I beat the hell out of mine and theres not a scratch! Also the paclite is supposed to be notably better than the conduit (at least thats what I've heard.) If you really want a jacket in this class but dont feel like spending all that money consider jackets made with eVent. It's some relatively new material which is supposed to be better (more breathable, as waterproof, cheaper, lighter) than goretex.

I am not Jon, but I hope this will suffice until he sees your post. I'm sure he'll give some better insight. It's hard to say which will be more durable - While the Xenon uses a 70D shell, paclite, and is 2-layer...(actually it is 2.5 layer... believe it or not!) the Terra uses a 20D shell, 20D backer, and Conduit (3-layer). Both should be durable, but I don't know that the Xenon would be better enough to warrant purchasing ANOTHER $300 jacket. To each his own, but remember that you've got a lifetime warranty on that sucker should anything go wrong anytime soon.-----------------------------------Good advice. The only thing I would add, that may or may not put your mind at ease, is that from a fabric standpoint a 70 D fabric is more durable than a 20 D fabric simply due to the diameter of the thread (think 1000 D Courdura in luggage... super thick and durable). This does not mean that your Terra Shell is made out of rice paper. It should be durable enough for just about anything you throw at it... including snowballs! What are you planning to do with the jacket? I mean if you snag a jacket made with 70D fabric on a sharp branch and then snagged a jacket made with a 20 D fabric on a sharp branch... more than likely both would tear. I will tell you this for further comparison that has nothing to do with durability... the Terra Shell represents some of the most breathable fabric we have ever worked with. So, in conclusion I would use it, enjoy it, and if you tear the fabric somehow then let us know and we'll do our best to take care of it... but, until then... no worries. Hope this helps!Here is my 2 cents on the durability.