Cold is cold, regardless of where you live. (You could say we feel that sentiment in our bones, because right now, we kind of do.) But if you’ve ever spent a winter in a mountain town, you know that the crevice between going outside and being outside is actually more like a canyon. And if you’re in the market for winter gear built decidedly for the latter, it’s hard to beat Mountain Hardwear, despite some serious competition in the space.
In 2025, you mostly see Mountain Hardwear repped by folks who yearn for the frigid conditions other people would take as a sign to stay indoors. But the brand doesn’t get nearly as much attention as its bigger counterparts, and that’s a crying shame. Not only does it perform on the same elite level, it tends to cost significantly less. (The charmingly low-fi logo puts even the raddest-looking dinosaur skeleton to shame.)
For those unfamiliar, Mountain Hardwear has been making some of the, uh, hardest-wearing gear in the biz for more than 30 years. It specializes in clothing that has a highly specific job to do, which just so happens to be the reason it’s a mainstay of mountain towns across the country. If you talk to people who spend time in those cities, there’s a good chance they’ll tell you that they’ve been wearing the brand for decades. (Reader, I am one of those people.)
Your favorite ski bum’s favorite ski bum probably swears by Mountain Hardwear’s pants, but unless your route to the train is marked by a triple black diamond sign you should pay special attention to its jackets, fleeces, and base-layers.
For instance, the Ghost Whisperer hooded jacket is one of the best low-pro, layer-ready joints on the market. It’s loaded with 800-fill down, cut to be worn under a shell or parka when the air really stings, and outfitted with a hood, strategic pockets, and a water-resistant finish for when you feel like wearing it as your sole outer layer. Ditto the brand’s signature StretchDown jacket (sans the hood), which promises an insane amount of warmth without restricting your range of motion.
The HiCamp Fleece Hoodie conjures images of old Patagonia—down to the nylon-reinforced forearms—though it’s not quite as fuzzy, and the hood fits a little more securely. (That stone hue is one of the best winterized whites money can buy.) Meanwhile, the First Tracks fleece full-zip is a quintessential mid-layer with the kind of pocket space typically reserved for real-deal outerwear, with a unicorn price tag south of $150.
Looking for a jacket with a little more heft? The Nevadan Down Parka probably shares DNA with those wedge plow trains they use to blast through snow in the arctic, but it also clocks in at under $350—$330 to be exact, which almost sounds made up. (It’s not.)
So if you’re suffering from Gorp Giant fatigue and value the cosign of sickos who spend a toe-numbing amount of time outdoors, add a little Mountain Hardwear to your own rotation. That gnar ain’t going to shred itself, baby.
