Patagonia

M10 Jacket - Women's

Any checklist of alpine dash essentials would be incomplete without a rope, a skeleton rack, and the Patagonia Women's M10 Jacket on your back. Built for those who thrive on technical climbs in full alpine conditions, the M10 is a study in minimalism—the lightest hard shell Patagonia makes. Consequently, it's managed to become a no-brainer favorite amongst Patagonia's climbing ambassador community. The soft, pliable H2No Performance Standard nylon ripstop fabric yields surprising durability for its weight and protects against monsoon-season precipitation and summit ridge gusts.

Patagonia kept the design simple and low profile by eliminating pit-zips, yet it maintains the traditional alpine hardshell silhouette with its harness-compatible hand pockets and a chest pocket that ultimately doubles as a stuff sack with a reinforced clip-in loop. Details include sonically welded seams with the narrowest possible tape, watertight zippers, a microfleece-lined neck and chin, and cuffs that adjust with minimalist hook-and-loop closures. A single pull adjusts the helmet-compatible hood, a laminated visor offers a personal canopy, and a drawcord hem blocks out the rather unsavory backdraft that has a propensity for sneaking up on you when you least expect it.