That said, the Ozone was the clear performance winner for how it moved with Pyles while he was skiing and its ample storage space, but also for how seamlessly the tech features are integrated into the jacket. “But the absolute bare bones-like being warm and having a hood-were there.” “The pockets weren’t big enough, there’s no internal goggle pocket, the hood is not helmet-compatible, there is no powder skirt, and the collar isn’t high enough to come up over your face,” Pyles says. Yet the Iceburg’s fit was not nearly as dialed as the Ozone’s-it was much less roomy and comfortable-and it has none of the smart detailing one gets with a high-end shell. While that’s a low bar to meet, he was comfortable in the Iceburg in temps down to single digits. “For $50, I expected to die of hypothermia almost immediately but was pleasantly surprised when I didn’t,” Pyles says. While Pyles had low standards for the Iceburg (that is, he expected to fear for his life while skiing in it during subzero temperatures), he was impressed by how well it performed. He also solicited opinions from friends and family. He wore them while enjoying après PBRs and tequila shots in his van and at swanky Jackson bars to gauge looks.He hiked Casper Bowl in Jackson, Wyoming, in both jackets to test breathability.Then he filled his cupped hand with water and rubbed the liquid into the fabric to test absorption. He ran the sleeves of both jackets under a faucet for about a minute to test waterproofing.Pyles skied in conditions ranging from minus 10 degrees in Montana’s Bridger Bowl to a 40-degree day in Jackson, Wyoming.
The Iceburg has many top-notch features, like waterproof fabric, pit zips, taped seams, and a powder skirt, but in a much more affordable package-almost too affordable to have all that capability. Iceburg Outerwear Men’s Insulated Jacket ($50) Strafe’s high-end ski jacket combines three different Polartec constructions-Alpha, NeoShell, and Power Dry-in a waterproof, performance-oriented package. The Jackets Strafe Ozone Jacket ($600) (Courtesy Strafe) Pyles, who is currently living in his van, got after it at resorts in three states over a period of several weeks for this review. To answer this question, I called up my old friend Ryan Pyles to test the $600 Strafe Ozone Jacket head-to-head with the $50 Iceburg Outerwear Men’s Insulated Jacket he purchased at Walmart. For example, do you really need a super-pricey hard-shell jacket? So it makes sense to cut back on costs wherever possible. Even if you eschew lift tickets and stick to the backcountry, you’ll likely spend several thousand dollars for all your gear, and that’s before factoring in additions like avalanche safety classes. There’s no way around it: Skiing is expensive.