Outdoor Research Zealot Jacket - Men's

The zealot is just what OR says it is, ultra-lightweight, waterproof with no extras. I used it primarily in the Philippines where it rains often and it rains hard but also has plenty of heat and humidity between downpours. Even in the hardest rain my upper body was dry though my pants would get soaked. When the rain stopped and the heat index rose I would roll the zealot up in its own hood then stuff it into a cargo pocket. It didn't seem all that breathable to me but since the jacket is so packable it's easy to just take off and stash when the rain stops. I'm 5'11 and 180 lbs and the large fits me pretty well, medium is definitely too small in the chest and shoulders. Wish I'd gotten the forest green color since the wasabi is a bright green.

I bought this jacket to replace a MH shell I've beat the tar out of. I was impressed with the weight when I bought it, but I was concerned about durability as I am FAMOUS for shredding things (if its not me, my horses do it for me).
This jacket has now survived over a year of daily bumming around town wear, riding horses through deep brush, and downpours. I am quite impressed with it actually.
My only issue with this jacket is the lack of hand pockets. It gets frustrating at times, especially as riding breeches don't have pockets either. (I'm always shoving things in the pockets of my fleece underneath)
It also fits me relatively well. As a woman wearing a man's jacket, this can be tough. I needed the size in the shoulders for freedom of movement.
Overall a GREAT jacket.

This jacket does what a gore-tex jacket is supposed to do - it's waterproof, windproof, and surprisingly breathable considering that there are no pit zips. I also think it fits well, and that "Mojo Blue," OR's flagship color, is a good one. Drawbacks: First - the fabric is very thin. This hit home when I caught it on some scrub oak - a common hazard skiing the Wasatch at 6200 ft. It tore a hole in the sleeve, but the ripstop fabric did it's job, keeping the hole very tiny and easily patched with a tiny bit of ripstop tape. Second - because there is no way to secure the sleeves to overlap a short-wristed glove, the wrists can become exposed. Cold wrists while skiing can become annoying, numbing the hands and contributing to a lower core temperature. I'd recommend using gloves that can be secured over the sleeves on a cold day. I'd say this jacket is ideal for touring/hiking in moderate weather, and as a backup in your backpack all year round. It weighs nothing.

Ok, so this is just based on first impressions--haven't taken it out for a test drive yet since it blazing hot outside without even a hint of rain BUT I will give you my first impressions and some more data not found in other reviews.

First impression quality is superb. For a jacket that feels like it weighs nothing, I really are impressed with the paclite/nylon materials used in this jacket. I don't own any OR gear (mostly gravitate towards MH, Marmot and Arteryx) but OR seems to be top notch quality. I also looked at the OR Foray jacket which was also paclite but full featured and ended up with the Zealot because I liked the fit and lightness better than the Foray. Can't speak to windproofness or waterproofness but others have in their reviews.

Speaking of fit, I am 6'1" and weigh 175 and bought a medium. It is about 31" in the rear (it is longer in the back) and about 28" in the front. I have tried it over my Marmot Superhero softshell and it feels perfect.

All in all, so far I am very impressed. I have done a lot of research via user and trade reviews and the jacket has about 90% positive feedback. The biggest complaints I have seen is lack of features (not the jacket's fault--it is a minimalist product) and waterproofness is sometimes mentioned as an issue. I will use it for a season and comment on that once I have experience with it.

Later!

This Jacket is so light. There is never a reason to leave it behind. It packs small enough to fit in the smallest corner of my pack. I often carry a windshell instead of a waterproof breathable jacket, now I won't get soaked when it dumps because I will have the zealot.

These bottoms provide just the right amount of insulation for me when I work hard in the cold.

I wore this jacket to summit Mount Whitney. It worked well as an outer layer. While I have not used it in a severe rain shower, I recommend it to everyone.

I will use this jacket for anything except running through a patch of sticker bushes. It is very lightweight and durable...to a point. It will rip easier then other jackets but I think this jacket is worth that risk. My only complaint is that zipper...it takes a few to finally get it up. I am 6'1" 175 and use a medium and it is perfect.

This is a truly minimalist jacket and performs extremely well in even a torrential rain except that it doesn't have a way to secure the sleeves down. I was on a boat in the Amazon during the hardest rainstorm I have ever encountered, and while my upper body was dry the water was able to get my lower arms soaked because the sleeves just have a little elastic instead of a velcro closure. I don't care about pit-zips because why would I want that ventilation when it is raining? If it isn't raining and I need extra breathability I take the jacket off! Maybe I shouldn't have cared about the few additional ounces and gotten the Foray model instead...tough call.

Ridiculously light and keeps you dry. I would have preferred pit zips at the cost of a little more weight. Very thin material, durable but less warm than some 3 layer shells.

Sweet jacket. I got one in March, and wore it in a variety of conditions in Utah's Wasatch Mountains. It's the only Gore-Tex piece I've ever had that breathes properly, although I still wouldn't wear it while running or biking in warm weather. It fits my thin frame quite well, with room for as much layering as I'll ever need. I thought they got the single cinch hood just right, and I appreciate the total lack of features: it's what makes this the lightest, most packable waterproof jacket around. Five stars for sheeze.

I didn’t think there was anything in the box when it arrived. A 7.7oz jacket is definitely nice! Very sleek fit, breathes great, feels great, looks great. Has a pretty stiff zipper with the semi-waterproof system. Very thin material has me a little nervous for bushwhacking in the backcountry. I'll trust that OR and Gore-Tex will live up to their names though. The hood stays out of the way in the back most of the time. I like that the hood uses a cinch system similar my OR Nimbus Sombrero, but it doesn’t tighten around the face very well. My medium size was about right. Don’t think I could put more than a thin shirt or two under it though. Pitzips would have been nice, but then it wouldn’t have been the minimalist jacket that it is.

This jacket is light and packs up small. There's no reason not to bring it along. At 5'11" 170 lbs with a 42 inch chest, the large fits me quite well. I like the length a lot. The Gore-tex Paclite is crinkly, but not annoyingly so. It was look pretty wrinkled after being balled up, but flattens pretty quick with wear. I've only had it out in light rain so far, where it did the job well. I simulated a downpour in my shower, and there were no leaks after 15 minutes. The elastic cuffs fits fairly tight, but without velcro closures will let in a little seepage up the wrists. (But so will cuffs with velcro, eventually). The hood is compatible with my bike helmet, and for having only one pullcord to adjust size, secures incredibly well on my head, with helmet and without. The brim worked pretty well and keeping water off my face too. The Paclite breathes pretty well for me, and I can wear it running on foggy 50 degree mornings as a windbreaker and not sweat horribly much more than I do wearing a wool base layer, standalone. Breathable enough that on cooler days, without the exertion of too much uphill climbing, I think it serve as a wind jacket. The elastic cuffs can be pushed up my arms to adjust to warmer conditions/exertion, though I'm not sure how long it will be before that causes them to lose elasticity. The Paclite is thin, but has seemed good so far, not snagging in a couple minor encounters with bushes, but I don't plan on testing that any further except accidentally. Overall, a great addition to your gear, especially if you can get it on sale. For full price, I might just go up to the Celestial, for 3 ozs extra but adding handpockets and pitzips.

OR Gear's Zealot jacket is an essential piece of kit. In these days of soft shells keeping out most duff weather except the very worst, the Zealot IS that featherweight minimalist bombproof shell that will keep you dry. There are not many features but it sports a adequate hood and a breast pocket for a few choice bits and bobs. An utterly brilliant Paclite shell. Get one.

I bought this shell last spring for a lightweight rain shell for mountain biking. Well I carried it all season in my Camelbak and hardly got to use it (it never rained). But I also forgot it was in my pack since it is so small.
This winter I started to take it backcountry skiing instead of my "big name" ski shell. It works great. Instead of putting on my shell for the ski run and taking it off at the bottom of the run for the hike up, I just leave it on. It breathes better then anything I have ever owned.
It is minimalist, but once you get used to it, you will love it. The material is thin and crinkly, but after a few minutes, I don't notice. It may be be able to tear easily, but I haven't torn it yet and just don't go out running into trees. The lack of hand pockets is not a big deal.
All in all it is becoming my favorite piece of outerwear I have.