The new Helly Hansen Odin Moon Light Jacket will serve you well all year around, but in this blustery, unpredictable shoulder season it is especially crucial.

You can throw it over a down sweater or wool layer for protection against freezing rain – the most dreaded of elements that is the bane of vehicular traffic but shouldn’t slow down human-powered backcountry sojourns.

Designed for year-round protection, the Odin Moon Light vents better than most and packs down smaller, while its Tech Performance 2.5-ply laminate construction is seam-sealed and waterproof but will always resist overheating. It also has some stretch to it, so you’ll never feel constricted.

When it’s raining and blowing really hard, full-length front stormflap and easy adjustments on hood, cuffs and hem seal out weather, and all the zippers have Aquaguard. But it is the combo of lightweight packability with durable protection that really impresses here. You get all the protection of a heavier-cast shell, but in a lighter package.