The big difference with the kniferidge is the overall fit. Translation Wilco? More weather protection than the Reconnaissance kit, and in my opinion less breathable. Kniferidge jacket and pants are made of a 3-layer stretchy Polartec Power Shield. This is meant to be a skiing/snowboarding version of Patagonia’s current Knifeblade series meant for alpine climbing. Here you can see the low bib/suspender feature of the Kniferidge pants (suspenders are removable). Kniferidge jacket and pants – alpine fit softshell outwear I like bibs, and I wish that the Reconnaissance pants had a low softshell bib for added protection.Good fit for touring and free riding, especially over boots (even for the skiers, this was common feedback).Jacket and pants have good waterproofness – obviously only a limited testament to that so far.Fabric is super breathable, and I am finding myself comfortable wearing it all day long, on the ups and downs.Rear vents in the pants along the hamstrings (great for steep snow climbing and dumping heat).Similarly, the pants have the same softshell fabric in the crotch and they are paired with the H2NO fabric in the lower cuff, and outer/upper thighs. The jacket has the 3-layer waterproof fabric H2NO on the hood, shoulders, and forearms. The Reconnaissance jacket and pants are made of a double-weave softshell with a bit of stretch. Max Hammer, on the left, wearing the Reconnaissance pants and jacket. No precipitation and mostly clear weather with consistent ridge-top winds. The following daytime temperatures increased to the mid-teens to upper 20’s. Weather during testing: Over four days of testing, we had single digit temperatures and windy conditions up high on the first day. There are a lot of pieces of outwear to look at here, and my goal is to end this with my recommendation on the one kit in the quiver that will work across the board. Although it was a single day test on each kit, I can speak to fit, fabric functionality, and my overall opinion on the layers. During our Cooke City trip I had the opportunity to test every outwear kit combination (except the Super Alpine). The Backcountry Touring Line has many features of Patagonia’s alpine climbing line mixed with the features that pure snow-sliding enthusiasts want as well. The spectrum ranges from “lift-accessed backcountry missions” to “pure alpine inspired missions.” Much of their current outerwear has been specifically designed for either/or, but obviously many of us have been using it for the range of activities anyways. Patagonia’s response to this trend is to come out with a new line of outwear that blends the sports, to create technical outwear for backcountry touring along a spectrum. The line separating alpine climbing and backcountry skiing/riding is becoming increasingly blurry. Patagonia is a brand with a widespread presence in the outdoor world - always with deep roots in the mountain sports from alpine climbing to trail running. The big crew reunites from the cabin and the yurt on the morning of departure.
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