Hey Joe. The Kramer itself is not overly warm I would recommend layering with it. If you like Mountain Hardwear the Monkey Man Fleece is pretty kick-ass to layer with. I have last year's model and it's super warm. Also the Nitrous Jacket is a very nice down-insulated layering piece. If you want to look outside Mountain Hardwear, there's another down piece by Outdoor Research called the Transcendent Sweater which I own and really like. I would also suggest you look at the Repoint Jacket by North Face. It's a synthetically insulated jacket which will also layer nicely. Hope that helps.

Scott. The Flume Jacket is a hardshell utilizing the Conduit DT laminate coupled with strategically placed fleece on the inside of the jacket for extra warmth. We call this well placed fleece - MicroClimate Zoning. The Kramer Jacket is a hardshell/softshell combo that utilizes a Conduit 3-layer Shell fabric coupled with a Conduit softshell fabric (fleecy back) all packed together in one sweet jacket. It also has the strategically placed fleece as well. The feature set is similar between the two jackets. So, in short, one is a hardshell and one is a hardshell/softshell combo. Hope this helps!

Hey Joe. The Kramer has a few benefits over a Gore-Tex shell. The Kramer has a bit of insulation on the upper arms and shoulders in the form of flat-back Monkey Phur. It helps to hold the warmer air on your shoulders a little bit better than a typical shell would. There is also a body-mapped micro fleece backer on the jacket which provides extra breathability under the arms but provide a little but of heat retention across the back.

Insulation aside the only other benefits the Kramer has stem from it's ski/snowboard centric design. If you're not going to use it for skiing or boarding, then there are better jackets out there. Simply put, the removable snow skirt, goggle pocket, lift pass holder, and oodles of pockets are suited best for spending a day on the hill.

I have the Kramer and a Gore-Tex shell. For skiing, the Kramer is sweet. It's my fair weather ski shell, since I find it fits a little slimmer than most ski shells. The breathability can't be beat. In my opinion MHW makes some of the most breathable proprietary alternatives to Gore-Tex. That being said, this jacket is not for activities such as ice climbing. That's where the Gore-Tex shell proves its worth. Alpine pockets, unbeatable waterproofing, super hardy face fabrics, and a fit that you can seriously layer under make my hardshell my best friend with heading outside at -25 C.

So to answer your question in short. The Kramer is better for skiing, in my opinion, than typical hardshells. However, keep it on the hill. It has a few shortcomings when adapting to other activities.

No, just velcro on the outside of the sleeves

it will fit over the largest helmet you could possibly find.

Scott. Depends on the brand of ski helmet. With that said, we did design the hood with helmets in mind. The hood is also removable for those days when just the ski helmet is enough. Cheers!

Scott. A powder skirt in jackets refers to a flap or skirt of fabric that sits on the inside of many ski jackets at waist level which is designed to keep powder snow out when skiing... or more precisely when crashing while skiing. There is usually an elastic element incorporated into the design to keep them snug around the waist while skiing as well. Some people like them... some folks don't. All of the powder skirts in Mountain Hardwear ski jackets are removable via a zipper interface for this reason. Hope this helps!