MSA1234

for some reasons, since i got this shell, i do not want to wear my other shells...

btw, arcteryx rocks!

bough it on sale at half the price this summer and cant go out without it! some people may not like the sizing but this is exactly why i choose this jacket(even tho i am not fat-5'10'', 140) this give me enough space to fit a TNF thunder jacket(michelin man-style puffy), base layer, power stretch and 200 fleece underneath.and, with only a t-shirt underneath, it runs big, but not enough to be shy to wear it on a casual basis.

overall i am really impressed with it, ind i'd buy the yellow one in a heartbeat

when you see it for the first time, it looks like a tiny little stove, harmless. but beware, this is the chihuahua of the stoves, tiny but very agressive: this beautiful creature can throw fire a foot high! it's a dragon!
it is my first MSR stove (i had a coleman of 23 years old (my father's), it is still in shape, but akward to carry in ultralight hikes due to it's big propane canisters and it's high weight(2 lbs)so i bought this, and now, i am fully pleased by it's performance and reliability.

highly reccomended

at first, this jacket seems pretty good.i wanted a cheaper jacket than my OR mentor jacket for the woods and casual use. reading all the positive reviews and seeing the low price, i decided to buy it. when i came back home with my brand new precip, i did the shower test( i was wondering if it was as waterproof as my pro shell jacket). after 5 min. under the shower, i was SOAKED WET! i tought maybe a high pressure shower like mine was too intense for the jacket so i decided to bring it in a weekend trip in the forest with some friends. the rain, the 2nd day, was not pouring; it was just like a very soft rain that last the whole day. i am glad i braught my gore-tex jacket as well beacause the water is just getting through the fabric.

also, this jacket is not breathable; i did my ''breathability test'' wich is a 10 min run in 90F temp., in dry conditions, and i see if my sweat has been wicked by the fabric. i do that for every single jacket i buy. no one has performed so badly. i was completely wet inside. i did not let the pit zips open, but dah, the test is for the fabric, not the jacket itself

no, i would not recomend this to a friend(but maybe to the brainy man who had the idea to put a storm flaps to a jacket made with such a bad fabric and to seam tape it)

i slept 3 times in winter in this bivy and i can say that condensation is INCREDIBLE.The first night i had to get out of it ald sleep over it beacause of the ICE growing on the pertex material.here is some tips to reduce condensation inside:
1:sleep under a tarp; the condensation will be more on the tarp

2:let the zipper open;you should always do it anyway

otherwise in the other 3 seasons, this bivy is the perfect piece of gear.
...and sorry for my bad english, hope you understand