Outdoor Research Elusive Jacket - Men's - 2008 BCS

Got this off of SAC and love it. The other reviews made me a little hesitant as I waited for it in the mail.

I have since used it in very high winds (40-50 mph gusts) and heavy rain. WINDSTOPPER performs as expected very well. Started to soak through but dried once back in camp in no time.

I'm not as concerned about WINDSTOPPER breathability on this one because the pit zips really open it up nicely.

As far as the hood goes I will agree that it looks and feels odd when it is zipped up in the collar. But if I need to wear a windproof softshell I won't be worried about how the hood performs when zipped in - I'll be using the hood - catch my drift?

Having said that, there is no reason OR should make this hood to be zipped in. It should be the same soft stretchy material as the breathable (lightly insulated) panels. Just as long as they keep the stand up collar as well. I hate when jackets don't have the stand up collars with hoods!!!

Overall, this jacket performs very well for trekking and mountaineering as it is strong, resistant to abrasion, and light for a soft shell.

This is my first OR purchase. I will be back for more b/c of this jacket.

got this jacket of SAC today, can't beat the price but it is still going back. Quality of the materials seems great and the jacket is comfortable but the hide a hood design is a little odd. I can appreciate what they were going for but when the hood is zipped in it makes for a thick, stiff collar. When the hood is out it looks like you stitched on a piece of an old rain jacket. If OR could put a basic collar without the hood on this jacket I would buy it again.

I like the in-between-style of a hard shell and soft shell. It has almost the protection of my hardshell(s), but provides much more flexibility and range of motion. I have yet to take it to the slopes, but feel confident it will hold up well. I also like the location of the pockets and vents.

Nice jacket and of course a great deal.

hood is wierd and kinda wish it was better or not there. it also has a wierd placement of fabrics, the soft fabric fleece is in the shoulders and back while the front is very stiff and abrsion resitant. kinda like the opposite of most jackets. not good cause it feels weird, and thats the part thats going to get wet from standing in the rain and abraded by your pack. the pockets and snow skirt (detachable) are awesome. length is weird only because of the stiff fabric. never owned anyother or stuff so i cant comment on the company at large but im returning this and getting a marmot super hero or MH Dragon

This is a really nicely constructed, versatile softshell jacket that seems to be a perfect weight for a wide range of conditions. The exterior fabric seems tough, but not too stiff. The interior of the main body is a light, brushed tricot - enough to take away the cold, clammy feel of a typical hardshell, but not really enough to provide much warmth - with a thicker (think TNF Apex Bionic) fleece backing on the top of the shoulders and midback. The medium size fit my 6'-3", 172lb frame just about perfectly. My only gripe is in the design of the hood attachment. It's not clear from the description, but the hood can be rolled up and stashed in the collar of the jacket. While it's nice to get the hood out of the way when not needed (yet still be available in case of a shower) it does reduce the flexibility of the collar when the hood is stashed, and leaves the bottom half of the zipper exposed at the base of the hood when the hood is in use. A completely fixed, or completely removable, hood would make this a nearly perfect jacket.