Norrøna Falketind Gore-Tex Pro Shell Jacket - Men's - 2011 BCS

Took this guy through 5 straight rides on the Shipwreck Falls water park at Elitch Gardens (free tickets!) in Denver on a brisk Fall day. Had the hood cinched down and everything from the waste up was bone dry. While that may sound like a degenerate way to spend your day, it was a good indication of its waterproof rating. When the snow starts falling, I'll use it for its intended purposes.

This jacket has been great for me. Obviously, the Norrona company comes from Norway and has more of a European cut. This is great for people who are tall and lankly, like myself. I'm 6'3 and 180 and the Large fits perfectly with room for layering underneath but not so much material that I feel like I'm wearing a sail in a windstorm. I use it for skiing, biking, hiking and pretty much everything else were there is a good chance of a large amount of precipitation. The material on the jacket is quite light and feels more like many of the paclight goretex shells on the market today. That being said, it is one of the lighter gore-tex pro shells on the market so please don't expect to have a heavy duty super abrasion resistant shell (which also weighs more). The pockets are just barley above harness/waistbelt line and can be a bit restricted at times but only for getting into the last lower portion. The hem is long enough in the back to cover well past my waist and does just fine when I lean forward on a bike. The hood is helmet compatible and fully adjustable; works just as well without a helmet too. Pit zips work great although they do sometimes need 2 hands to open.

If you're tall and lanky and looking for a great year round shell - look no further!

I'm 6'4" and 235lb. The jacket arms and body length were fine, but the body fit was almost snug. I need to be able to wear a fleece jacket underneath on very cold days(20F). So I am returning it today and ordered an XXL. The jacket looks to be very good in quality.

This is a terrific shell. I bought the 3-layer Pro Shell Arcteryx equivalent, and it fit a little bulky. I'm 6'1" and 175 lbs, and this Norrona shell fits perfectly in a size Medium. It's a slimmer cut, but doesn't restrict movement at all. It packs small in your backpack, it's light but tough for sure. I took it through some wind and heavy rains, and it held up as tough as any Arcteryx product you could buy.

Highly recommend for the fashion conscience and also techy guy who wants something bomb proof.

The jacket seems functionally as-advertised thus far. Though, I'll echo the sentiments about the arms being pretty long. I'm 6'2" - 190 lbs and I originally ordered an XL. It was a bit big in the chest and the arms were way too long. I ended up exchanging for a size L. The arms were about a half inch shorter (but still a hair long) and it was a bit tighter through the chest. Otherwise, I couldn't tell much difference between the L and XL.

First off, I was looking for a low-weight shell to cater to hiking, climbing, winter commuting and touring on bike, and maybe some cross-country skiing someday. There was some hesitation about sizing since I wanted to layer but I ended with with a small (5'8" 130lbs) but the size is perfect (with nice long arms). This jacket keeps out wind and rain/snow, can be sealed up with all of the pulls, or opened up for ventilation (wonderfully full-length pitzips) all while being highly visible and even looking sharp.
Paying full price left me with high expectations and all but one has been fulfilled: I wish the main zip was doubled so I could let it open in the front from the bottom (but I bought it knowing this). Other than that, there hasn't been a bit of complaint. THIS IS JUST A SHELL, well constructed and tough, and even my seamstress girlfriend is wicked impressed by the build of it.
As a side note: I can't tell the difference in the breathing between my eVent and Gore-tex stuff, both seem good I just think its moronic that eVent thinks it doesn't need pitzips even though it does..?

i've been using this jacket for about 2 seasons now. so far i am very impressed as this is the first piece of gear i've owned from norrøna. this is a very deceptively lightweight and seemingly basic shell, yet it handles anything with ease. i love this jacket because it is just about light enough to use year round, though using it as a rain coat in the summer and doing much more than just trying to stay dry might be asking too much-especially wearing the caviar color might be asking for heatstroke..

when i say basic i mean this jacket doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles. it uses the gore-tex pro shell line of fabric and it is as waterproof and weatherproof as it gets. the construction of this jacket is top notch. molded pulls and zipper hoods on all the zippers, pull cords in the right places and usable with heavy gloves, laser cut hook-and-loop closures on the gauntlets—the attention to detail is really befitting a jacket of this price. which is the way it should be, as i said, there is not a lot going on with this jacket feature-wise so everything else should be flawless.

the fit is slimmer than most us brands, but not so much that you need to change sizing. if you have freakishly long arms, this is the jacket for you. one odd complaint is that for some reason, when this jacket is zipped, there is a slight bulge happening around the abdomen. this was seemingly innocuous enough, but having worn this in two complete downpours i've noticed that bulge seems to channel rain water directly into your groin. if your pants are not already completely soaked from the rain, it really does look like you've pissed yourself. just a heads up.

also, the zippers are stiff at first, but they seemed to have loosened up after a month or two's use.

my major gripe is the price. i was lucky enough to get one on sale for under $300 and i think that is more than fair for this jacket. i rated it 4 stars because i think for the money, this jacket is way overpriced compared to what else is out there. i wouldn't pay full price for this, but if you can get a good deal, jump on it.

Love the jacket. I am 6'2" and 213 lbs. The jackets are definitely an athletic cut because they are not loose and baggy in the body. I went with an XXL because I wanted more room in the body for underlayers; its a little long in the sleeves but the styling and functionality are awesome. Love it!

Note: Mostly in comparison to my Arcteryx Alpha SV jacket.

Pros: Very stylin with the contrast zips; Tighter fit (European cut) if you want something smaller than the Arcteryx shells; totally waterproof; decent wind protection; very light; pockets are relatively shallow but at least they are regular side pockets (vs. the cross-chest pockets found in the Alpha)
Cons: Very thin for Gore-Tex Pro Shell - MUCH thinner than the Alpha and feels more like 2-layer jacket; the wire rim on the hood drops down when cinched - while the Alpha stays out of your eyes by forming into a "cap"; main zipper catches sometimes so can't zip up with one hand

Overall: High style but definitely less jacket for your money than the Arcteryx shells

Just wanted to point out that this is from what Norrona considers their Mountaineering line. It does not have a powder skirt, wrist gaiters, lift-pass pocket, cloth goggle wipe, etc. For the Pro Shell ski/snowboard jacket look at the Lofoten.