Strafe Nomad 3L Ski Jacket Overview

Most ski shells flip into sweaty coffins within the backcountry. And, to be honest, most backcountry ski shells don’t reduce it in unhealthy climate on the resort. With the expansion of backcountry snowboarding, extra attire manufacturers are making jackets for both aspect of the rope line, however the Strafe Nomad 3L Ski Jacket is without doubt one of the few that does it effectively.

This “freeride” jacket hangs lengthy and matches loosely for loads of freedom of motion, however shouldn’t be so steezy that it bunches up and feels ridiculous on the skintrack. Strafe makes use of an eVent waterproof and breathable membrane right here as an alternative of the ever-present GORE-TEX and will get a lighter, extra breathable shell consequently.

Plenty of massive pockets and the same old ski-specific touches sweeten the pot. However on the finish of the day, the Nomad stands out for its skill for use all yr lengthy, whether or not you’re touring or using lifts. The value tag hurts a bit, however much less so when you can substitute two jackets with this one.

In brief: The Strafe Nomad 3L Ski Jacket ($679) threads the needle of being robust sufficient for midwinter resort storm snowboarding however gentle and breathable sufficient for high-output ski touring. Pure resort skiers might want one thing a contact heavier, however correct layering will allow you to use this shell year-round anyplace you ski.

Learn our full overview under or The Finest Ski Jackets Purchaser’s Information to see how the Strafe Nomad stacks up.

• Match
  Relaxed
• Insulation
  None
• Shell
  Ripstop 3-layer eVent DV Alpine shell; 100% Nylon face with 20D Tricot backer
• Waterproof ranking (mm)
  16,000
• Breathability (g)
  20,000
• Weight
  625 g

• 
  Glorious breathability
• 
  Light-weight
• 
  Relaxed match

• 
  Costly
• 
  Skinny for chilly resort days

Strafe Nomad 3L Ski Jacket Overview

Aspen-based Strafe is amongst a handful of smaller, ski-town ski attire manufacturers ok to have traction past its residence area. Nonetheless, the proportion of skiers sporting Strafe grows exponentially the nearer you get to Strafe HQ on the base of Aspen Highlands.

Aspen conjures up pictures of fur and gold-plated all the things. However Strafe is performance-oriented and whereas considerably expensive (about on par with Patagonia, for instance), it’s not reserved for the 1%. The model was based in 2011 by completed ski mountaineer athletes John and Pete Gaston. And the attire, together with the Nomad jacket, displays the necessity for high-output prepared gear.

The Nomad Jacket has been within the Strafe lineup for over a decade. The 2024-25 season version solely obtained a minor useful replace: a barely thicker face cloth. Strafe’s designer, Pia Halloran, instructed me, “We went from a 110g/m2 mini ripstop to a 135g/m2 medium ripstop, rising sturdiness and bettering the handfeel.”

I examined the Nomad Jacket over 10 days of backcountry touring and resort snowboarding between the Loveland and Breckenridge Ski areas. My testing fell in late April and early Could. However topping out at an elevation of almost 13,000 ft in stormy situations offered midwinter-like situations to distinction with steamy, sunny spring days.

Light-weight, Breathable Efficiency for Uphilling

There are many succesful resort-oriented ski shells, and you’ll examine our favorites within the GearJunkie Finest Ski Jackets Purchaser’s Information.

What’s more durable to return by are resort-ready shells that may really pull double obligation within the backcountry.

I’ve examined quite a lot of shells claiming to do each. They’re typically barely lighter weight however nowhere close to breathable sufficient for high-output uphilling in something however the coldest situations.

The Nomad 3L is noticeably lighter than most ski shells with out even needing to place it on. The handfeel is someplace between a sturdy windbreaker and a heavy-duty GORE-TEX ski shell. The load (625 g) is gentle however not out of the traditional vary for a 3L shell. Patagonia’s Untracked Jacket is about the identical. The Stio Environ Jacket is 31% heavier, for instance.

The distinction between the Nomad and most different ski shells is the selection of eVent DV Alpine membrane rather than one of many GORE-TEX merchandise. I received’t pretend being a supplies engineer, however the eVent cloth makes use of an easier building than GORE-TEX that’s lighter and prioritizes breathability over waterproofing. The official specs bear this out: 20K breathability and 16K waterproofing. 

Air Permeable Membrane: Preferrred for Backcountry

It’s additionally “air permeable,” which sounds an terrible lot like breathable, however there’s a distinction.

GORE-TEX-type waterproof/breathable membranes launch water vapor when you begin sweating. That is often nice within the resort surroundings the place you’re going onerous after which cooling off on a chairlift. Within the backcountry, the place you’re largely churning out physique warmth for hours, your baselayers will already be damp by the point your shell begins releasing water vapor.

Right here, the Nomad’s air-permeable cloth really permits airflow with out requiring you to sweat first, serving to you keep away from drenching your baselayers and sustaining a snug physique temperature, so long as it’s not too sizzling out. This additionally means the jacket feels cooler. So, when you run chilly and solely resort ski, I’m sorry you’ve learn this far. This jacket in all probability isn’t for you.

The benefit of the cooler-running Nomad is the pliability. I used to be in a position so as to add a midlayer and resort ski comfortably in excessive winds and temps within the teenagers. The 16K waterproofing is greater than satisfactory for my regular ski situations in Colorado, which contain excessive elevations, low temps, and lighter precipitation. Pacific Northwestern skiers might want extra.

Match: Strafe Nomad 3L Ski Jacket

Strafe describes the Nomad as a “freeride” match. If that doesn’t imply something to you, it has a hem that goes effectively under the waist. There’s room within the physique and arms. And there are longer arms, so the material doesn’t bind you once you begin getting wild on the snow. I’ve worn baggier jackets, nevertheless it’s additionally a bit extra spacious than my ordinary touring jackets, that are extra form-fitting.

General, the match is an effective steadiness — very like the jacket total — between what’s ideally suited for the resort and what’s ideally suited for backcountry. Whereas touring within the Nomad, I wasn’t overwhelmed by further cloth. However it felt like greater than what I wanted when constrained by a backpack and subjected to the repetitive arm swinging uphill. On the resort, the match was precisely what I needed.

The hood matches simply over a helmet. The one-hand-operable cinch clamps down appropriately over a ballcap or beanie, as effectively. There’s an inside raglan sleeve with thumb holes that I loved for the resort and will’ve accomplished with out touring because it felt prefer it stored warmth sealed inside.

My 6’0” inch tall, 190-pound, considerably chesty construct match simply in a measurement massive. I in all probability might’ve sized all the way down to a medium if I needed a extra tailor-made match for the backcountry. As somebody who hates attire that restricts my snowboarding, I used to be glad to err on the aspect of a bit massive.

Pockets and Options

Bells and whistles are often secondary considerations for me when evaluating a ski jacket. However I did recognize the quantity, measurement, and placement of the pockets on the Nomad.

There’s an inside mesh stash pouch, in addition to a zippered mesh pocket for securing telephones, keys, and different small objects you’d choose to not lose.

Importantly, there are at the least 4 exterior pockets sufficiently big to accommodate folded-up skins. (I ski a 120mm-width backcountry ski in a 190 size. Splitboard skins could also be fatter, however the lengths are shorter.)

Even when on the resort, I appreciated the outsized pockets. I’m all the time pissed off by minimalist pockets which can be simply barely sufficiently big to carry issues like a telephone, forcing you to fumble to zip it across the merchandise simply so. Even when I’m carrying nothing greater than a stick of lip balm, I’ll all the time choose extra pocket area to not sufficient.

Not for nothing, there are some anticipated ski-specific options, similar to a left-arm move pocket and detachable powder skirt. I put on bibs and the Nomad is lengthy sufficient that I by no means felt I wanted the skirt, nevertheless it does have the choice, which might be good as a seal in opposition to chilly air on breezy days, if nothing else.

Strafe Nomad 3L Jacket: Conclusion

The Strafe Nomad 3L Ski Jacket is a real 50/50 backcountry and resort crossover shell. Not like different “breathable” ski shells, the Nomad’s air permeability means you’ll must do much less layering up and layering down when ski touring within the backcountry.

Not being as heavy as different 3L ski jackets means it’s cooler, so that you’ll should be dialed on layering to make it work year-round, particularly on the ski resort and in blustery, frigid situations. However when you do it proper, you may put on the Nomad regardless of the place and once you’re getting out on the snow.

To see the place the Nomad matches into the broader panorama of ski jackets, try our GearJunkie Ski Jacket Purchaser’s Information.