I've had the same vest for over 4 years and it's finally starting to look worn out. I wear it almost everyday in the Fall and Winter. Great casual and technical piece. Blocks out ALL wind. Perfect cut. Perfect weight. I love this thing.

This is the best jacket I have ever owned. Seriously.

It breathes harder than Carl Lewis sprinting the 100M dash and the cut looks as sexy as Marissa Miller rolling around in a two piece on the beach. Marmot got nasty with this thing. Put it this way, if Arc'Teryx had this jacket, it'd be priced at around $374 instead of $174. Don't think, just add it to your cart and put it on when it gets to your house. Then run around for a long time. You won't need to take it off, ever. The introduction went like this. New Skin, this is Body. Body, New Skin.

So this thing is light. It packs down not much smaller than the stuff sack it comes with, but if you're using a 50L+ backpack, it fits nicely at the bottom of your pack, laying horizontally. Now on to the warmth factor: It's very. I sleep cold and was almost sweating in 15 degree cold and wind. I had to sleep with this thing unzipped. When zipped all the way up, you can cinch everything down to where only your mouth is exposed so this thing could withstand cold well below 0 if needed. The Euro Rating System has ranked this bag at -27 to keep you alive, so a 0 rating is ultra conservative.

The baffling, workmanship, and down are all top quality. I've used the Grizzly GWS 0 degree Western Mountaineering bag and I prefer the Phantom bc it's just as warm and has a much better hood. The WM hoods are bush.

Get this bag! It will keep you hot when it is Sub Zero and will last you at least 7 seasons with very regular usage. Lastly, it doesn't leak down like everyone says. Mine has been awesome! And YES, there is a zipper pull inside the bag for you to open and close with ease. This is the best 0 Degree bag out there.

This jacket is custom fit for me. I wear a light long sleeve wicking baselayer with this when its 50 degrees or under and I'm good to go. Oozes quality. Definitely durable. Works very well under a hardshell and dries ultra quickly. I think it's a crucial piece of insulating gear when you're going to be covering long distances in the cold. It moves with your body and the drawcord at the waist, the fleecey hand and chest pockets, as well as fleecey chinguard all make this a very nice addition to your layering setup.

Firstly, the price of this piece is just right if you understand the sweat equity Arc'teryx invests in every piece of their gear line. This piece is no different; a perfect mixture of Gore-Tex Pro Shell reinforced in the high abrasion areas of the garment, the neck, the shoulders, and the arms and the ultra lightweight and durable Gore-Tex Paclite throughout the body. The stitch count is easily 25 per inch and the jacket is completely seam sealed. Most times, having a zip away hood, this one is helmet compatible by the way, makes you look like you're wearing a neck brace. Not so with this one, very reasonably sized stowed away and very easy to unzip and throw over your head.

The concept is great between Pro Shell and Paclite and here is why; heat rises, and while Pro Shell is a more durable fabric, it breathes better than the Paclite, so as you are pushing yourself the heat is rising up through your shoulders, neck, and arms and is able to breathe easier because the Pro Shell is in all of those places.

This is a very bombproof jacket, best of it's kind for how light it is (13.1 oz in Medium!) and the nice part is it covers your bum for the nastiest of storms, but it isn't cut as long as it's cousin the Theta AR. It has one handed pull drawcords around the waist, velcro tapered cuffs for your wrists, and a fully adjustable and stowable hood that can cinch down tight and block out the windiest snow/rainstorms.

The best part about this jacket for me is that it is only 2 ounces heavier than their Beta SL but can withstand FAR more abuse in the mountains. It packs down to 1/2 the size of a 1L Nalgene, basically a softball in size Large which is what I wear. I am 5'10" 205 and it fits snugly over my Montbell Permafrost Light Down Jacket if the mercury really drops. Ideally, a baselayer and midlayer will be perfect and you'll have just enough room.

I have several Arc'teryx jackets and I can truly say that they are the best jackets out there for their specific activities. Few come close, but if you want the best, Arc'teryx is the answer.

For the money, this is the one you need. I've done winter rappelling and felt like I was sitting in a La-Z-Boy recliner. Seriously, the worst part of climbing for me now is getting back on the wall from the comfortable sitting position. It's tough, adjustable, tough, comfortable, tough, well-made, and tough!

I really like this harness.

It's tough.

This thing is a beast. It gives me too much friction on the high friction mode. I could lead belay a fat, fat, nasty with this thing and not even feel them come off for a world class whipper. I think I just need to take off the first layer of finish so my 10.2mm rope slides easier through it. At any rate, this thing is world class and will last me a long, long time with very regular usage.

Muchas gracias, BD.

I've chewed this thing up climbing on granite and it's proven itself to me time and time again. Does a very decent job blocking wind, sheds hours of moisture very well, but the thing I'm taken aback by is the toughness. I grind this thing against sharp rocks that rip my paws to shreds, bushwack through brambles, and play backyard tackle football with it on. Breathes well and stands the test of time. For the value, this might be the best cheap jacket on the market.

Thank you, North Face...thank you.

This jacket is tough and completely windproof. I live along the Front Range in Colorado and the winters here are super windy, avg. wind speed is 55mph. This jacket blocks the wind and keeps you super toasty warm on single digit days. I've belayed in this jacket with great aplomb, I never felt the 25 degree morning air.

Also, it is super light, like alien light. I think MontBell has their flagship puffy with this jacket. The shell is super strong, light, and very weatherproof, almost like a softshell. The insulation is amazingly warm, even with a long sleeve capilene 1-2 on I could be stationary for a while before I felt the cold. Nice weatherproof zippers to keep out moisture.

The fit is athletic, I feel like. I am 5'10", 195 and the Large is so friggin money on me. Enough room to fit on a medium baselayer, and if it's super cold, a midweight insulation layer like polartec power stretch.

Do NOT try and hike in this thing. You'll over heat immediately and be miserable. This is a stationary jacket due to it's warmth. Use it wisely and take it with you everywhere. It stuffs down to the size of a 1L Nalgene bottle with further possible compression available. Be sure, says the tag, to deflate slowly, due to the welded baffles and WindStopper fabric air takes longer to compress outwards, go fast and you'll blow out a baffle. No bueno.

I like this more than my old favorite MHW Sub Zero Down jacket. It's just as warm but weighs literally ounces and is far more packable. Plus the Brick Red is like a salsa color, super dope.

Enjoy!

One of the SteriPen technicians read my previous review and actually emailed me and the reason for it not working every time is because of the low mineral concentrations in the water that you are treating do not always activate the UV sensor. The activator is adjustable to make the sensor more sensitive if you are in low mineral concentration water which, since adjusting, it has worked every time. Nice going, SteriPen!

I took three of these XS compression sacks with me on my thruhike and in one I kept all my clothes, in another my MSR Hubba including the footprint, and in the last my Horse Thief Big Agnes sleeping bag. Surprisingly waterproof as my bag was soaked on more than one occasion. These things are bombproof and never threatened a blow out. I used the hell out of them and they are still super strong and seem as new as when I first got them. Recommend to everyone.

Prep and thruhiked with this pad in 0 degF cold and kept warm throughout the night. The cut is ample enough for a broad shouldered hiker and this thing fits magically into the BA Horse Thief for your summer bag. I used the regular and I am 5'10" 190 and this thing was perfect for my frame. I blew it up and used it every night for 135 nights. I wouldn't put any Tyvek underneath while sleeping in the shelters on the AT because the material is super tough and definitely not slippery which is good for keeping your bag on top. I will never use another sleeping pad because this thing has everything right. One problem a lot of thruhikers have is not being able to readjust to sleeping in a bed for almost a month because our bodies got so used to sleeping on hard surfaces. I had no problem readjusting because this felt like I was on a bed every night I was out there. Sleep is super important for your body and mind when you are trying to recharge day after day of long 20 milers, this gave me sound and nourishing rest every night. I didn't mind the 5 minutes it took to blow up because I knew what kind of comfort I was getting ready to enjoy. A fantastic airpad that weighs nothing and gives you a great nights sleep.

Everything about this bag is magnificent. The weight, the packability, the warmth it offers, the fact that you can slide your sleeping pad into the back of it and never roll off your pad again is amazing!! I used to wake up every time I'd roll over because I'd fall off my pad and be on the hard ground. With this bag was the first time I got a full nights sleep. It gives you enough room to roll around and even get into a semi fetus position. Big Agnes makes some sick gear and with this is just another tick on the tally of their accomplishments.

This is a great layering piece. The Polartec material in this is super warm and cozy. The 4-way stretch that it offers is superb. I usually wear this with a light wicking baselayer underneath and my MHW WindStopper vest if it's pretty nippy outside (20's-30's) and I'm going a long way. It isn't the most packable piece, down or a synthetic like Primaloft would offer more warmth and pack down smaller, but if space isn't a worry then this is the piece I will go with.

I ordered a 34 because that's what I wear, right? They fit me like a 32. I sized up and my girlfriend saw I was wearing a size 36 waist and immediately quit baking me cookies. Get your sizes right Mountain Hardwear so I can get my girlfriend back in the kitchen. Other than them not having the right sizes, seriously though they aren't, the shorts are aight. They wrinkle pretty easy so make sure you've a steamer handy if you go a travelin often. Other than that, these shorts have belt loops and they don't come past your knees. Skaters, beware.

Not too impressed and here's why. I usually melt when it comes to MH, they make it happen, but for some reason this pant just was pretty blase. I wear a 34x30 so these were long because it seems no outdoor company wants to make a good hiking pant that gives an inseam option to the customer so the fit is better. That just irks me, and that's part of the reason for the 3 star rating. The material used is neat and super water resistant and windproof. Great. There are no stitched seams, instead everything is glued, so when the glue failed me and I had to do a field repair with some sewing floss, I immediately looked like a homeless person because of the distinct stitching pattern that is now on my pants. I lived in these pants on the AT and they would be washed every week, but for everyday I didn't wash them they continued to get baggier and baggier. By the time laundry day came around I had on M.C. Hammer pants. They wouldn't compress down into any of the pockets that adorn the sides of the legs. They were just good weather resistant pants to hike in that were too long and baggy by weeks end.

Wear it to the kegger and then to class the next morning. A great insulating layer, but when worn as a jacket the wind bites right through it. I gave it 4 stars because of all the products TNF has now with WindStopper and this jacket being a flagstone of their product line, it only makes sense to solve the wind problem by offering a Denali WindStopper edition. C'mon TNF, get it right for Winter 2009.

I've used this biner for years and it's held up like a champion. After 5 years, it still works like it's supposed to and it clicks closed as strong as it did the first day I bought it. I think this is one of the best all around quickdraw biners out there. There are lighter options but if you're doing a short sport route and just need a reliable biner, take about a bakers dozen with ya.

Super light, unnaturally warm, durable, windproof, packs down to a softball. This jacket is just retarted.

It is a great jacket because of one reason... Primaloft. The cut is blah, there are no pit zips, price is fine. It's just a whatever looking jacket. The reason this thing gets 5 stars is because Primaloft is so so warm for how light and compressible a material it is. There are things lighter, but this jacket does do a nice job for what it is.

Great jacket. My GF has this and we've pitted them both against each other to see which is better, because we are dorks and have too much time on our hands, and they fared equally. This is 12oz and the PreCip is 13oz, so they weigh almost the same. The cut is similar to the PreCip. etc.,etc. Great jacket, but for the price, get an, I don't know, PreCip.

Wore it everyday while on the AT and this thing did great. The zippered chest allowed me to show off my chest hair and catch a nice breeze. It was lightweight, never chafed under weight of backpack straps, and kept me cool and dry. Loved this thing. There is also a picture of a bearded man with the white tee shirt on, slightly unzipped. What a dashing fellow.

I've used this while car camping and over bbq standing pits and it's worked swimmingly. Wouldn't take this camping bc of the weight. Grease melts off your meats and filters to the sides nicely. The nonstick surface is durable and feels really quality. This is also great for tailgating. Bon Appetit.

Use it as a dog bowl at home and while camping. bought two of them and they are light and tough and take up little room. really just a standard bowl, but super light because of the titanium.

Use it as a dog bowl at home and while camping. bought two of them and they are light and tough and take up little room. really just a standard bowl, but super light because of the titanium.

We made some hefty pancakes with this on more than one occasion. It holds up great to high heats, cleans fast, protects nonstick cookware, and feels very reliable and strong. It is light and low profile so the weight conscious but luxury minded camper can enjoy themselves by having faith in their cook gear.

For communal camping trips, it was great to know you had a hanging bag of clean filtered water around for the night and for coffee in the morning. We used this a lot on car camping trips and it made things much easier and so much more relaxing by not having to go to the water source every couple hours. Tough straps can hang on anything, sturdy enough to be full and stand alone. It's like a packable bucket. Great idea, GG.

used it every morning out on the trail. works like a charm and to get the most out of your coffee grounds, press down with your spork to really squeeze that oil out of your beans. small and lightweight, stored right inside my mug. made many a rainy morning tolerable by having a piping cup o joe.

great for stirring thick meals or a lot of rice. doubles as a serving spoon. Lightweight, low profile, handy.

Nice to have with you if you are doing a lot of food prep. Saved me for cutting up Ramp, potatoes, and carrots to put into a stew. that meal would've have a lot more dirt in it if it werent for this board.

This was the fastest boil time I've ever seen. The build and design is flawless. The weight is standard for something like this where reliability and performance are must haves. I would take this above any 14K environment and feel safe.

When you know that you lose nearly all your body heat through your head, you've got to have something good to keep it in when the temps are dropping. Head, this is Micro Dome w/ WindStopper. Micro Dome, this is Head.
I cannot express with enough satisfaction my adoration for this beanie. It's lightweight, keeps you warm when it's wet, and you do NOT feel the biting, cold, wintry winds whilst wearing it. I slept in it every cold night out on the AT and every morning I would wake up alive. Get one.

My buddy took this with him on the AT and every water source I went to, he went as well. So every time I'd pump, he'd Steripen and for every 5 times we'd filter water, he'd have to use my Hiker Pro 2 times because the Steripen just wouldn't work. He would follow the directions to a T, hell he's an engineer for Lockheed, he did it right. It just wouldn't work. So, I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars because for every 3 times out of 5, it worked.

When you are going a super long distance and you have the option to resupply every few days, water is plentiful and all you need to carry is a change of clothes, raingear, Tarptent, Aquamira, food, and a toothbrush, filed down of course to save weight, you carry it all in this baby. This thing is tough, light, and really comfortable to carry all day everyday. I vouch for it and push it to anyone wanting to hike the AT. Amazing product by GG.

Used it every time I needed to drink some hot cocoa, coffee, boil water...so everyday. I kept my Etowah Outfitters alcohol stove and windscreen and bic lighter inside. Nice and tough. Offers a great setup with an alcohol stove and windscreen. I love how light and compact it is and it boils the perfect amount of water for your dinner if you are going solo. It is literally the perfect setup. Also, the bandanna was the way to grab the handles off the heat and I second that they cool off in 30 seconds or less. Never noticed the lid get hot unless it was over heat for way too long.

Rain gear will only keep you dry for so long until your sweat soaks you. While hiking over the cold and exposed ridges in the sideways rain, this kept me warm. It is waterproof, but you will get wet in it if you are outside all day, everyday. I looked at this jacket as a way of staying warm and wet. It is lightweight, has great big pit zips, stuffs down to nothing, and the hood does a good job at keeping your heat in when it's really blowing and raining hard. Kept me from getting hypothermia while in the mountains...I owe it my life. 5 stars.

They took up nearly no space in my pack. They are very, very durable. There were many times I'd fall on my ass, scrape against rocks, cake them in mud, walk through 4-5 days of rain. They are good to go for the long haul. They were decent at blocking wind, were great for surviving driving rains, and kept me warm when completely soaked. They did everything they said they did so I gave them 5 stars.

I took this with me on my thruhike of the AT and while there are much lighter options, I came to love carrying the extra weight for the following reasons.
1) b/c it's freestanding, you can pitch it anywhere and move it to a flatter spot if you realize you're lying at an angle when you get in your bag to sleep. 2) It rains on the AT, ALOT! Especially in the Spring. You'll not want to spend a long time setting up your tent. I got so good at popping this thing up it took me only a few moments to where it would actually get rained on. My buddies went with the non freestanding Contrail Tarptent by Henry Shires which is fantastic but take a long time to set up. I was always in my tent drying off before them, so their bragging about how lightweight their tents were when I'd be dry in my tent which weighed literally a pound more, never got under my skin. 3) This puppy is durable. The materials are tough and very water resistant. The design of how the fly goes over the mesh is brilliant and I marveled at it every night before I'd go to bed. Because the clip design of the poles, the fly never touches the mesh which also means, no condensation whatsoever on the mesh, which means it never gets on you. Now, there is condensation on the fly, but you'll never notice it. This is not an opinion, it is a fact. You'll never notice it because of the geometry of the angles of this tent. If condensation becomes too much, the drops accumulate into beads and fall down to the perimeter of your tent. Not once did I wake up with a single drop of moisture on me or my gear at anytime. 4) This will stand up to high ridge exposure, snowstorms and snow stacking on the tent, 60 mph winds and extended driving rains. I more than once took a 0 day in this tent while the weather outside was just ridiculous. It would rain for 5 days straight without letting up and this tent took it in stride. I never got wet, the bathtub floors and seam sealing kept streams out of the bottom of my tent. I am 5'10" and my backpack and shoes fit inside the tent with me at my feet bc there is so much room in this thing lengthwise. My vestibule housed only my Crocs. I had a house out there on the AT and it was my Hubba. I swear by this thing. It is the only product I've ever reviewed which I wish I could give 6 stars. Get one now.

I'd rate this jacket 6 stars if I could because this thing is absolutely amazing. I am getting ready to thruhike the AT and needed a lightweight and packable layer which was durable and weather resistant. I was planning on using the MontBell UL Thermawrap jacket until I saw this was on sale at my local gear shop. The MontBell is a great jacket and it's warmth to weight ratio is superb, but this jacket is only a little heavier, packs into the same stuff sack that came with the MontBell (approx. 3"x6.5") and can conquer 10 degree gusty days like a CHAM-PI-ON. The MontBell was good only to about 25 degrees with a long sleeve baselayer, the Compressor to 5-10 degrees with the same long sleeve baselayer. Another nicety on this moneymaker is the zip up fleece lined hand pockets on the outside, the zip up chest pocket within the jacket, the adjustable velcro cuffs, the cinching waistband and neck band completely lock in your body heat. My Spring 2009 MontBell UL Thermawrap has two hand pockets on the outside that do keep your hands warm but lack the comfortable fleece and handy zippers that the Compressor has. Also, the Montbell has only those two pockets and no more. When you put these two jackets side by side the hands down absolute winner is the Compressor. It's warmer, has more pockets with zippers to keep your stuff in and secured, packs down to the exact same size (once again, approx. 3"x6.5"), has a higher stitch count that gives the user far more durability and confidence with this jacket. I've tried to find something wrong with this jacket and the closest I can come is that it's heavier than the MontBell, but when you see that it's only 6 oz. heavier and has a lower temperature rating with all the features I've mentioned, the weight doesn't become a negative factor for this jacket. I'm in love...

Here are the pros:
1. Works for what it's supposed to (Supplying you hydration)
2. Stays put if you have a Deuter hydration compatible backpack.
3. Bite valve works and is leak free
4. Bladder doesn't leak
Here are the cons:
1. Super tricky to refill if purifying (imagine trying to refill a ziploc freezer bag creekside)
2. The method of sealing this bladder closed is by sliding on/off the orange clip which after a month of use will ultimately wear down the plastic and render it unusable.
3. Just feels poorly produced and untrustworthy and fragile.

I do understand that I've given it more Pros than Cons, but the Cons described really will make you the user sympathize with my frustration in it's design if you choose to purchase this. It does work for what it's intended to do, but the hard time I had refilling it creekside and the wear lines along it's closure truly make this bladder not one to take along for the long haul. And if it can't be trusted for the long haul, why waste your money?

I've instead chosen the 3L Nalgene CXC Rapid Fill Tanker which functions wonderfully. It is a 5 star product which I wish I could have purchased from Backcountry if only they carried it. Refill from a purifier, I use the Katadyn Hiker Pro, works like magic as you filter your purified clean water directly into the bladder from the purifier. It is leak proof, durable, and will last me a long time. Here is a link to Nalgene's website for it.
http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=1035

Good quality, lightweight headlamp. Is actually very bright, even on low. Battery conservation is excellent as well as brightness efficiency. The regulated battery circuitry makes the light burn as bright for as long as the battery has more than 20% left of it's juice. So, expect this headlight to burn bright for 120 hours of the entire 150 hour battery lifetime. A very good headlamp from Princeton Tec!

Getting ready to thruhike the AT, starting Mar. 8th 2009, and have tried several backpacks to see what will work the best with me. Started out my training using an Arc'Teryx Needle 65, it's an oldie but goodie, and found that while my pack weight of 40lbs. was successfully transferred to my hips, the shoulder pads were pinchin' my neck meat, as Kip from Napoleon Dynamite would say. It's a pack just not meant for extended trips. Then there was the Deuter Aircontact Lite 65+10...this pack never fit me properly. If you want to know a little secret, it's unisex if that tells you anything. The Aircontact's suspension is comfortable and can hold a ton but the pack never fit the same and the straps would need readjusting 4 times every mile... just annoying. Then I decided I'd try this little gem of a backpack and my oh my was I impressed. It's so light and comfy, the pads around your waist and shoulders feel amazing, and it can hold 50lbs. of gear if rigged correctly, just like the guy in the picture said below. I hiked 28 miles in one day with this pack from 9am till 4am the next morning and stopped only twice for a half hour at the longest for meals...this pack is amazingly comfortable. It distributes the weight perfectly to your hips, the backpad is super squishy, the straps never need readjusting, the pocket placement is superb. There's not one thing wrong I can find with this pack! I swear by it.

Simple design. Lightweight. Reliable. Super easy to field strip, repair, and clean. The filter lasts for 750 liters of purifying power. All in all it is a low profile, dummyproof, reliable filter. Recommended to everyone I know.

People, this knife isn't used for whittling or hacking or splaying open flesh to quarter an animal...it's a pocket knife. And it's good for what it is. I have used this thing for opening packages, mail, cutting twine, small stuff, etc. etc. I use the scissors for small tasks like cutting my finger/toenails when I can't find my clippers. The file for sanding my nails after their cutting. The small flathead for adjusting glasses or whatever. It's handy. Also, the toothpick is fantastic for after meals and the tweezers for splinters and ticks. This is just a small knife to keep on you when you go into the city or on a date or to the grocery or post office. I do agree that the keyring could be on the opposite side but it doesn't deserve 1 star for Victorinox deciding to put it there. The knife does what it does when it needs to be done. Period.

I've worn Capilene 4 and it's a little warmer but in it I get much smellier than this Marmot piece. I've hiked in this with a MH WindStopper Tech Vest in only 12 degrees and was perfect. I smell bad after two days, but not nearly as bad as when I wear the Capilene. The knitting is tough and doesn't snag, it keeps me smelling alright, and is pretty warm. I'll give it a 5.

Nice, lightweight, durable piece of cooking equipment. The nonstick surface is nice for frying and sauteing. I have gotten this piece pretty covered in cooked on crap and all it takes to clean it up is heating up some water, a drop of campsuds, and some stirring. I wish MSR would sell an individual lid for it instead of making you buy an entire set. That is crap.

Back to the review; it works for what it's supposed to work for and offers easy clean up.

By the way, DO NOT USE ANY METAL UTENSILS ON NONSTICK SURFACE AND DO NOT CLEAN UP USING SAND.

Yes, indeed use with the Raptor stove from Brunton. I've used this fuel in 5 degree temps all the way to 100+ and it works no matter. Great mixture, no bubbling or spurting, no gaps. For best efficiency, use a windscreen even if there's no wind. I use aluminum foil and it makes the meal/water heat up much, much, much faster.

Okay, that title sounds like a tampon commercial. Great pants, easy to slip on and off, good crotch cut for walking. Very little chafing, not too much swish swishing when walking. What can I say... good rain pants, kept me dry in a deluge and in wet sloppy snow. PreCip is great material, very much like TNF's HyVent. Ideally I'd like Gore-Tex but my bank account kept me from having my druthers.

Yes, this bag kept me warm while naked inside in 5 degree wet and cold weather. I guess the 2 star review from Kiwi was their way of showing disapproval of the European rating system not yet in place in the States. I have a 0 degree bag and this is only about 5 degrees colder than that. Perfect, warm, dry, excellent. Thank you.

Just wanted to second what Jason Vermillion ranked this pant. Lightweight and very durable. Nice stretch for taking long strides. Slim fitting pant doesn't get in the way of moving fast and this soft shell material is nice and very weather resistant. Great product, but as expected from Patagonia, quite expensive. Hiking boots will fit, but if you can avoid scree filled areas, stick with trail runners.

If you check out my other reviews you'll notice I am a Mountain Hardwear man. This jacket is, like they say, bombproof. It breathes superbly, blocks wind, and keeps me dry through three days of snowy slush. Gore-Tex Paclite is fantastic and this jacket is the perfect conduit through which MH can truly showcase the material. My only qualm comes with the front two hand pocket placements; if this is meant for mountaineering, etc., most mountaineers I know, including myself, wear backpacks with waist buckles. The low placement of the pockets completely hinders my access to them and forces me to unbuckle my waistbelt to get at what may be stored within. I still gave this jacket 5 stars because it is built to do what it is advertised to do and even though it's obvious in the advertised picture that the pockets look low, I hoped that maybe, just maybe, I could make them work. That said, without a pack with a waistbelt, the jacket and the aforementioned hand pockets are just fine.

One last thing to fellow reviewers or reviewing moderators who allow rankings; Reviews should be based on material quality, durability, performance in inclement weather, and the like. This helps those who understand the technical sides of gear make an informed decision upon how to equip their backcountry pursuits. So when a 5 star jacket is allowed to be rated as a 2 star jacket because it didn't fit someone properly because that person failed to review the sizing charts, a life saving piece of gear may be overlooked because some dolt ranked it low due to subjective rather than objective merit. Please try harder to filter these guys, lives depend on some of this stuff.

Friends, Family, Countrymen... to truly perfect this great piece when the temps are sub 30's layer like this; baselayer = merino wool / capilene / polyester / etc., Midlayer = MontBell UL Thermawrap. Now if you have a hardshell make sure you have another barrier over your Thermawrap because as I found out the hard way when going fast and hard and pumping sweat, there was too much body heat (condensation) on the inside of my shell so whenever the winds blew, I was uncomfortably chilly. To fix this, put another wicking layer over the Thermawrap and your hardshell and your body heat will dissipate just fine and you can tell the wind to kiss your ass. What can I say that hasn't already been said by others? It is super light, it is surprisingly durable, it does block about 87.349% of the wind, and finally, keeps me warm when stopping for a break on the trail and I've drenched this piece in my sweat. Very, very nice!

Upon seeing the 3 thumbs down, I had to reassess my review and look at what negative factors contributed to a misunderstanding or dislike of this article. It could be that my review just wasn't technical enough so let me try...

This jacket only has two front hand pockets which are not fleece lined or zipped. It has an elastic waistband that does fit snugly around your waist if you are even a hair overweight. The only zipper is the one on the front that goes both up, and surprisingly, down. It is extremely packable, stuff sack is probably 3.5"x6", but even when in it's stuff sack in can go smaller if needed to. It cuts decently through the wind, give it a 4 out of 5 stars and has no factory DWR applied to it so the 15D material gets wet very easily. In bitter cold, (0-20 degrees F) do not expect this to keep you warm if you are not moving. You will get hot while moving if the temps are (21-+ deg. F) It could afford better stitching so it would last longer. It feels super light, slightly cheap, but it's from the no extras added design. Once again, super packable.

So I purchased this jacket with high hopes that it would fulfill the trusted and true Mountain Hardwear standard and this jacket has set the precedent on how 650 fill down jackets should be made. Toasty warm, moderate weight, stout and durable craftsmanship. Wore only a cotton short sleeve t-shirt under this jacket in 20 degree, 20 mph winds for 5 hours and was completely comfortable with no cold spots observed. This jacket can take temperatures much lower if layered correctly. My estimate is -20 deg. at the very lowest. Mountain Hardwear makes quality clothes / jackets /
pants / tents / etc. to stand up to the toughest Mother Nature can afford us. This jacket is dur-a-ble as well. Tough sewn in panels protect the high wear spots from abrasive materials rubbing away at the fabric which if not there would shorten this jackets life considerably. I can see this being my go-to jacket in freezing temps and should last me 4 winter seasons at a minimum. Bombproof and coldproof. Great product MHW, thank you.

So you read the reviews, right? You may just think that every single one of the people who have decided to review are hardcore gear heads with too much time on their hands... maybe they are, at least I thought that. I mean, I read the reviews for this jacket, and needless to say, I still felt the jacket and/or it's raters were an anomaly at the very least, I would not have ever expected such a product to exist that was as great as people say it is. Well it is great, and it does exist. MHW takes this jacket to a level not yet reached by other outdoor companies, but this is my opinion so interpret it how you wish. Never would I have foreseen my writing this review, strictly because of the time it would consume, but I must bow down to the superiority of this jacket and indulge you with a brief and colorful synopsis of why I've found it to be such a marvelous piece of equipment. I work outside in Louisville, KY and the weather here is pretty fair year round. Winter avg. temp. is 25-30 F with gusts of 10-15 mph winds due to our location on the Ohio River Valley, like I said...fair. I do not get cold very easily when active outside, albeit, who usually does? With this jacket on, due to it's incredible windstopping, all I need is a long sleeve t-shirt underneath and I am Golden. Never has wind been blocked with such tenacity, and to further test this jacket, I rode with all my windows down in my Subaru when it was 20 F outside for a good 30 miles without once feeling any unusual cold holes in this jacket. MHW has amazed me, there is no other word that can describe any more eloquently a jacket such as this. This has been my two-cents, so it is with my continued slack jawed amazement I shall adorn my back once more with this jacket to go and confidently brave the breezy ville.