There's a first time for everything, and this month was the first time we had renowned online publication The Inertia take our gear out for some proper on-snow testing....to great success! Gear Editor Will Sileo took to the mountains with a whole wardrobe of some of the best jackets and bibs from the 22/23 season, in hopes of answering an age-old question within the industry: "If you were to own one ski jacket for the rest of your life (or at least the next few years), to be used in mid-winter powder, spring slush, sitting on the chairlift, puffing up the skintrack, and everything in between, which one would rise to the top?" Well, after thorough testing throughout a wide range of conditions and activities from lift laps and resort apres scenes to long backcountry tours, we are honored to take the top spot on Will's list of Best All-Mountain Ski Jackets. What Will had to say: Best Resort Skiing Shell Jacket: TREW Cosmic PRIMO Jacket Pros: Durable and stylish with tons of pockets and a wide array of colors.Cons: A bit heavy for dedicated backcountry use. The Cosmic Primo jacket from Trew is a worthy piece of gear with 3L construction, oodles of pockets (a whopping five outer pockets and two massive internal dump pockets), and fabric that is super durable but not stiff. It’s hard to believe that it clocks in at under $500 and comes in so many color options.For backcountry, while it’s not the stretchiness you’ll find in a dedicated touring shell, with large pit zips and a weight that isn’t too off the charts, this shell can do some time out of bounds as well. And if you’re pairing it with one of Trew’s high-coverage bibs, you can zip out the powder-skirt to save yourself a few grams or so. For dedicated tourers, there are better jackets, but for hitting the resort, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a shell as well-equipped as this one. It was a pretty tight race between the Cosmic Primo and TNF’s Summit Verbier Jacket (see below), but in the end, the Primo won with a better price, more versatility due to the lack of an interior backing, and a few extra points for style and massive pockets. And don't forget about the TREWth Bib PRIMO And while we're on the subject, Will also took the TREWth Bib PRIMO out for some on-mountain fun alongside the Cosmic and had great things to say - awarding the bib with Most Stylish Ski Bibs on his list of The Best Ski Bibs of 2023, as well as including them among his list of Best Aprés Ski Gear of 2023! While the TREWth Primo's looser, more relaxed fit wasn't really his style, he did enjoy the bib for many reasons, stating that the bib "lives up to the hype with plenty of pockets, great style, and very durable 20k/20k waterproof/breathable fabric made from recycled nylon". SHOP PRIMO Photos by Andy Gagne.
