Any super successful outdoor adventure hinges on preparedness. Like bringing a tent on a rivertrip so instead of getting rained on every night and sleeping in spider ridden caves to stay dry, you can be rocked to sleep by the pitter patter of friendly rain drops on your beloved fly. Sure, it’s fun to laugh about now, but as I lay in my sandy, wet, clingy sleeping bag painfully awake the entire night, I promise you I wished for nothing more than to turn back time and throw a handy tent into a drybag. The great outdoors can hit you with anything at anytime, so you better come ready for the worst.

Sometimes being ready for the worst means packing a totally unmanageable mound of gear. When you’re doing an activity in which you have to carry all that gear, like backpacking or hiking, lugging around everything you own can be a bit of a challenge. Usually, it’s pretty easy to narrow it down to the essentials, like food and water. But then comes choosing clothing, and more specifically, choosing warm layers.

As all outdoors people do, I own an excessive amount of jackets. If I layered everything I own I’d be sweating in Antarctica. But, bank account, I promise each jacket has its own unique purpose. I have a nano-puff for throwing on in late fall, chilled-air situations. I have a few fleeces because I wear them so often for so many different situations that it would be pretty nasty to just have one. There’s also my rain jacket, ski jacket, vest, half-zip; the list goes on and on. With the possibility of wind, rain, and chilly mountain air, I could use each and every one of them over the course of a long day hike or backpacking excursion, so how do I leave any behind? Thus, I began my search for the one perfect jacket for keeping out the cold on any hiking adventure.

To aid me in my quest, adidas TERREX sent me two new jackets to add to my collection: the  Agravic Alpha Shield Hoodie and the  Women’s Terrex Swift Softshell Jacket. Now fully armed with a battalion of jackets, I went adventuring. Here are the pros/cons I’ve discovered of each type of jacket, and the ultimate winner of the great jacket race.

To read the full article, visit collegeoutside.com.