Mountain Hardwear G50 Softshell Jacket - Men's - 2009 BCS

I personally think this is the best looking softshell on the market. Breathable, sheds water and is wind resistant. The fabric is stretchy and the jacket fits nicely. The cuffs have a stretch material and keep the sleeves from sliding over your hands.

I'm 5'6" but have broad shoulders (size 48-50), waist size 38. Normally wear XL but since things tend to be cut snug nowadays, XXL fits great. Still have room to wear a sweater underneath. *** I wore this walking around all day in London in November 07 and it handled the constant rain and 30 degree weather superbly. The exterior of the jacket stopped beading water, but I never felt wet inside. Only complaint is that the material started piling/fuzzing on the sleeves and shoulders from constant rubbing from my messenger bag. I still think this is a great all around jacket for any occasion. Fully waterproof and very breathable. I own 3 in different colors.

This is another great product from Mountain Hardware. The jacket stands up to the elements very well but as other reviewers have stated, this product is cut very short at the waist and will leave you exposed while climbing.

Got this jacket for a steal at $35 and could not be happier! I'm around 6ft 175lbs and the XL fits pretty wells and allows for a lightweight fleece underneath. I've worn this jacket with a only a fleece and a long sleeve shirt underneath and my core kept warm in -3 weather with a -20 windchill. The jacket is also incredibly windresistant/windproof, I've stuck my arm out of a car going 60mph and not felt any wind come through. I haven't been out in a downpour in it yet, so I can't really comment on how waterproof it is, but the DWR coating sheds snow like a champ. The neck cinch is a nice touch and it also has one internal chest chest pocket. The only thing I could other thing I could ask out of this jacket would be a velcro adjustment strap on the wrist.

I bought this jacket almost 2 1/2 years ago. I still love it. It fits small - I almost universally wear a medium. I needed a large with this because it was vertically short in the torso and arm length.

The things I love about this jacket:

The fleece lining makes it warmer than a basic shell. It's a fantastic 3 season jacket, and excellent in winter with a base and mid layer. It breathes very well and has enough adjustability in the neck, waist and zippers to regulate body temp. The zippers are taped and gripped - meaning waterproof zippers that are easy to open/close with one hand. The side pockets are wide and deep - I can hike with two 32oz bottles in each without them falling out. The cut is wonderful for my build - 5'9, 145lbs and thin. The cuffs are doubled-up to make it extremely comfortable in cold/windy weather and fits snug and smooth. The body of the jacket has a kind of wrap-around quality to it, so even though I prefer a narrower fit for mobility it can comfortably cover many layers. The waterproofing coat is easily renewed in the dryer and with Revivex soft shell waterproofer. This jacket is waterproof if taken care of. Again, the cut of this jacket makes it extremely mobile - I've done everything in this jacket: hiking, climbing, sports, commuting, partying, etc. I still haven't been able to harm this jacket. No cuts, tears, burns or loose stitches.

Things not so great:

This is not a typical waterproof shell. It can wet-out easily in downpour. I live in the Pacific Northwest and have hiked with this jacket in day-long showers. It remains waterproof but loses its breathability. This can be frustrating in constantly rainy conditions. Also in rainy conditions the neck cuff isn't enough to keep water from going down the back of the head - but this is how the jacket is designed - get a jacket with a hood if you need the permanent head protection. And the inside sleeves on my jacket have begun to "pill" a bit, probably because I've abused the hell out of this jacket.

Overall:

I still rate this 5 stars considering all the crap I've put it through, and it still comes out like new with each (infrequent) wash and waterproofing. It resists wear and tear, is easily renewable, and has an extremely mobile cut that is hard to find in jackets of this kind. I imagine this jacket would also be fantastic in snow sports, but I haven't done any downhill in it. Waterproofing in general doesn't last more than a few weeks of constant water. This is relatively normal. Replenish it often, even if just to pop in dryer (if it's clean). Hope this helps!

I really like this jacket it is warm and wind resistant. The only thing is that the length in the body is a little short so order up a size from what you normally wear.

The jacket really deserves 5 stars but I put 4 because of the length. Like others have said, the jacket does expose your body if your hands are above your head. I'm not an ice-climber so I don't have the same problems as others may have. I tour with this jacket a lot in the winter. It is the perfect warmth for what I use it for. A lot of the time I enjoy that it is a little shorter because I end up putting an additional rain shell over it. All in all, I'm very impressed with this jacket. It has great uses in the winter and is perfect for everyday use for fall, spring and even mountain summer adventures.

I bought this jacket to replace my North Face Apex Bionic, The G50 is far superior to the Apex in all aspects except for the sleeve cuffs the Apex has velcro allowing for great adjustment, the G50 is shorter in length and I like that.
Don't hesitate on the purchase.

The G-50 is a well designed soft shell jacket. I have used it skiing in fairly cold windy weather and it broke through the wind very well.

The only advice I feel the need to shed is that it seems to run somewhat small. I am roughly 5-10 185 lbs. and normally wear Larges in every brand. I purchased a Large in the G50 and it is somewhat short.

It's a little short in the body, as one reviewer said, but not short enough to be a problem. I'm 6'3, and my G50 XXL fits me great (unlike, for example, the Cloudveil Headwall, which really WAS too short in the body; I had to send that one back). And it's a great jacket overall: reasonably priced, reasonably warm, nice light fleece lining, good pox. Definitely worth considering.

Ok so, the skinny:
-great water resistance, unless u are in monsoon season
-Not built for any event/outing colder than say 35/40 if layered WELL!
little short on length, 5'11" 157lbs got a Lrg
-Traps heat well if layer correctly
-Breathable: 8/10
-Ruggedly built, props!
-Cuffs are sick, and neck is great when necessary.
-Flexibility: 9/10, just too short to give a 10.
-Overall good buy, but if purchased on sale, GET ONE!

The MH G50 is great! Use it for the commute to work, about town, on the trail, really anywhere I need a jacket. Grab it for every occation when I need a jacket.Wind is no match for the G50. Took the advice of one reviewer and put my arm out the window of my car on the highway ... just a drop of wind came through, which is to be expected going 60 mph.Rain ... not a drop. One gripe, the fleece lining around the neck does get damp because of the lack of hood, but the body of the jacket stays bone dry. We'll see when the GWR wears off.Had it since April and love it! Looking forward to see what it will be able to take on during these cold Wisconsin winters.

The fit of this jacket is nice in the cheast, but if you have a little love handles it will so off your form. Motivation to stay in shape. I took this on some winter hikes in Canyonlands, mid 20 degree temps and had 2 regular shirts on under neath and kept pleanty warm. Very durable material. The cuffs are a little tight when taking the jacket off, but nice to keep out wind and snow. The pockets are HUGE, and go up to your shoulder! This is my favorite jacket !

This jacket is nice and fits well except for the cuffs. I am a bit broad in the shoulders, so I needed the XL, but I'm 5'10" and so usually the sleeves are an inch or two too long in some jackets. Normally this isn't a problem, because I can snug up the sleeve cuff velcro adjustment. This jacket doesn't have them, so the sleeves feel like they're constantly in the way and I'm having to push them back. Otherwise, an excellent jacket. Just try it on before you buy.

It is great for fishing because it resists water super well and keeps you warm. With moving around alot it also articulates tons of motion. Walks in the morning are great with this jacket because its warm enough for 20-30 degree mornings. For a softshell this is super nice and also good for spring skiing. worth the money, super lightweight.

This jacket is so comfortable you forget your wearing it the mobility is great for any activity.

Absolutely fantastic jacket the only probably was that it wasn't warm enough. It would have been a great outer layer but as a single layer at 40 degrees, just not enough.

I live in Central New York, where we get more than our share of snow and cold weather. This jacket is perfect for 40-50 degree(Fahrenheit) weather, but I don't know how the company thinks it could provide warmth in any weather cold enough to produce ice or snow. You would definitely need a substantial under-layers for warmth below 35 degrees with this jacket.....so if you need this as -just- a shell, and you're going to wear lots of layers underneath, then you're good to go. Personally, for the price, I would like to see a -little- more of a lining in the G50; something with muscle enough to stand up to perhaps 30 degrees on its own.

On the plus side, it truly is a damn stylish jacket, and I've received a truckload of compliments on it.

Usual Mtn Hrdwr sweetness. light and comfy, articulated cut. Only gripe is no velcro adjustment on the cuffs. But not sold that way. So who cares! Good Gear

its excellent!

I was looking at other coats that are close to the same. I went with this for the price and brand name and couldn't be happier.

I'm 5' 6", 150, and I've got a shorter upper torso and I got a medium . When I first got it I thought it was really short. After wearing it around, however, I've come to see it's cut perfectly, at least for me. As far as performance, the G50 is awing. It's cuts wind like a freakin' ax when I ride around on my bike. The G50 is also CRAZY water-resistant. My only gripes are 1) the lack of elastic/velcro wrist cuffs, 2) the thin fleece lining (admittedly, though, I get cold really easily). This jacket will keep you warm as nonesense if you're moving around, but if not, you better layer up.

The sweetest part of the jacket is it's price. For the performance and quality of a significantly more expensive softshell, but at a significantly LOWER price you'd better holler at the G50 (better yet, look at steep and cheap or bc outlet). The jacket has sent me to the temples of Mountain Hardwearism.

Lastly, backcountry.com is ridiculously sweet ass sweet. If you were a real person, I'd try to marry you.

Overall great jacket. if you try this out in a store you might not think it is very warm, but once you get out this jacket blocks all the wind and rain and keeps your body heat in so it is very warm

I love this jacket. Very light weight, very water and wind resistant. Its perfect for this time of the year (fall). It is not very thick at all, but its perfect any type of outdoor activity like hiking or climbing. I ended up ordering a Large at first, which I returned for a XL. I am 6'1" and 180lbs. I also ordered the Alchemy, planning on only keeping one of the two, but so far haven’t been able to let one go. The Alchemy seems to be cut a little bigger, and I have exchanged that for a Large, hopefully that works out. All in all, I’m very impressed, expensive, but worth it.

Good looking, nice cut on my 5'9" frame. I wore this the other day day on a lightly raining hike/gully scramble and I have to say it was awsome...the jacket that is. It breaths well and retains warmth and keeps water out real nice like. I especially appreciated the neck sinch that kept some bigger drops from getting me. Seemed very tuff through the required bushwhacking as well.

I bought this jacket as it was a related item to the North Face Apex Bionic (one of my favorite jackets ever), and I was looking for something similar that was waterproof instead of just water resistant. The fit of the G50 is way too small in the chest, and the back length is too short compared to the Apex Bionic (I'm 6'2", 240+). Also, the chest pocket was too small for all the stuff I like to stash as well. I returned the jacket immediately after trying it on, there was no way it would fly.