Testers called the Salomon Scrambler Gore-Tex jacket the best backcountry shell they used all season.
Cody Townsend bootpacking a couloir during the Fifty Project. (Photo: Bjarne Salen/Courtesy of The Fifty Project)
Published August 17, 2026 10:27AM
Salomon Scrambler Gore-Tex Ski Jacket
Sizes: S-2XL
Insulation: None
Pros and Cons
+ Massive and accessible vents
+ Very lightweight
– Cuffs too wide for gauntlet gloves
– Only two pockets
Professional skier Cody Townsend doesn’t mess around with just-OK gear while climbing and skiing the Fifty Classics. After watching him weather storms and sweat his behind off bootpacking and bushwacking in the Salomon Scrambler Gore-Tex Jacket in most of the Fifty episodes, we knew we had to try the technical ski jacket for ourselves.Testers agreed: this is a pro-caliber shell and earned top marks as their favorite backcountry ski jacket of the season. The three-layer build with PFC-free Gore-Tex ePE technology is reliably waterproof and breathes better than almost anything else we’ve tried.
Unlike most trim-fit backcountry shells, the Scrambler runs looser and longer: one tester layered it straight over a big puffy on a frigid Jackson Hole tour, and the drop tail kept another dry on soggy lift rides. The hood clears a helmet, and despite the roomier cut, this is a minimalist piece—it only weighs about a pound and packs down to the size of a Nerf football. Testers wore it constantly, thanks to twin venting zips along the obliques that beat standard pit zips. Downside: There are no hand pockets, but the deep Napoleon pockets easily swallow a set of skins.
Not everyone needs this level of technical performance. But if you’re the type who logs serious vert and wants the best weather protection money can buy, this is it—and right now, it’s $275 cheaper.
