Aspen-based Strafe is among a handful of smaller, ski-town ski apparel brands good enough to have traction beyond its home region. The brand was founded in 2011 by accomplished ski mountaineer athletes John and Pete Gaston. But Strafe is performance-oriented and while somewhat pricey (about on par with Patagonia, for example), it is not reserved for the 1%. Aspen conjures up images of fur and gold-plated everything.
In short: The Strafe Nomad 3L Ski Jacket threads the needle of being tough enough for midwinter resort storm skiing but light and breathable enough for high-output ski touring.
I tested the Nomad Jacket over 10 days of backcountry touring and resort skiing between the Loveland and Breckenridge Ski areas. My testing fell in late April and early May.
The Nomad Jacket has been in the Strafe lineup for over a decade. The 2024-25 season edition only received a minor functional update: a slightly thicker face fabric.
There are plenty of capable resort-oriented ski shells, and you can read about our favorites in the GearJunkie Best Ski Jackets Buyer’s Guide. I’ve tested more than a few shells claiming to do both.
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The Nomad 3L is noticeably lighter than most ski shells without even needing to put it on. The weight (625 g) is light but not out of the normal range for a 3L shell. Patagonia’s Untracked Jacket is about the same. The handfeel is somewhere between a sturdy windbreaker and a heavy-duty GORE-TEX ski shell.
The difference between the Nomad and most other ski shells is the choice of eVent DV Alpine membrane in place of one of the GORE-TEX products. This is usually fine in the resort environment where you’re going hard and then cooling off on a chairlift. I won’t fake being a materials engineer, but the eVent fabric uses a simpler construction than GORE-TEX that’s lighter and prioritizes breathability over waterproofing.
It’s also “air permeable,” which sounds an awful lot like breathable, but there’s a difference. Here, the Nomad’s air-permeable fabric actually permits airflow without requiring you to sweat first, helping you avoid drenching your baselayers and maintaining a comfortable body temperature, as long as it’s not too hot out. This also means the jacket feels cooler. GORE-TEX-type waterproof/breathable membranes release water vapor once you start sweating.
So, if you run cold and only resort ski, I’m sorry you’ve read this far. The advantage of the cooler-running Nomad is the flexibility. The 16K waterproofing is more than adequate for my normal ski conditions in Colorado, which involve high elevations, low temps, and lighter precipitation. I was able to add a midlayer and resort ski comfortably in high winds and temps in the teens.
Strafe describes the Nomad as a “freeride” fit. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, it has a hem that goes well below the waist. And there are longer arms, so the fabric doesn’t bind you when you start getting wild on the snow. There’s room in the body and arms.
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Overall, the fit is a good balance - much like the jacket overall - between what’s ideal for the resort and what’s ideal for backcountry. While touring in the Nomad, I wasn’t overwhelmed by extra fabric. But it felt like more than what I needed when constrained by a backpack and subjected to the repetitive arm swinging uphill.
The hood fits easily over a helmet. The one-hand-operable cinch clamps down appropriately over a ballcap or beanie, as well.
My 6’0” inch tall, 190-pound, somewhat chesty build fit easily in a size large. I probably could’ve sized down to a medium if I wanted a more tailored fit for the backcountry.
Bells and whistles are usually secondary concerns for me when evaluating a ski jacket. But I did appreciate the number, size, and placement of the pockets on the Nomad.
Importantly, there are at least four exterior pockets big enough to accommodate folded-up skins. Even when on the resort, I appreciated the oversized pockets. (I ski a 120mm-width backcountry ski in a 190 length. I’m always frustrated by minimalist pockets that are just barely big enough to hold things like a phone, forcing you to fumble to zip it around the item just so. Not for nothing, there are some expected ski-specific features, such as a left-arm pass pocket and removable powder skirt.
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The Strafe Nomad 3L Ski Jacket is a true 50/50 backcountry and resort crossover shell. Not being as heavy as other 3L ski jackets means it’s cooler, so you’ll need to be dialed on layering to make it work year-round, especially at the ski resort and in blustery, frigid conditions.
For the resort or backcountry, we found the best ski pants for a range of conditions including Flylow, Patagonia, Rab, and more.
This hard-charging shell returns with a full feature set and a proven freeride-focused fit. Featuring the air-permeable eVent® DV Alpine 3L fabric, the tight-weave 100% recycled nylon face ensures durability plus excellent waterproof and breathable performance, keeping you comfortable and protected in all conditions.
Key Features of the Strafe Nomad 3L Ski Jacket
- Air-permeable 3L eVent® face fabric for breathability and climate regulation during activity.
- Backpack-friendly raglan sleeves and exposed underarm vents.
- Oversized chest pockets with one interior mesh electronics sleeve.
- Large drop hand pockets with hem drawcord adjustment inside.
- Adjustable (& removable) 4-way stretch powder skirt with gripper elastic for deep powder days.
- Integrated helmet compatible hood with 3-point adjustment.
- Interior zippered mesh pocket with media port and a large mesh drop pocket with elastic binding.
- Pass pocket on lower sleeve.
- Soft microfleece lined front hood & chin guard adds next-to-skin comfort.
- Quick-dry grid knit thumbhole cuffs and velcro cuff adjustments.
- Water resistant and reliable YKK AquaGuard® (Coil) and VISLON® zippers and snaps.
- Full length interior windguard on center front zip.
Weight: 22.9oz/650g
Style no. John (Honey) is 5'9"/175cm wearing size Medium
Relaxed fit Center back length is 32.25 in.
Blackout Tie-Dye: eVent® DV Flex | 100% polyester face, 100% polyester tricot backer, DWR treatment | 0.1 CFM | 185 g/m2 | 75D/75D
INSULATION: None
LINING: None
PFAS DISCLAIMER: Made with PFAS chemicals.
With proper garment care, you'll see longer and better performance from your product. Follow the instructions below to wash and store.
- Machine wash in cold water 60°F (15°C).
- Use a detergent that is specifically made for waterproof outerwear, down, or activewear, respective to the garment you are washing.
- Open pocket zippers, close all other zippers, and loosen any draw-cords.
- Hang to dry. To reinvigorate the DWR (durable water repellent) finish, briefly tumble dry on low heat.
- Do not use fabric softener. Do not iron. Do not dry clean.
Strafe Nomad 3L Ski Jacket
Strafe Cham Kit Review
Trying the Strafe Cham kit in some low angle, boot top pow. How important is it to have mens and women’s apparel? It is possible for unisex threads to fit both guys and gals?
These are questions I asked myself frequently while testing the Strafe Cham Kit this past winter. Strafe, a Colorado company based a few miles down the road from WS headquarters, has been steadily gaining ground in the ski apparel market since its inception in 2009.
Strafe Outerwear: Cham Pant
WildSnow has covered Strafe in the past but this was my first time wearing it. I have to say, knowing the Gaston brothers and the conditions this gear is continually being tested in, Strafe is one of the more under the radar brands in the outdoor space.
This recent version of the Cham kit arrives on the heels of several other attempts at finding the ideal fabric for high output breathability that maintains weather proofness. In the past, they’ve tried eVent and Polartech NeoShell fabrics. They’ve also tweaked features, including adding a helmet compatible hood (2016), and subtracting the removable powder skirt (2020).
The latest Cham kit achieves its breathable-yet-protective qualities by employing a three layer construction similar to previous iterations. What’s unique this time around is the inclusion of Schoeller Aerobrane, a ‘hydrophyllic, ultralight polyurethane membrane,’ (according to Schoeller) which is prized for achieving an ideal blend of breathability, waterproofness and comfort. The electro-nanospun membrane shares similar characteristics to The North Face’s Futurelight.
The pants had a baggy, steezy fit. Not necessarily a bad thing if that’s the look you’re going for.
Left: They feature two large outer pockets, with a smaller inside pouch that comfortably held my beacon. The belt had numerous adjustment points to allow for a wide fit range. The inner waist features a fleece fabric strip thats soft on the skin.
Right: Note the length of the liner-free vents. Definitely don’t want to leave them open on the way down…The buttons on the pant offer adjustability on how tight you keep your cuffs. I especially appreciated this, given my smaller boot and lower leg) circumference though buttoning them all the way up did give me balloon thighs.
A particularly pleasant feature I wish all jackets included: super soft fleece on the chin flap.
The jacket features two large chest pockets, one interior goggle pouch and smaller interior zippered pocket, as well as a small zippered forearm pocket. The pants feature two large thigh pockets (one with interior electronics sleeve), over-the-hamstring vent zips, a simple web and hook belt and CORDURA scuff guards and heavy duty buttons on the back of each leg.
Strafe Cham Kit features ample pockets and adjustments.
Unisex Sizing
You could say gender neutral sizes are so 2020. You wouldn’t be wrong, but that’s not exactly why Strafe opted for the ultimate PC versatility. It’s more about being a small business with a limited budget, but much like we’ve seen over the past year, being put into a corner and trying something new can have positive implications.
The gender neutral sizing is conceptually interesting, though it needs some tweaking to really take off. To appeal to all sizes and genders, Strafe graded the smaller sizes especially and slimmed the fit of the pants. The Cham kit is designed to fit on the more relaxed side, so the fine tuning wasn’t exhaustive. They also offer relatively gender neutral colors: black, light blue with navy shoulder panels, navy blue with gold shoulder panels.
The Cham kit is only available in unisex sizing. As a petit woman 55, 115 lbs, I found the extra small to be on the edge of too big. But, there is a difference between a relaxed fit and a baggy one. As a small female (5’5”, 115lb) the extra small Cham Kit was, well, not extra small. It was quite large and a better fit for my gal friend who’s 5’10 and a healthy weight to match. That said, I could still wear it. It was actually kind of fun to fashion myself the steezy freeride skier I’ll probably never be while heading out on tours.
Performance in the Field
Fit matters aside, I found the Strafe kit to perform as I hoped it would. On a warmish mid-winter day where snow poured gloriously from the heavens, I opened up those big pit zips and stayed dry for a solid four-hour tour of quick moving uphills and powdery downs.
The zippers were easy to adjust for temperature regulation, and I often found a light baselayer was all I needed underneath on uphills. On warmer days when I nixed the pant baselayers, the inner fabric was soft on bare skin, unlike some other hard shells I’ve used that end up feeling clammy and akin to walking around with trash bags on my legs.
The Strafe Cham kit breathed surprisingly well in a variety of temperatures and snowfall. Here, moving quickly in warm snow with temps just below 30 degrees. Have a grid fleece base layer on top, no base layer on the bottom. On a super cold and windy tour in the high alpine I stayed unbothered by the gusts and single digits temps, but also didn’t find the fabric too breathable as can sometimes happen with these lighter membranes.
Having tried Gore-Tex, Event, Futurelight and most recently Schoeller fabrics over the years, I’ve been consistently surprised and pleased at the delivery of Schoeller membranes in terms of general breathability and protection.
After a dozen or so long tours in the kit, no major durability issues yet. The zippers function as they ought to, the reinforced cuffs have held up to ski edges and the occasional crampon spike.
Sizing, obviously, but also the pit zips were so large I thought I could crawl out of them. The buttons on the back of the legs help to slim the pant cuffs, especially helpful when using crampons. But securing them in their tightest setting made the thigh sections of the pants balloon and gave me the comical appearance of a jockey in the 1920s.
The Schoeller fabric is deceivingly thin for the performance it offered. The jacket also features to large outer chest pockets, a small inner media pocket and goggle pouch.
For ski tourers looking for a lightweight kit that is robust enough to hold up to weather and snow, the Cham kit is is a solid option. The jacket and pants are fully featured without being extraneous, and the features they include are well thought-out.
Strafe’s choice to go unisex is more interesting to me than bothersome.