Simply the best hoody/softshell I have owned/tried. It keeps the heat in and the cold/rain out. The lining is as soft as kittens fur, and does a superb job of containing body heat. While the outside "shell" part does equally well with keeping the weather at bay. The piece is surprisingly soft for what it does, in fact it almost feels like a cotton sweatshirt, which makes this softshell very ideal for being a midlayer. I've had other powershield softshells and they were a lot more rigid which made them less useful as anything other than an outer layer. The piece shines in the cold rainy seasons. If you can afford this jewel the only left for you to do choose a color.

Skiing, fly-fishing in the rain, partial submersion, then out to dinner. Really comfortable. My question is why no second adjustment pulling the hood back? Then it would be pretty darn perfect.

Before reading you should know I am an Arc'teryx loyalist...This is my 4th Arc'teryx shell and I believe everything they make is top of the line. That being said, I think 5 stars should be reserved for perfection, so I am only going to give this 4 stars...as it is only close to perfect in my opinion. First what I love about this jacket. This will now be my everyday jacket of choice for most winter / fall weather. It is the softest and most comfortable jacket I own. It does great against wind and light rain...have not tried in heavy rain yet but then I have other shells for that. I plan to wear this for 80% of my snowboarding this year either as my mid-layer or outer shell depending on the weather. Now what I dont like. I love the hood, it may be the most comfortable hood I have worn, but I wish Arc'teryx would have made it 3-way adjustable instead of 2-way...I mean how much harder would that have been and it would not have added much more weight. Also, what is up with putting chest pocket on the non-hooded version of this jacket and leaving it off the hoody? Arc'teryx has been using chest pockets longer than anyone I remember so I don't understand why it is left off this one. So there it is...I love this jacket and would buy again in a heartbeat. I would not exchange it for anything but it is a hood adjustment and chest pocket away from 5 stars in my opinion.

This jacket has the usual excellent fit that Arc'teryx is known for. Very comfortable, excellent sleeve and body length in XXL for someone who is tall (6'6"). The Hercules is made in China and the stitching quality isn't quite up to the Canadian-made products but it is acceptable. I am happy to own it but it is priced a bit high all things considered. I bought one for my wife also at an end of season sale for 1/2 off, very well worth it at that price. It is a keeper.