GearFlogger

Outdoor Research Banff Bodysuit

Holy catwoman! Make no mistake, the Banff bodysuit from Outdoor Research confers superhero powers, just like the men's version, the Saturn Suit. It just doesn't get much better than Polartec Power Stretch 150 over every square inch of your body.

The Banff does the Saturn one better with full sleeves, complete with thumb loops. The back, sleeves and cuffs from the ankle down are made not from Power Stretch but from Motion Fleece, a thinner and even stretchier fabric with the same sheer facing. The sheerness is the goodness, because if you're using it as an inner layer it really reduces friction between layers for more freedom of movement. Its application on the sleeves and cuffs make it easier to slide on jackets and boots too, with no bunching.

The chest zipper has a neck guard to prevent vampire bites, and there's a rainbow style crotch zipper to answer nature's call. Front-to-rear rainbow zips are the way to go, revealing much less dainty flesh to the outside elements. Flat seams and overall excellent quality complete this awesome outfit, and the weight is light and right at an even pound. Comes in any color you want, as long as it's black. If you're deep in the doghouse, the Banff will distract the SheFlogger long enough for you to get out. Until the next incident, of course. See you then.

$198.95 at Altrec

Merrell Winterlude 6 women's boots

OK, I'll give it up: cool name for a cool - but dry, warm kind of cool - women's boot from Merrell. The Winterlude 6 is a waterproof winter boot that makes snow days into sporting days.

The Winterlude helps you stay light on your feet at 2.5lb for a pair. The molded thermoplastic urethane and leather uppers are notched for snowshoe straps,and the EVA midsoles, Ortholite footbeds and Air Cushion heel pockets ensure easy striding in hard conditions. The insides have a special anti-skank treating, and the padded tongue and collar spread the lace pressure evenly.

The Winterlude is serious about toasting your tootsies, with Polartec 200 insulation over 200g of PrimaLoft insulation. To top it off, the Active Heat insoles feature some kind of magic silver lining to prevent conductive heat loss to the cold, cold ground. What's it all add up to? A -25F comfort rating that will ring true for most women. Add a pair of gaiters for deep snow and you're good to go.

$110.00 at REI

Dakine Targa women's mitten

Dakine makes a lot of handwear, and they know what boarders want. Their Targa women's mitten has been around and is newly updated. Mittens are just a good idea as the temperature drops, being a lot warmer for the weight than gloves.

The Targa is a slick, high quality design, with a full leather grip and waterproof Gore-Tex insert. The inside is a soft fleece and the whole mitten is very low profile. The cuff is slim fitting with just a little bit of adjustment via a rip-and-stick tab, and the back of the thumbs are nose-friendly for de-snotting.

The mitt is obviously designed for boarders and others who prefer the high speed, low drag inside-the-sleeve design. The Targa is tough and serves well in double-digits, just be aware the low bulk equals low loft so you may want to go a size up and wear a liner glove for cooler temps. The only other downside is the price; you're clearly paying a premium for style here and getting a light duty mitt at a heavy duty price point.

$74.95 at Backcountry

TrailHeads Goodbye Girl Ponytail Hat

I know the SheFlogger has at least one eye in the back of her head, so when I saw the TrailHeads Goodbye Girl Ponytail Hat with the hole in the back I figured it was made just for her. Imagine my surprise when she pulled it on and promptly stuffed her ponytail through it. Suddenly the name made sense.

TrailHeads makes all kinds of headgear for the single-horned among us. Disclaimer: if you have a Y chromosome and are caught wearing one of these we are not responsible for the ass-beating you will at some point undoubtedly receive. For the SheFloggers, you are in luck because this hat not only works as designed, it's well-constructed of midweight Polartec Thermal Pro fleece.

It's one size fits all, and the stretch will make it work for all but the serious brainiacs out there. Well-designed, stylish with quality construction and reasonably priced. Sounds like someone is getting out of the doghouse!

$28.00 at REI

Marmot Fjell women's jacket

Holy sweetness and light. The Marmot Fjell women's jacket is a beautiful execution of Gore-Tex Pro Shell that hits all the right notes. Weighing in at a feathery 1lb 1oz for a size small the Fjell is equally at home frontcountry, backcountry and just about anywhere else.

The design has a sculpted fit, dropped hem and looks that kill, but don't be fooled: the Fjell is all bidness. It's waterproof and eminently breathable thanks to the Pro Shell. The hood slips over a helmet (or really big hair), and there's a removable powder skirt that reduces the weight another few ounces for serious go-fasters. The cuffs are rip-and-stick adjustable to slide under gloves easily, and the two zippered external chest hand pockets also function as vents. There's a zippered mesh interior pocket for your stash.

Hem and hood drawcords with nifty keepers inside will fit you up. A full length zipper flap with Velcro tabs will keep the bad out. For laying a skin track uphill, or just wearing in the rain on a warmish day, crank open the pit zips. Gore's Pro Shell is a sublime material, venting well, not nearly as crinkley when cold as early versions, and without the clammy feel of some waterproof/breathable materials. The Marmot Fjell is a perfect mating of form and function. On the outs with the SheFlogger? On a get-out-of-the-doghouse scale of 1 to 5, the Fjell rates a six.

$425.00 at Moosejaw

Mountain Hardwear Nitrous jacket

Let's say, just for the sake of argument, that you are a man and you are in the doghouse. I mean you really screwed the pooch this time, bro. Figuratively speaking, I hope. So what are you going to do? Here comes the SheFlogger, think fast!

I'll give you two choices: (a) engagement ring or (b) Mountain Hardwear Nitrous jacket. If you're married, no choice (a) for you, but take comfort: the Nitrous will assist you in undoing your head-ass inversion. It's eco-sensitive, made with recycled polyester blend, and beautifully minimalist: just two flapped hand pockets, a full-length zipper flap with chamois chin guard, elastic cuffs and a hem drawcord.

The cut is flattering with a curvy waist and nice, tall neck. The weight is nonexistent at 8oz for a small. The 800 fill down compacts down to nothing in the included stuff sack, and the downproof DWR nylon shell keeps the feathers on the inside. The women's Nitrous is overly quilted on the top front leaving lots of uninsulated seams, but guess what? She Doesn't Care! And you're Golden! The Nitrous is also available for men, sans paisley quilting, but since women are never in the doghouse that's not important right now.

$220.00 at REI

Cloudveil Women's Run Don't Walk Zip T

If a man says something in the forest, and the SheFlogger is not around to correct him, is he still wrong? Hmm, deep thought. Let's say the SheFlogger is around, and she is royally pissed. I know, hard to imagine, but stick with me. You need to come up with something shiny fast.

Let us suggest the Cloudveil Run Don't Walk LS 1/2 zip. It's a nicely fitted piece that is sure to make up for your past transgressions, at least back through yesterday. The RDW is a mere 9oz and wicks like a svelte, perky demon. It's got reflective logos so you can see her coming in the dark, which is good because you won't hear her due to a close unflappable fit and a zipper that locks down for extreme quietude.

The deep ten inch zip will help her keep her cool in the face of your monumental stupidity, and the flat seams ensure that she won't chafe her delicate skin as she plants her size six in your bony chest. Ah, the passion! There's even a little stash pocket in the back for... well, her stash, I guess. The Polartec Power Stretch is smooth, stretchy and sure to please your high-output honey.

$85.00 at Cloudveil

Arc’Teryx Gamma SV Hoody women’s jacket

Arc'Teryx makes a mean soft shell, no doubt. They pay extra attention to details like stitch counts and anatomically correct articulation to ensure that fit and finish are at the head of the pack. The Gamma SV Hoody is their built-for-speed yet tough-as-nails alpine alternative.

The svelte 20oz Gamma is made from two different weights of soft shell material: Polartec Power Shield High Loft (ooh, so plush... stroke the monkey!) on the torso and shoulders for warmth and lighter-weight, less-bulky Polartec Power Shield everywhere else. The whole garment has a beautiful hand and cut, and the four-way stretch means it moves with a purpose.

Arc'Teryx made some bold design choices that end up working very well. The nonremovable (check out the hoodless Gamma AR if that's your bag) drop-away hood is helmet compatible, with a reinforced brim and a nifty hidden adjustment cord. There are two external zippered handwarmer pockets and an internal zippered small chest pocket. The hem is adjustable but the cuffs are not, and there are no pit zips, which doesn't much matter because the thinner material there vents perfectly well. The Gamma SV definitely puts the soft in soft shell.

$349.95 at Backcountry

Sierra Designs BTU jacket

New from Sierra Designs is the SheFlogger-approved BTU jacket. BTU stands for "better than u" which is the attitude you will get when she puts this very chic piece on and stands next to you, just to remind you how crappy you look in your army-surplus fleece jacket.

The BTU is much more than just a pretty face, however. It's packed with 700-fill goose down inside a fully down-proof DWR shell. The adjustable hood is roomy enough for a low-profile helmet, so you might even be able to use the BTU as a belay jacket. The full length zipper flap has a garage at the top to protect your chin, and a soft tricot lining on the inside of the collar. The zippered chest pocket is also fleecy inside so you can throw your shades in there with no worries. There are two zippered hand pockets, an interior zippered mesh pocket and an interior open stretchy mesh pocket.

There are even zippered arm vents for when you're working it. The zippers are concealed with small pulls, so you won't be working them with your gloves on, but that's about the only compromise to style on the BTU: despite the haute-couture looks the BTU is not over-quilted like some insulated coats out there, so the down has plenty of room to loft and do its job to keep you toasty warm. And the cherry on top is the english-metric conversion chart stitched on the inside. As we're heading into the holiday season, all this adds up to a get-out-of-the-doghouse rating of 5 out of 5.

$249.95 at Summit Hut

Sierra Designs Women's Chockstone jacket

Thin is in baby, and the Chockstone women's jacket from Sierra Designs wants to be your new best friend. It's slim, lightweight, waterproof, breathable and packable. As Bogey said, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The Chockstone is the kind of versatile piece that's essential for any outdoor enthusiast. The synthetic Primaloft One insulation will keep insulating when wet, although getting wet in the first place is highly unlikely since the shell is waterproof/breathable DriZone. The light to middle weight insulation will layer up or down, depending on how hot or cool your motor runs, and for those occasions where only a hood will do just adjust and drive on.

The pocket scheme is fully dialed in: hand pockets are zippered, as is an external chest pocket, and there are two internal mesh pockets, one open and one zippered. Bonus: you can stuff the jacket into the zippered pocket. The Lycra bound cuffs with thumbholes make sure your sleeves stay where they're supposed to. This is really useful, whether you're putting your hand into a glove, reaching up high for that big tool swing or just looking for a little extra heat on your hands.

The slick exterior sheds snow and rain effortlessly, and the look is fitted enough to go seamlessly from slopes to sidewalks. There's even an English-Metric conversion chart printed on the inside, so feel free to get all international. From the cool Fall through the wet Spring the Chockstone begs to be the jacket you live with day in and day out. Try that with some of your other so-called friends.

$109.95 (on sale from $159.99) at Randall Scott