a *lot* of abuse hiking, boating, under a PFD, and bushwhacking, in addition to general yard work duty.

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• #18Feb 2, 2025

  Mountain Hardwear is NOT BIFL, their quality is terrible.

  All my Mountain Hardware stuff is more than a decade old and still looks like new.

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• #19Feb 2, 2025

  Mountain Hardwear is NOT BIFL, their quality is terrible.

  I have several articles of clothing including jackets, fleeces, hats, gloves, etc from MHW. Most of it is DECADES old (with some new stuff thrown in there) and still performs like new. Sounds like you got a defect.

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• #20Feb 2, 2025

  Mountain Hardwear is NOT BIFL, their quality is terrible.

  I will absolutely be buying another when this one wears out. I have three sun hoodies, but this is the only one I reach for now.

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• #21Feb 2, 2025

  Mountain Hardwear is NOT BIFL, their quality is terrible.

  I love my stretchdown vest, but it loses a tiny amount of down in the shoulder where my bag strap rubs. There's also the matter of washing, I washed and dried it with a tennis ball and all of the down settled to the bottom of the vest. It was a nightmare relocating the down. Despite all of that, it's still in decent shape.

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• #22Feb 2, 2025

  Mountain Hardwear is NOT BIFL, their quality is terrible.

  Since 2003, they are a Columbia Sportswear brand and I usually treat their consumer stuff as the same level of quality as Columbia gear with a different label. Their vintage gear can be great (I own several pieces) — not sure if they still make “real” BIFL specialty gear.

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• #23Feb 2, 2025

  Mountain Hardwear is NOT BIFL, their quality is terrible.

  I have hiked over one hundred miles in my Crater Lake sun hoody and have no complaints about the longevity of that particular product.

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• #24Feb 2, 2025

  What Are The Differences Between a Cheaper And More Expensive Fleece Jacket?

  Polartec based garments seem to be the YKK zipper or Vibram sole of fleece clothes. Mountain Hardware uses Polartec, and their last-season styles are usually heavily marked down, in addition to having minimal branding, as with Patagonia. Second is a mom-and-pop shop in Duluth, MN called Superior Fleece that took heavy inspiration from Melanzana, without the 6-month wait or lottery system.

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• #25Feb 1, 2025

  It happened again. Lining on my rain jacket is peeling off.

  This area around the hood is where my two layer mountain hardwear is failing. Omni wick evap layer is peeling is similar to this Columbia. Both brands are owned by Columbia, but I like the mountain hardwear cut/fit better and mountain hardwear has more minimalist/lightweight options. As others have said if you need something more durable go up in price. My other more expensive mountain hardwear jacket is actually lighter weight material and single layer but is much more expensive. I bought them the same year and season and it’s the two layer one wearing out. I think that’s the opposite of what most people would expect just eyeballing them as non experts.

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• #26Feb 1, 2025

  Flannel shirts that last

  I'm wearing a 10-year-old Mountain Hardwear flannel right now, if that tells you anything.

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• #27Jan 10, 2025

  Looking for winter jackets that won't shed

  Does this need to be formal? I mean because personally I'd pick up a windproof/waterproof shell and then a puffer for underneath like a Patagonia Micro-Puff or Mountain Hardwear. If it can be more rugged I'd look for something from Heatstraps/ Iron Hearts ...really depends on your budget.

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• #28Jan 8, 2025

  In need of warm winter coat with a budget of $350-400

  Arctyrx, mountain hardware, or a used one of either of those.

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• #29Jan 4, 2025

  Warmest beanie for Siberia - so what lil brains I have don't freeze.

  Mountain hardwear dome hats are pretty warm and wind proof and cover a Decent amount of your head. Not sure where in Siberia you're going to or what the expected temperatures are. But do and buy whatever you need to wear to stay warm and enjoy the experience

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• #30Jan 2, 2025

  Rain jacket? Upgrade time

  Mountain hardware 3L gore Tex jackets are amazing. Wear my snowboarding hard shell all the time off the mountain, incredibly waterproof and not too heavy or warm without any layers if you want. They are not cheap, (~$500) but better value than Patagonia or arcteryx.

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• #31Jan 1, 2025

  Rain jacket? Upgrade time

  I live in Puerto Rico, where rain is torrential. I have Patagonia and a Mountain Hardware rain jackets. The Patagonia is more comfortable and breathable, but the Mountain Hardware is more waterproof. Both are fine, but on a cooler day, I prefer the Mountain Hardware and on a warmer day, I prefer the Patagonia. Both seem about even when it comes to durability.

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• #32Dec 6, 2015

  Do all waterproof shell jackets eventually delaminate?

  Here's the thing about gore-tex: it requires at least 70% humidity inside of the jacket before the membrane starts to let water vapor out. So, by the time you hit that mark, you're usually sweating too hard for the membrane to keep up. This is why jackets that have breathable membranes still have vents. Mountain Hardwear came out with their own version of gore-tex a couple of years ago that's sold in different levels. The most expensive version doesn't require that internal humidity to work. If you rely on a rain shell and really need it to breathe, it might be worth the cost.

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• #33Dec 2, 2015

  0 degree sleeping bag

  In that price range, buy 2nd hand if you can find it. Look for Mountain Hardwear/Higher end North Face. In your price range it is going to be a very heavy, very bulky bag....probably synthetic. Stay away from Coleman and other cheaper brands. North Face makes some inexpensive, lower end bags that would probably be on par with Kelty or REI brand. I'd stay away from those too. Honestly, I don't think you'll get BIFL quality for that price range (at least not brand new)

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