Reviewing for my wife. Finally convinced her she needs a more serious shell in Juneau, AK than her 8-year old cracked pea-green membrane. This one was made in Canada (not sure if all of them still are). Top-notch construction inside and out. Medium fits her 5'6" 115lb frame with room for layers. The AR is longer than other Theta versions and uses a greater amount of the more durable GoreTex material on the shoulders/elbows/arms and butt area where more contact is made with other surfaces. I have an Outdoor Research shell made from the same material and similar cut, and let me tell you you get what you pay for. Bomb-proof yet breathable. Will get you through the apocalypse.

Sorry to affect the review of what is likely a great jacket with a complaint that is actually against Steepandcheap/Backcountry, but I feel it necessary to call this out.

My wife needs a new rain jacket, and given the limited time to purchase on S&C, I went for it. I saw that the MSRP (according to S&C) was $398, marked down to $160 (60% off!). Seeing the original price was enough for me to assume this is one of Outdoor Research's top of the line rain jackets (I have the Mentor, which is similarly priced and which I love).

However, this jacket is NOT originally $398. It is a Pac-Lite shell that normally sells for $200, and therefore was only about 15% off of the MSRP. I appreciate that Backcountry is apparently cancelling my order prior to shipping and giving a full refund, but I'm still getting a little miffed at their inflated MSRP's that they can then appear to mark wayyy down.

5'11", 170 lbs., broad shoulders, Large is the right size. Agree it doesn't seem worth the $110 MSRP, but the 70% off price is worth it. Backcountry.com has been great to me and I'll continue to give them my business, but I do find them guilty of overpricing their items so that they can give "deep discounts." E.g. the Rime pullover. Love it, but no way it's worth the $150 original price. I always loved hooded sweatshirts, but hated that they'd still fit if I gained 100 lbs. This fits very nicely, seems warm, I do expect the fleece lining to pill because it feels a little cheap, but I look and feel good in it. Thanks again guys.

5'11", 170 lbs. My 2-yr old (L) fleece MH vest fits just right, but the (L) Transition is too baggy for me, and the cut is not flattering on broad shoulders. And I should've known by now that "soft shells" are not necessarily like my old rugged Patagonia that would probably stop a bullet... this thing looks, feels and by all indications is... a very cheap piece of gear. Overall, I'm thinking growing consumer demand for "ultralight" gear has become the Chinese manufacturers' ultimate cash cow. Cheap stuff from China sold as elite gear? Brilliant! To think I paid $90 total for my MH Sub Zero (thanks S&C) that I live in for 5 months of the year here in AK, and $56 total for... this? Buyer of "ultralight" gear beware, "lifetime warranty" does not mean quality. To quote philosopher Tommy Callahan, "But why do they put a guarantee on the box then? -- 'Cause they know all they sold you was a guaranteed piece of sh*t. That's all it is, isn't it? Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it "guaranteed", I will. I got spare time."

Pros: Feels very well built and gets my job done. Cons: Laptop sleeve is not within the vinyl main compartment and is therefore not waterproofed. Not a deal-breaker, but worth considering if you're going to be taking it through downpour conditions. Also, I did not realize this was made in the Philippines... "MADE WITH PRIDE WORLDWIDE" the back of the tag actually says. Really? I did not hesitate when I bought it because I was under the impression that they make all their bags in San Francisco. If you care about what commercial trends you're supporting with your purchases (and you should), check the tags. Don't be complacent like I was. Enjoy the bag, but bitter about my poor assumption that they're still made at home.

Wanted to get this on steepandcheap, but shipping was as much as the item itself, making it full price again. I understand, it's probably large and bulky, but I've seen 10oz. Arcteryx shirts for $17 that could practically be stuffed into an envelope costing $13 to ship to Juneau. This item had a $35 USPS tag to get here. Another item I had to pass up because shipping negated any savings...

5'11" 170 lbs with broad shoulders, Large fits well. Pictures had me expecting slightly stretchier material and a more body-hugging fit, but I have room for a midweight base layer. Would never have paid the original retail price, but $45 on steepandcheap for a Canadian-made piece is a great deal if you're looking for something like this.

Convinced the wife to go with this brand when it came up on S&C. She's 5'6" and 110 lbs, and the small seems to fit her well. Hood's big, she looks kind of like a pink helium balloon, but she's cool with it. She dug the features and seems content to keep it. Only eyebrow raiser was that to me it felt like there was not very much down fill. Seemed thin. I guess that provides for better shape, but I'm crossing my fingers that this keeps her warm enough through the winter. It's a nice one, but doesn't feel worth anything close to its retail price. Maybe that's why it made it to S&C. Hope its performance proves us wrong about that.

Still love my old Precip, but wanted something that will get me through the apocalypse. Got my wish when this came up on Steepandcheap. Only downside is that my ideal size is right between M and L (5'11" 175 lbs & broad shoulders). A medium would fit perfectly if I never planned to layer to brave the Alaskan winter, and the large has a little more material than I'll need. But to me, a little extra is better than not enough, so I bought and will keep the large. The upsides are many: full-torso pit zips are genius, material and construction impeccable, hood nicely adjustable, pockets thoughtfully placed, guaranteed infinitely by the manufacturer, and the burnt orange/oxide color is beautiful.

Pros: Steepandcheap, ~$250. Hooray for manufacture in Canada. I'm 5'11" 175 with broad shoulders and the large fits just right. Arc'teryx-grade construction as expected, and it's incredibly light weight. Cons: I had thought GORE-TEX® Pro Shell material was all essentially the same, and the 320N 3-Layer material in this jacket is durable I'm sure, but it feels very thin to me. I guess that's the trade-off if you want the lightest of shells. I was expecting a thick bomb-proof coat that I could use through all the seasons here in Alaska. I decided to return it and instead grabbed the Outdoor Research Mentor, which uses 40D and 70D Pro shell fabrics and feels indestructible (as I'm sure some other Arc'teryx jackets probably do).

I'm 5'11" 175, broad shoulders, and the Large fits sexily. Haven't given it the test of time, but I usually take care of my SmartWools. It's very mildly itchy if you're used to cotton/fleece/microfibers, so if you're one of those with hypersensitive skin, wool in general might not be your thing. As wool is concerned though, you can't beat this. Performance meets beauty.