Mammut Alyeska Jacket - Men's - 2010 BCS

I was very excited to try this jacket on and get based on researching different jackets. I had considered the Arcteryx Stingray and Theta, Mountain Hardwear Snowtastic/pocolypse as well as a few others.
I also thought it would be cool (albeit obnoxious) to wear this for warming up at Alyeska before a heli trip in AK.

First of all, the craftmanship of the Alyeska is superb, the attention to detail is incredible. Pockets where you need them, great zippers and the ability to connect to Mammut pants is a nice touch. The sleeve 'gaiters' are awesome and should be standard on ski shells. While I wouldn't call this an insulated jacket, it does have a nice layer of fleece that is a bit more substantial than the Arcteryx Stingray.
The jacket also looks great which while taking a back seat to fit, performance and features is still important when considering shelling out this kind of cash. I really like the constrasting colors of the zippers.

One negative is I'm not too hot on the partial zipper. I get the concept that it supposedly allows better flexibility with a helmet but 99% of the time I won't be wearing one and it seemed a bit of a gimmick. Didn't try it with one though so can't say.
The reason I ultimately didn't end up getting this is the fit wasn't right for me.
I'm 5' 11" 180lbs and always find trouble finding gear that has long enough sleeves, is not too tight in the shoulders and is not overly bulky and "poofy" across the chest. The Alagna in a Medium fit very nice so was hoping the Alyeska would be similar. Unfortunately not, the Alyeska was way too tight across the shoulders and under the armpits whilst the Large felt great but was way too bulky across the chest - even with a Patagonia down sweater on.
I ended up getting the Stingray in Medium and really am happy. It's 80% of the jacket for $200 less and the fit is incredible.

greatest jacket i've ever owned, bar none. this jacket is fairly light but has fleece lining to keep you warm, arm articulate well, lots of pockets. too a little time to get used to the 2 zippers in front but now i really like it. my only complaint is that Mammut needs to look at Arcteryx hoods, this one fits over a helmet but is a tad too small.

This is one of the best designed jackets I have found in a while. Here's some beta on the subtle things that don't come out in the product description: Hood - really well designed. It sits on your head perfectly and very adjustable. At first I didn't think it would fit over my helmet, but it does. Perfect. Rare to find a hood that fits both cranium and lid equally well. The trick is the second zipper that opens a gusset at the collar without exposing to the elements. Collar - high enough to cover nose, yet stays out of face when unzipped. Gusset plays in here again. Asym zip travels to side of face near chin and wont interfere with mouth or face. Soft lining. Very cozy when its cold and blowin' stink. Pockets - not too many, but enough and well placed. Will not interfere with a pack. Material/Lining - nice fleece lining inside back & shoulders. Soft hand to the external gortex. Stretchy. Fleece reduces need for too many layers underneath, in fact it would need to be cold for me to bulk up in this jacket. This is good. Keeps you light, keeps you fast. Color - Liane is more lime green than yellowish as in product pic. Kind of a light pea color in certain light. Not offensive, very cool. Fit- I am ypically a large. In this jacket, I was right at the upper bound of Mammut's range, so my OCD kicked in and I also tried the XL to fully compare/contrast. Conclusion? If you are on the cusp, the large will provide a nice athletic fit but still good movement. XL will provide a nice loose fit with about same movement. Big difference to me was room around chest, length arms, length jacket. Shoulders about same feeling. Comes down to your preference. XL gives a little more relaxed fit for helment and a looser skirt at bottom. If you always wear a climbing harness, this might appeal. Large gave a nice fitted skirt to keep the powder out on deep days. Most important check, did my avy transeiver fit comfortably around chest with the more athletic fit? Yes! In the end XL just felt slightly too much for me; went with L. Fit will be ideal for those right in the middle of Mammut's sizing range.

This jacket has a fuzzy fleece lining on the back which helps to keep you warm but also help wick moisture so you don't soak through your layers while wearing a pack. The gore softshell fabric is super breathable, stretchy and very durable. Nice pocket layout, hood fits nicely with or without a helmet. Zippered gusset on the collar lets you "tighten up" when the wind picks up. Collar zip are off-center so they don't scratch your chin or snag your beard. Powder skirt is removable to reduce bulk while wearing a harness. Powder skirt also zips to the Alyeska pants to create a one-piece. If price is not an issue, this jacket is sure to satisfy.