Packing for a ski trip usually means choosing between a puffer that performs and one you'd actually wear to dinner. Backcountry's new BGA Waas ALLIED Down Hooded Jacket, featured in a first look by Outside Online, argues you don't have to pick.

The headline spec is weight: the whole jacket comes in under a pound, yet it's built around 800-fill goose down, which delivers the kind of warmth-to-weight ratio you want when every gram in a backcountry pack counts. It packs down into its own pocket, so it disappears into a ski touring bag or carry-on, then fluffs back out when the temperature drops. The shell is a durable ripstop fabric with a DWR finish to shrug off light moisture, which matters when you're wearing it as a mid-layer on stormy resort days or pulling it on at a windy summit.

Storage is thoughtfully done. A zippered chest pocket keeps your phone accessible, while large dump pockets swallow gloves, beanies or even climbing skins — a nod to the skintrack crowd. The see-through chest pocket accent and unusual baffle construction give it a distinctive look that reads more mountain-town casual than technical shell.

There's also a sustainability story worth noting. The down is Responsible Down Standard-certified, the shell fabric is recycled, and the DWR treatment contains no intentionally added PFAS — the so-called forever chemicals increasingly being phased out of outdoor gear. Both fabrics carry bluesign APPROVED and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, meaning they've been tested for harmful substances. For travellers trying to buy less and buy better, those credentials carry real weight.

Who's this for? Ski tourers and splitboarders who need a warm layer that stuffs into a pack all day, resort skiers who want one jacket for lifts, lunches and aprés, and anyone building a cold-weather travel kit around versatile, low-bulk pieces. At under a pound, it also earns a permanent spot in a winter carry-on. If your next trip involves snow — think Utah, the Alps or Japan's powder belt — this is the kind of layer that covers you from the early-morning start to the evening walk back from dinner.

First look by Outside Online.