It seems to me that Columbia has gotten a kind of bad rap from the ski/hike community. Even The North Face is now becoming passe in favor of Mountain Hardware, Marmot, et al.
I bought this little shell on sale and have to tell you, Columbia soft shells are great values. The nylon/elsatane combo stretches better than MH or TNF soft shells making it great for active use. I recently walked for 45 minutes in a 35 degree steady rain. My shell has some miles on it and has been washed at least twice. The ONLY place that water came through was on a shoulder seam and that was a spot the size of a quarter. I've got several soft shells of varying degrees of 'hardness' and this has become the one I grab most of the time.
Don't let the lack of cache' keep you away. This is a good shell.

After a LOT of research I bought the Patrol. I wanted a multi-use pack for: Travel, long day trips, ski hauling. That's a tall order.
The Patrol was, as are all packs, a compromise.
The good: Well built, well thought out, top quality.
Very easy to customize the fit, will take a lot of tough wear, a lot of options on how to carry and stow gear.
It rides nice and tight with NO movement. Doesn't throw off your center of gravity.
The so/so: It's not really the best travel pack from a loading and unloading standpoint. Regardless of the side zipper it is a top loader. That's great if you cram a lot of stuff into the bag, not easy to access it without unloading the whole bag.
The bad: Those straps that make it easy to carry skis and boards are annoying when you're not using them for that purpose. They're long and flopping. I solved the problem with some velcro cable ties from the electronics dept.
The plus on the "fly-trap" system is that I was able to lash a day pack to the back pretty easily when using it as a travel pack.
Summary: Designed as a ski pack, and it excels at that, but versatile enough to use for lots of things. Just takes a little figuring on how to make it work.
I'd buy it again. No question.

This is a very nice fleece that I received as a present. Soft and warm.
HOWEVER, if you are buying it to layer order down one size.
I'm 6'2" 215lbs with 35" arm length and the XL I own is too big to layer under a shell. I still wear it a lot, but too much material to put under a shell.

OK, these are not Skull Candy full metal jackets, but they're 1/3 of the price. I'm ROUGH on headphones, tearing out plugs,and losing them. I trashed my FMJs twice so decided to go a little cheaper with the Ink'd.
There are NO better headphones at the price than these. Toss your ipod phones in the trash. These are better than ANY original equipment phones that come with the players. They block out exterior noise and give you great bass. When you crank the music,you can't hear anything else. Great most of the time, esp at the airport and on a plane, a little unsafe if you're running on the road. As far as the buds backing out, mine came with 3 different size plugs, you may have to fiddle with them a little for the right fit. Bottom line, best buds at the price!!

I bought this soft shell for my wife. I got her the winter white/black.
It's actually a cream color not the white shown on the website.
That said, it's a very good fitting soft shell. She really likes the black flex inserts under the arms and the fit is right on the money with room for a light sweater/fleece. It's a little thinner than TNF Apex Bionic, but it's more flexible and more comfortable to wear. A good buy for the price. And as always, Backcountry shipping and service were No.1. This is the 6th or 7th jacket we've gotten from Backcountry. Thanks!!

OK,I grew up with wool sweaters and puffy down vests. This vest has made me a convert. Layered over a tech shirt it works great. Blocking wind, keeping the core warm without bulk, and very easy to pack. It's everything they claim.
Sizing is on the large size. I'm 6'2" 200 and the Large fits good. It's not big enough for 3-4 layers underneath, but that's not how I use it. I'm not a 'steep and deep' guy anymore but wear it every morning for running the dogs. It goes in my pack every time. North Face quality of design and manufacture makes it worth the price.

OK, I'm an old school guy, raised on wool sweaters and puffy down vests. I've been struggling to go high tech. This vest was my next step that way.
Understanding that his is not a 'cold weather' vest, I find that layering it over a tech shirt or two is just about perfect. It blocks the wind, keeps my core warm, and adds NO bulk.
I'm not a 'steep and deep' backcountry guy anymore. But spend a lot of time outside, walking dogs, working, and traveling. I find I wear it all the time, and it's going into my daypack every time from now on. The sizing is generous. I'm 6/2 195lbs and a large fits good. Close to the body so no heat leaks out. There isn't room for multiple layers under it, but that's not what it's for.
A go to garment that lives up to its' billing. You can't go wrong with this one. Just don't use it as the final hard shell. It's for core warmth.