Outdoor Research Synapse Jacket - Women's - 2008 BCS

I bought this jacket to take to South America. It was perfect. Some people I have noticed haven't liked the thin fabric, but that's what I loved about it. It was perfect for high altitudes when you are closer to the sun, but need a little coverage. Great on top of a sweater, and it folds into its own pocket to be the size of a fist. Perfect for backpackers. I was worried about its durability, but I hiked in it and have had twigs and rocks jabbed into it and still no rips of tears, not even a snag. I would stock up on these, but I think this one might last me quite a while!

I usually wear a size small, and if you get your size it will fit like a shirt. Get one size up.

This jacket's fabric is the thinnest I've ever seen in a jacket -- it's kind of neat, really; almost like paper. I want an extremely lightweight jacket to block wind when I'm cross-country skiing on very cold and windy days. My current windbreaker (a Swix, which I like very much) is great, but I end up overheating sometimes. The OR Synapse jacket really is super-lightweight, and might work great, but I didn't like a couple things about it. It does run small; if I'd liked the jacket enough, I would have exchanged it for the next larger size. But I didn't. (1) This fabric is LOUD. Usually, when I say a fabric is loud, I'm referring to a garish color or print. In this case, it's not the look; it's the sound. It's way louder than your average nylon-shell swishing sound, and I think that would drive me nuts while skiing. (2) The cinch-cord doohickey for the hood is in the back of the hood -- so it's hard to reach and hard to work; *and* it looks seriously dorky to have that... that... that *thing*.... sticking out the back of your head. What was Outdoor Research thinking?

This jacket is awesome! It runs a little small, I usually wear an XS or S but I would have gone with the MD if I had known better. Im 5'3 and It is snug, but definitely not complaining. I got the black one and its super cute enough to wear around town on a windy/rainy day, and it packs down into its own pocket so you can throw it into your pack and not need to worry ab out the space or weight it adds. As far as the noise, from the reviews I was expecting this thing to be super loud. I got it and was quite surprised at how it is way quieter than the girls were postsing. Definitely looking forward to getting good use out of this jacket on the trail this fall!

I really like the synapse jacket. It is superlightweight, holds up in all-day drizzle or like 20 minutes in a downpour, and, contrary to another reviewer, its super cute.

I recently went on a hiking trip in the rocky mountains where it rained frequently. The jacket held up very well, I was not wet and the sharp wind did not pierce through the jacket. If you want a jacket that will fit over many layers go with one size up from your normal size. I usually wear a small and it barely fit over my fleece jacket which is also a small.