Mammut Extreme Cho Oyu Jacket - Men's - 2009 BCS

This jacket serves its ultimate purpose to shed rain and snow from the body. It passed both the shower test and the roll around in the snow test with flying colors. The Shoeller c-change seems to work well, but it's only useful if all the layers underneath can breathe up to the membrane (a mistake I've already made).

Its fit is true to size and tailored for the tall and slender. I am an athletic 5'9" 150lbs and a Medium was a perfect fit. I layer a wool shirt and my MonkeyMan underneath and it's a snug but non-constricting fit. Consider sizing up if you want a bit more room.

The only thing I'm not crazy about is the hood. While it does give excellent vision, when zipped up to the top, i have fabric up to my nose (see pic). After cross country skiing in it, the extra face and neck protection was great during the snowy and windy parts, but forced me to unzip and tuck the flaps under once the sun came out. Because of the long neck, it doesn't feel ideal for a summer shell, so if you're considering this as an all seasons shell, look elsewhere. For the cooler months of the year, you can't get much better than this jacket.