Patagonia Eco Rain Shell Jacket - Men's - 2008 BCS

This is a nice jacket. It is more for wearing around town than the more technical Rain Shadow. It is also heavier, which is a downside for weight-conscious backpackers. However, the jacket repells rain as well as any shell I've owned, and it looks nice.

This is a simple rain shell and the buyer should know that he won't get much more. It does the job, but the features that technical jackets offer are noticeably absent on the Eco Rain Shell. No pit-zips (and the jacket does heat up quite quickly), shallow hand-warmer pockets, and no stretch. The last one is particularly bothersome as the jacket is cut quite slim and Patagonia sizes usually fit me perfectly. A thin underlayer will work, but not much more beyond that. I like the removable hood and the simple styling. But if you're looking for feature upon feature, look elsewhere. By the way, I know color preference is very subjective, but the North Sea color is a really nice blue-grey neutral color, in my humble opinion (though I opted for the black). I'll be posting an in-depth review on my blog sometime soon. http://patagoniacommunity.blogspot.com/