Stoic Vaporshell Jacket - Men's

Well I just got it today, and while I will update this review in a month after taking this jacket to the Himalayas, I thought I'd share my first thoughts on the jacket after receiving it.

First off, it's an awesome length. Sits about half way down my butt, also doesn't move at all when you lift your arms and move around. As usual, the 3D Ergo fit is fantastic. This is cut to layer under, and the fabric is actually stronger than I would have expected for an ultralight rain jacket. I wouldn't honestly classify it as such. When you add in the helmet compatible hood, it's a lightweight hardshell that you could take into the mountains or climb with. I found it a little strange to see sewn seams on a Stoic piece, and it just seems so much less durable in that construction than the superior seam welding that they normally use, but apparently this is because of a less durable membrane, and so I don't judge.

This is a 3-layer hardshell. Not one of those crappy 2.5 layer designs with a carbon printed inner layer to protect the membrane. This is the reason for the higher weight, but makes it far more comfortable, and much more breathable than the average lightweight rain jacket. According to BC, their Vaporshell membrane is air-permeable, meaning that it is very similar to eVent, and the jacket is really breathable. I was a little skeptical of their ratings for breathability, and like all ratings, they are dependent on other factors, like fabric thickness and testing conditions, but I can say that this is a very breathable rain jacket. The 68K mm hydrostatic head means the membrane is very resistant to stretching, which is how water sneaks through, so it should perform well in wind. The DWR on my jacket seems pretty consistent, but like any rain jacket, it will wet out eventually in prolonged rain.

Right now it only gets four stars because BC markets it as an ultralight rainshell, and when Marmot and TNF both make jackets that are half it's weight, I think that it doesn't do it's job in that respect.

UPDATE:
So, after getting back from the Himalayas and testing this jacket in real life, I can't help but be amazed. The fabric breathes almost as well as Polartec Powershield Pro, as I found while testing this alongside my North Face Kishtwar. The jacket is not super lightweight, but it does pack well, and I'd much rather have the 3L fabric than shave a measly three or four ounces off of the jacket. To test the breathability, I wore it on a 600 meter climb in 80 degrees and I was very comfortable. The second test was an 800 meter climb in colder, highly windy conditions, and again, I was very comfortable. The jacket beads water well in the rain, and I had no trouble with it wetting out or anything after a couple hours of light rain. This is the next generation of affordable, high quality rain jackets, and it beats the competition by miles. Lovers of Arc'teryx might come after me in attempts to kill me for saying this, but this jacket is superior to the top end Alpha SV in my book. The hood on the Stoic is great, legitimately adjustable to be comfortable with or without a helmet, which is rare, the fit is athletic but with good room for layering, the Polyurethane coated zippers block water well, and the breathability is the best I've ever seen on a hardshell, including eVent. The only points that a jacket like the Alpha would win against the Vaporshell are because of it's pockets. The Stoic is very durable and the face fabric is almost exactly the same as on the Alpha. As is, the Vaporshell is an outstanding rain jacket, and a high end mountaineering shell, but if they remade it with nice big hand pockets and perhaps another chest pocket, it could possibly be the best mountain shell out there. Two thumbs up for Stoic for creating a budget rain jacket that miraculously beats both Gore-Tex and eVent for breathability while remaining inexpensive and durable. Five Stars, no questions asked.

Final test:
I just went outside to walk around in an absolutely torrential rainstorm and it kept me dry, which is the most important part of a rain jacket. As a side note, it doesn't matter whether you're wearing a vaporshell, an Alpha SV, an eVent jacket, or any other waterproof material, if you get caught in a torrential rainstorm, you will get wet eventually. It's part of being in the backcountry, and out there, being dry is kind of a pipe dream. What it comes down to, is that this jacket will keep you just as dry as the next one, and will probably breathe a lot better.

I wrote another review on my website. It can be read here: http://blessedoutdoors.blogspot.com

Well, I have worn the shit outa this jacket over the past 10 days or so while moving all of my stuff from my house to storage.... so here goes:

Pros:

1. Waterproofness is sufficient as well as DWR... I have carried boxes, rubbed up against furniture, etc while it was raining and the DWR is still holding up and no wetting out...

2. Zippers are sturdy; only had a couple of times where the front zipper never caught and I found it undone from the fly up...

3. Hood is great when not on your head and cinched up just around the back of the head.

4. The forward thinking design of the arms. This is my first Stoic product and when you put the jacket on, your arms are most comfortable extended in front of you; the jacket is cut and designed to be this way... in the beginning it felt kinda weird, but now my other jackets feel wrong...

5. Sleeves are extra long, which I like, and the hem length is just right.

6. The hem cinch works great.

Cons:

1. The hood is strange... no matter how I cinched it up it never really felt tight or comfortable; only when wearing a baseball hat...

2. The hood... the foam hood cinch cord keepers are horrible for keeping the cinch cords really tight. Also when the hood is on your head, they rub on my cheeks... like raw... why aren't these on the outside of the hood?

3. The hood... the cinch cords for tightening the hood are inside the jacket and can only be accessed by unzipping the jacket... move these outside the jacket or stick them into some pockets!

4. The wrist Velcro cuffs are to heavy and stiff; the last inch or more of em doesn't stay closed and catch on everything...

5. The breath-ability... I have a love/hate relationship with something this breathable... It first came about when I got into my truck after unloading some stuff and drove away... after a while of my arms resting on the truck console I noticed that my forearms were clammy, thus the sweat had escaped fine, but also had come right back into the jacket because there was no breeze to take it away... This happened every time. Not exactly sure how this will translate into other uses, but never noticed this with any other material...

6. Where the cut edges of the material is exposed, it is starting to fray...

7. Sizing is a bit strange; the sizing chart for me was clearly a L (I am 6'1" 210lbs normally wear XL in everything), but the large was too small through the chest...

8. The sleeve holes are too small around, I can barely get the sleeves past my forearms and definitely not my elbows...

I am gonna continue to wear this jacket until its ready for a dirt nap, and have to say that the material has potential, but the jacket needs some refining... I say steer clear of this and go with something like the marmot Aegis Jacket...

Amazing jacket, ice climbing in Ouray CO all weekend and never got wet. Really wish there was a place to put my hand though. Pockets would be a couple ounces of worth while weight.

The only downside, and it's a BIG ONE, is the wrist adjust velcro, THEY NEED TO BE CHANGED! they continually come undone and get in the way.

This site advertises that the Stoic Vaporshell Jacket material has a hydrostatic head ("waterproof rating") of 68,000 mm H20, and a breathability of 46,000 g/m2/24hours. These numbers are both about twice the best values ever measured for eVent.

I consulted a person inside the industry whom I consider to be an expert, and he did some research. He discovered that Backcountry.com never did a hydrostatic head test. They did a Mullen burst test and published that value instead, calling it "waterproof rating".

Hydrostatic head tests use water under pressure to test a fabric's resistance to leakage. The Mullen burst test doesn't use any water. It uses oil under high pressure to rupture the fabric. The bursting pressure is measured at the moment that the fabric sample explodes.

The fabric used in the Vaporshell jacket is a laminate that includes a very breathable ePTFE membrane. It has excellent breathability but low hydrostatic head. Rather than publish the low hydrostatic head number, Backcountry.com converted the Mullen bursting pressure, which was about 97 psi, to mm H20 (68,000), and called it "waterproof rating".

I presented this information to Backcountry.com, and immediately recieved an email from Bill Hartlieb, Director of the Brand Division. He conceded that the Mullen Burst test had been used instead of a real hydrostatic head test like the JIS 1092, saying:

"I agree with you however about the test selected. The mullens test is describing a different type of failure, and pressure associated with this failure."

and "... we did use a test that is not consistent with others in the market."

He promised to correct the published "waterproof rating" value, saying this about the actual hydrostatic head for the Vaporshell material:

"I also expect this number to be in the 10,000 to 20,000 range."

So, the "waterproof rating", according to Mr. Hartlieb, is probably 10-20k, not 68k. Mr. Hartlieb also assured me that Backcountry.com always uses the JIS 1092 hydrostatic head test...just not this time.

I noticed this morning that, on the website, the values had been changed from 68,000/46,000 to 68/46.

Many people called to ask about what tests gave these numbers and Backcountry.com representatives told all of them "I assure you, they're accurate". According to Mr. Hartlieb, they usually use the standard JIS 1092, and he clearly knows the difference between that and the burst test. When I called initially, I was told that they repeated the "hydrostatic head" test (actually the burst test) three times in-house and got the 68,000 value every time. So, the misrepresentation wasn't just a mistake. They know the difference.

This practice is ubiquitous, I realize, but we can keep deception by companies like Backcountry.com in check by calling them on it.

This is just a great jacket all around. It is a great walk around jacket but it is not 28k it is like 18k buts its still pretty good. The amazing thing is it dose not get clammy in side like other jackets. I have longer arms and this jacket fits me great.

For $129 it does get any better than this (unless of course you find it for cheaper on SAC)
Great fabric (slightly soft to the touch), perfect fit (slightly more fitted as per usual STOIC). if you want to layer more than a light fleece or softshell you will have to go up a size. Hood is not as large as some reviewers mention (certainly not as big as some of my arcteryx hoods). The fabric breathes reasonably well- I really cant notice much of a difference between vaporshell and some of my gore tex jackets .Uses bigger seam tape which is only a small detai, and it keeps the water out. zippers are excellent so far (pit zips are small-ish). It really could use 2 more hand pockets, but in its current configuration it works well for camping.
You really cant go wrong on this jacket.

This coat will keep you dry from anything on the outside no matter what!! But if you need something breathable this may not be for you. No pitzips is the only reason I knocked off a star. Other than that its a great jacket at a great price

This thing is bomb proof
it might not breathe like a $500 gortex coat but damn is it water proof!
I was standing in rain so heavy there was water running off the sleeve and I was bone dry...
fits a bit odd arounf the shoulders but im a broad shoulders guy so its expected
im 6'2" and an XL is perfect
Great for the price and would recommend to anyone

I for one, feel that this is a love it or hate it jacket. As already noted with the reviews and comments below, you take for what it is and love it or complain about its flaw(s) and hate it.
I bought this jacket thinking I could get use to the no pocket situation, considering the price... Personally I think the fit is great and the color ways (all 2 of them...) are awesome; typical of Stoic design (this is my third different Stoic jacket). The material seems rugged for its weight and the breathability has been fantastic (I've yet been able to run around in the rain with it). This all leads back to its lack of pockets. I haven't been able to deal... It might just be the way I'm wired (or 26 years of habit) but every time I put the jacket on I go for the pockets, that don't exist. I would trade the pit-zips in for pockets in a flash. Heck, I'd gladly pay a little more for the jacket if it had pockets. I understand on hot, humid, rainy hikes pit-zips would be a god send. But every rain shell I've owned didn't have pit-zips and I've coped fine. So I've concluded that I'm sending it back and waiting for this years eVent Stash to come out and I'm going to pick that up. Even though at this level weight isn't a huge factor for me, the Stash is even lighter (just barely) has hand pockets, an inside pocket and is guaranteed waterproof and breathable. Sure it cost a fair bit more, but I think the Stash is a more versatile jacket I would use way more often, therefore worth it.

This is my first piece of Stoic gear so I didn't really know what to expect. I got this last week and have run it through a few different situations. Overall, I'm impressed with how its handled everything. Lightweight, breathable as everyone else mentions and I do like the hood. On the downside, I think the wrist enclosures are pretty poorly designed and I wish it had more pockets. I would recommend it if you are looking for a jacket to put through the paces.

My arms are a little short so I can understand it the sleeve were an inch long but they are more like 4 inches too long! Hood is a bit large also. Overall it's a strange fitting jacket.

The jacket is very breathable, and completely waterproof. The material is strong; strong enough not to worry about going bush-whacking. The armpit vents don't have any mesh, which sometimes snags on passing branches. Also, the rubber piece on the end of the zippers tend to come off. Overall I would recommend the product, but not at the advertised price. Watch for it on SAC!!

Got this for half off on SAC and am very happy with it. Even for full price i don't think this will disappoint most people. In my opinion this jacket sheds water very well, breathes well, packs down pretty small, has decent features for a stripped down rainshell and looks awesome. I'm quite sure you could find a jacket that would do all the things i just mentioned better but you would be hard pressed to find one for less that two bills that comes close. I was worried about the weight and durability of the fabric before i ordered one, usually anything ripstop is ultra lightweight. Not the case here, i was pleasantly surprised by how durable the fabric is. On the other had they could have used a better cinch for the hood, the neoprene fastener is junk. The worst part about this jacket are the wrist closure, it just is so flimsy. Another half ounce to make this jacket a little better would have gone a long way. I am 6foot even and weigh 165lbs and a large fits with a little room to layer. Good buy.

This jacket is sick. Water rolls right off of it, and it fits really well (if you're tall and skinny and stoic gear normally fits you). I'm 6'3" 190lbs with 36" sleevelength and the large is spot on. The pit zips are nice on the warmer days if it's not raining too hard. Unlike some other jackets, they are completely open in the pits, and don't have the mesh when you open them. It will be interesting to see how it holds up. It's very light so always good to have in the pack. I love it - it's 10 times better than my Marmot one that I bought just last year. My only gripe is that I didn't realize it only had one pocket. It was a surprise the first time I wore it, but it's all good, for the price and performance, it's a win.

this is my fifth stoic product, and third stoic jacket. this thing can breathe like none other I have the event stash shell and the number one complaint I have had about that jacket was getting too hot while walking across campus. I go to the u of m and mornings can be 10 degrees with a artic wind and by the time I'm out of class its a balmy 30 and sleeting out. This jacket you can unzip the pits once you hop on the bus so you don't overhear and look like you just finished the Boston marathon. If you have nordic blood that boils with any activity this is the jacket for you. I do like that it is a baggier fit it allows me to throw my stoic welder lo softshell underneath. Some people mock the double hood but, they arent laughing when the freezing downpours strike.

This jacket is as advertised very light. The guy at my work is a Patagonia freak and wants to buy a stoic after seeing this jacket.
Should you have any problems give backcountry a call they have way better customer service than TNF.

I have yet to be dissapointed

Jacket just arrived. Light, sturdy, and cool. To echo a few points already made---- the sleeves are long, it has an athletic fit, and the pit zips are relatively small. I will post again once I've taken it on my wales trip.

It was humid and 65 degrees in my area of PA yesterday, with a forecast for rain. I went out for a 40 mile ride and wore this shell to test its breathability. I kept the pit zips open and rode at a mid-aerobic pace -- i.e., sweating, but not soaking. This jacket is fantastic. It breathes better than any hardshell I've used. I did have some sweat buildup on my forearms, but that would have been the case even if I weren't wearing a jacket. Otherwise, I felt as if I didn't even have the thing on, except that it did a decent job of blocking out the wind.

Also, it's worth noting that this jacket stretches a bit with use which, for me, is working out nicely. I bought the L instead of the XL -- I'm 6'2" and 215 -- because I wanted an athletic fit and wasn't planning on using this for layering. It was a bit tight in the shoulders at first, but now it feels like a second skin.

The UPS guy just dropped my jacket off. So I will do a quick initial review.

First Impressions:
I ordered the Black version. I was worried of the bright blue of the zipper in the pictures on backcountry.com, but in person I actually like it. It looks good. Backcountry.com lists the weight as 14.0 oz I weighed it in at 13.88oz. The material for being thin and lightweight has a robust and sturdy feel to it. The material is not too smooth or slippery, it has a rougher feel to it. Seems well constructed and none of the material or zippers seem flimsy or cheap.

Several reviewers and commenters on different sites have complained about the lack of pit zips. I just want to say that this jacket DOES have pit zips. While they are not full length they are ample size for doing their purpose. I didn't measure the exact length of them but they are about 6 inches long or so.

Fit:
I ordered an XL. I am 5'10, and 220lbs with fairly broad shoulders. This jacket has a more athetic cut. So it felt a little tight to me while I was putting it on, but once on I must say that I think it fits remarkably well. So if you have broad shoulders like me this jacket still fits well and provides ample range of motion. I like the extra fabric built into the arms, the jacket doesnt ride and raise up/shift position when moving your arms around. The jacket has a pretty decent length to it, it comes to just below the pocket openings on my jeans. The hood fits snugly on the sides but has ample room for a helmet. The hood is also able to be cinched down tight with two shockcord pulls. The wrists have a velcro tab to adjust the opening.

Performance:
So I have worn the jacket for about two hours so far. Its about 70-75 here today with a mild breeze. Walking around my house for about 30 minutes feeling out the jacket I was very comfy and didn't seem warm. If you move with any force or turn quickly you can actually feel a little air come through the material. I went for about a mile walk in my neighborhood and remained comfortable the entire time, I ran back the last half mile or so and started to work up a light sweat. I could feel the jacket breathing, and when running or when a strong breeze came by you could feel a little airflow come through the fabric, Not much but just enough to be noticeable. When I got back home I did some jumping jacks etc for a few minutes to warm up and start sweating a little. I can say without a doubt this jacket breaths pretty good from first impressions. I hope to get out for a dayhike thursday or friday to give it some more tests. Supposed to have rain sat and sunday also, so testing will be on going.

I stood in the shower for about 10 minutes, and the fabric did not wet out in any spots, and the dwr performed well with water beading and rolling off. I allowed the water to hit on all the zippers for a minute or so. Chest pocket zipper and main zipper have a good seal. Holding my arms up and leting the water hit the pit zips there is very minor leakage where the two zippers on the pitzip meet. So unless you walk around in rain storms with your hands over your head for minutes at a time i don't really think this is an issue.

Will post some updates after a few hikes. But initial impressions are I like the Stoic Vaprshell.

I'll never get close to trying out the supposedly marvelous properties of this jacket because it's ginormous on me. I'll admit that I have a scrawny runner's body, at 5-10 and less than 140, but the Small is like a grain sack on me and the sleeves nearly reach my fingertips. Knowing how the Welder Hi fits me and having read that several other Stoic jackets are cut trim, I was hoping this would be a tight-fitting rain shell, but no chance. The hood can be cinched but still seems unstructured and floppy in front. This clearly is not cut for me so I'll have to pass.

Other than really long sleeves, which is a positive and a negative, this jacket rocks my socks. It's water proof, no-nonsense shell. The black is cool, the zippers work, and the hood, well, I wish you could stow the hood somehow, but not a big deal. I have the XL, and the sleeves go out almost past my finger tips. When skiing, climbing, or reaching I can see this as a big advantage. The rest of the time, you have to pull up the sleeves and have some baggy material. Not a big deal, but is a need to know. I am 5'11" 190 lbs. I tried on both the large and the XL. I found the large too tight around the chest and armpits, thus I got the XL. With the XL I can layer and be all good. I would recommend this jacket for anyone looking for a great shell to ski, bike, hike, or do anything in when the weather turns soggy and wet.

I really wanted to like this jacket--especially for the sale price! Unfortunately, the cut through the sholders is weird. Makes it tight around the armpits. Had to return it.

Let me start off by saying I'm not a total gear junky so I don't have too much to compare this to. As far as performance goes, I cannot think of anything negative. It breathes, the dwr repels pretty well and It holds up really well to abrasion. As for fit, Im 6'2'' and about 180. I got an XL. It fits good. I don't like tight clothes but the XL isn't super big. The only thing is that the sleeves are indeed too long. However, the cuffs have the Velcro to keep it from sneaking past the wrists. For what I paid for it, you cant beat this thing with a stick.

too small to put anything underneath in the XL size. I am 6'3' 200. Have ordered the XXL ...

Great light weight shell. I have been using it this summer as a rain jacket or in the evening when it gets cold. It is very waterproof. Also really like the color. Good looking jacket!

I don't pay too much mind into the ratings of a jacket, because I take things at face value and I believed it when the Vaporshell came out with the stats that it did. I was rewarded with the jacket backing up everything it boasts and more.

I had this jacket on while on a boat in the French Caribbean and it stood up to each storm that came through (for those who don't know how had it rains down there, a 1/2 hour storm almost flooded the dinghy we were carrying) while keeping me decently cool for the humidity being 100%.

The fit is pretty good. I took a chance on a LArge with a 5'11", 182lbs build and I'm glad I did. The shoulders/chest were perfect and the arms were a bit long, but they are supposed to be. I would've liked an inch more in the back length, but I do have kind of a long torso.

Overall, if you are looking for a do-almost-everything jacket that keeps water off you and breathes like no other, pick this one. You won't be disappointed. Also, size up if you are going to layer heavy underneath or if you have a much longer torso than normal.

more testing results from independent labs SGS, on the waterproofness ratings on the vaporshell materials:

INTIAL TEST: ASTM D751:2006 Procedure A; Mullen Method, the result from this test was 68000 mm of h20 head of pressure.

NEW TEST: AATCC 127-2008 option 2 Hydrostatic head method, results were 28,000 mm h20 pressure head.

NEW TEST: JIS 1092 - 1998, results were 29,000 mm h20 pressure head.

The waterproofness results in the lab correlate to great waterproofness in the field. in addition the DWR finish and seam taping all contribute to the user staying dry in full on conditions.

The true feature for this jacket however is the breath-ability. the testing has shown great breath-ability, as described as 46000 grams of water being transported through a square meter of material in a 24 hr period. The breath-ability and air permeability allow you stay dry on the inside, by transporting the sweat and vapor given off the body in aerobic activities through the fabric.

Overall a good jacket. Could have some front hand pockets, and could have longer pit zips, but really keep the rain off great! Used it under a serious downpour at Red Rocks this summer and loved it, also makes a great spring stand alone ski shell.

I’m 5’11” 165 lbs, and the M fits me o-so well!

This is a nice shell that reminds me of the Stoic eVent Jacket, but better (in some ways). The jacket is super waterproof and lightweight! It only has the 1 pocket (which I don't like just 1) and colors are kind of dull for my liking, but setting those little things aside, it is a sweet, portable jacket!

Initial review: Great fit, the medium fits me perfectly and I am 6'0" 180lbs. The bottom hits right at the waist so it is perfect spring and summer hiking activities. The lack of front pockets is a bit of a downer but I get that they are trying to limit the weight, which is light but not the lightest jacket on the market, but we are talking single digit ounces here. I have not tested the waterproofing out in the wild (totally dry in the shower), but it worked well on a very windy and cool morning on a four day hike on its test drive.

This jacket is killing it. The cut seemed a little weird at first, long arms and tight through the shoulders and armpits. Once I got out and hiked and skied in it these issues disappeared and the jacket was extremely comfortable. I have used it to ski tour during some very heavy, wet spring storms that left my partners soaking wet. I was bone dry in this shell. Breathability is great, easily better than Gore Tex XCR and comparable to my Backcountry.com Event shell(while feeling a little more durable). This may not be the perfect technical shell but it is very very good and at this price you can't afford not to give it a try.