Mountain Hardwear's Minimalist shell jacket is great for on, or off, the slopes/NPT

While you might have a quiver of skis to handle conditions that vary from deep powder to hard pack, or a lake canoe along with a kayak or down-river canoe, there's no need to have a closet full of shell jackets for varying weather conditions. One shell that can withstand a variety of conditions will let you maximize your gear investments across the board.

This winter I've been testing Mountain Hardwear's Minimalist jacket, a sturdy shell you can take to the ski slopes (either on a resort or the untamed slopes of a park), or deep into the backcountry of a national park on a backpacking trip when weather conditions might drop rain or snow on you.

For starters, the Minimalist (MSRP $400) is made to stand up to the weather. It integrates Mountain Hardwear's proprietary Dry.Q™ Elite technology that provides a waterproof barrier that helps vent the heat and moisture you generate heading up a mountain. So confident of this barrier that Mountain Hardwear will refund your money if you're not happy. Nice customer service, there.

The outer fabric is ripstop nylon, so no worries about tearing it on limbs as you ski through the trees or bushwhack cross country.

Overall, the jacket is cut on the large size. I'm 6-foot, 185 pounds, and the jacket initially felt a bit baggy. But when you consider the layers you might put on beneath it, that extra room is a nice to have, particularly if you're carrying a pack and don't want to feel as if you're in a straightjacket. 

The Minimalist features a zippered gusset near your neck that you can leave closed....

...or zip open for added venting or comfort.

Unfortunately, so far the Rocky Mountain winter has been fairly tame and prevented the Minimalist from demonstrating its high-end weather shield against gales and snowstorms. But the shell has rolled with the forecast, thanks to its pit zips, detachable powder skirt, and attached hood. Frankly, I'm not a fan of attached hoods, especially those that don't roll up and tuck away in the jacket's collar. But this collar does provide maximum protection against wind-shipped snow and rain. It's designed to fit over ski/snowboard helmets, too.

Mountain Hardwear has done a nice touch with the zippers. The pit zips as well as the main zipper open top to bottom or bottom to top, which further helps you regulate your temperature. The main zipper is slightly angled to finish below your cheek, not your chin, and the micro-Chamois lining is silky soft against your throat. A zippered chest pocket will hold a cellphone or iPod, but there's no portal to feed an earphone cord through. Inside, there are two interior pockets for stashing small items.

All the zippers are welded for better protection from the weather, and that makes them stiffer than normal to manipulate.

For skiers and 'boarders, the jacket has Recco reflectors built in.

Though the price tag might catch your breath initially, if you spend a lot of time outdoors in all seasons, this shell should provide many years of service. As testing continues, if problems arise we'll pass them on.