GoLite Gamut Jacket - Men's - 2007 BCS

i put it on the first time, and it belled out and was extremely large for me around the waist. i had to install a draw cord through the tube in the bottom. I love in now! the sleeves were a little large and long, but it's good with gloves. i wear it all the time though, wearing it right now.

Looks nice and feels nice.
The major downside is that if you plan on wearing this shell during any time that is warm....i wouldn't... you will probably be as wet with the jacket on as with it off....but if it isn't above 80 degrees outside it is worth it.

So far I've been very happy with my Gamut. I hiked in the snow a few weeks back with just the Gamut over a smartwool top, and it proved both waterproof and very breathable. We hiked pretty hard, and there was no clamminess in the jacket. Just today I wore it in heavy rain in town and stayed very dry. The zipper seems very fragile, and i've had trouble getting it zipped a few times, but that's my only complaint. Very light, easy to pack.

Stretchy, waterproof, seam taped, lightweight, durable, breathability on par with a softshell ... and under $100, this jacket is amazing. How does Golite do it?

Be warned, this jacket is simple as simple gets. No wrist cuff closures (though the arms have adequate length and the cuffs mate with gloves well), very basic cord hood adjustment, tiny pockets that don't work under a harness, wimpy zipper pulls.

But all of the essentials are there - storm flap on main zipper, soft protector over where my chin hits the zipper, helmet-friendly hood, and of course fit and function. From 4 straight days of storm on Shasta to super-sweaty climbing in the Sierra, this jacket has done it all. Go Golite.

This jacket is made of an amazing fabric. It's waterproof, but soft and stretchy. It's windproof, but breathable. It's lighter and far more comfortable to wear than Gore-Tex rain shells. It has nice waist and hood cinches, and has a great trim, athletic fit for my trim-to-average build.
It's not quite perfect for me, though. In particular, the sleeve cuffs were way too large, and lacked any kind of elastic or hook and loop closure adjustability. This enables too much wind in for me.
Also, as much as I love this jacket, it's too heavy to carry as a "just-in-case" piece of outwear where you're not sure what the weather is going to do. And it's not quite as versatile as my Marmot Original Windshirt, which is lighter weight, more insulating, even more breathable, and has the ability to wear as an inner, middle, or outer layer.
If I lived in Seattle, Portland or anywhere where it rains frequently, or if I were to go outdoors in moderate to heavy rain more frequently (my wife doesn't like hiking or biking in the rain), I would *definitely* keep this jacket as a rain shell and toss my old Gore-tex shell.
However, given my needs and location, I get by better with my Marmot Ion Windshirt as a "just in case" jacket in warmer weather, and my Marmot Original Driclime Windshirt in cooler weather where I might see light drizzle.