Outdoor Research Axiom Review

The Outdoor Research Axiom is a lightweight and simple Gore Active Shell jacket.
We tested six other lightweight hardshells that are either made either made with Active Shell or fall into the same weight class. The Axiom ranks in the upper half of these.

Unfortunately, the jacket has several significant drawbacks that contribute to our so-so rating: (1) The hood is not helmet compatible. With the zipper closed we found it to be restrictive when looking up and too the sides. (2) The handwarmer pockets sit low, by your waist, and are covered by a backpack's hipbelt. Further, the pockets have mesh backing, which makes them better for hiking than climbing because ice and snow inevitably enter the pockets and melt- which get's you wet.(3) The rear hood adjustment cord is difficult to loosen even without gloves. Consequently, we found that other Active Shell jackets perform at a higher level in general, and especially for winter activities.

The Axiom's best application is hiking, but the jacket's hand pockets sit low and are obscured by a backpack's hip belt. Although you do have access to the chest pocket it would be better if you also had access to the hand pockets when hiking.

For backpacking some of our testers prefer lighter waterproof breathable jackets such as the Outdoor Research Helium 2 which weighs a mere 6.4 ounces, packs into a miniscule ball, and costs one third as much as the Axiom. An Active Shell jacket will be more durable and more comfortable than the Helium 2's Pertex Shield+ but for the majority of hikers a lightweight rain shell may be a better option.

See how the Axiom compares to the other twenty hardshells we tested in our Hardshell Jacket Review.