I came across Loki gear last winter when I found a pair of awesome fleece gloves in the bathroom at the Elk’s Club. The brand caught my attention because my cat has the same name. After further research, I discovered that the Grand Junction-based company named it “Loki” for the same reason I did with the feline — the mythology of the Norse shape-changing god of mischief. As noted on the company’s website, as the trickster, Loki changes his own appearance to suit his needs.

I agree with the statement that today, Loki is changing outdoor gear.

After logging onto www.lokigear.com [1], I found an array of all things Loki. While I plan to gear myself up this ski season with the brand, I was in desperate need of a waterproof rain shell earlier this fall.

I selected the Tak light shell jacket, which has been a huge hit with my friends and myself, all of whom were impressed with Loki’s signature built-in face shield and mitts. The “Switch Head,” originally named for half a neck gaiter sewn in at the midpoints of the hood to allow for full or partial face covering, is an unnoticeable bit of fabric behind the head when not needed.

Completely unnoticeable to the eye or touch, when weather gets inclement, all you have to do is simply pull the face shield from inside the hood or unfold the built-in mittens at the cuff. The new design allows the wearer to have full-function mitts always at the ready, conveniently and inconspicuously stowed on the underside of the cuff when not needed. It’s a brilliant design, and provides ultimate versatility and function in quickly changing conditions.

The other unique and very useful feature on the jacket is the “N_pac” storage pack. The lightweight jacket, which weighs all of 16 oz., can be packed into a built-in pouch that can be worn as a backpack, complete with shoulder straps. And there’s plenty of room to throw in personal items.

The Tak jacket is made out of a breathable fabric that has kept me dry in rain, sleet and snow, and has proven to me that it’s suited for multiple-season use. It can easily be used for hiking, backcountry skiing, climbing, trekking, kicking around town and skinning up the mountains. I look forward to seeing how it holds up as my spring shell, which I’m sure — in the spirit of Loki changing his own appearance to suit his needs — will work beautifully.