b-maw

Owned a pair of Keens prior, which I liked a lot with their KeenDry technology. The Apex is lighter, more athletic, and stays dry unless you step in a puddle that comes up higher than your ankle. My out-of-box test was to dip my fit in the bathtub, and the GTX kept my socks completely dry.

I wouldn't buy these as trail runners because they are a little heavier than others on the market, and they don't breath as well as the meshy shoes out there.

However, I have been hiking in these all summer in Idaho and now fall/late fall in New England (which gets real wet and slushy) and have loved them. The Scarpa rubber is much better than any other day-hikers I've used, so I feel confident scrambling up slippery rocks. And they are significantly lighter feeling than the Keens.

I found this jacket at the Freeport, ME, Patagooch outlet, so make sure to look for sales.

Major pro: Nice length for a Patagonia jacket. The sleeves are nice and long, and so is the body of the jacket, so you can stretch out without exposing any under-layers. I'm 5'10" 155lbs and I bought a small. Fits me great, nice and snug, though I like my clothing snug.

The brushed fleece lining is fantastic and cozy.

Only con is the HUGE price jump from their Guide jacket (without the hood). An extra $125 just for that feature.

Everything else has been said.

Really wanted to like this jacket fashion alternative to other popular "shag" fleeces, such as the Patagonia Retro-X, but was really disappointed and returned it.

First, there are weird snow-guard type sleeve liners near the wrist, which I found really unnecessary and uncomfortable.

Second, I'm pretty slender (5'10'' 150lbs) and the jacket made me look like a linebacker. The stiff shoulders made the jacket look padded and really un-athletic and un-flattering.

All in all, I was expecting a burly bang-around winter fleece, and instead got a very bulky, heavy, and weirdly spec-ed out coat.

This is not an athletic-fitting jacket (doesn't hug your torso) nor can really be used as an outer-layer on backpacking or hiking excursions because of the delicate outer fabric that rips easily. But as a great warm layer for winter camping, or to wear around town, it does the job very well. It's very warm, very very light/compressible, and very stylish.

I almost didn't want to write a review for this jacket because I like being one of the few people who wear it. I don't wear this for anything technical, just around campus on cool days. It's super warm, the fleece is inside is soft, and the wool outside sheds wind and attracts complements. What a gem.