This year, seven of our field editors looked through the thousands of new products offered by the outdoor industry, tested hundreds of them, and finally came up with a list of the 22 best. These are Field & Stream's Best of the Best.
Philip Bourjaily, Peter B. Mathiesen, Keith McCafferty, John Merwin, David E. Petzal, Bob Robb, and Dave Scroppo
[BRACKET "Jacket"]
RIVERS WEST AMBUSH FLEECE JACKET
It's not the way this jacket is cut or its long list of smart features that sets it far apart from other hunting garments. The key is in the waterproofing. Rivers West uses a proprietary membrane and stretchable exterior fabric that blocks water for as long as you stay outside. And I'm talking days, not just an afternoon.
Unlike other garments that are breathable and waterproof, the seams are not taped; they are sealed with an immersible thread that's guaranteed not to fail. The fleece is ultraquiet at 60 or minus 10 degrees, something that many manufacturers claim but don't deliver, and I have yet to puncture it. This is the first waterproof-breathable fleece that I would take to Alaska as a primary coat. Even if it rained for three days straight, I would still be bone-dry-it's that impressive. $200; 800-683-0887; riverswest.com -P.B.M.
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