Another winner

By Dominick Layfield Ranked #614 - Men's Technical Shells February 10, 2011

I've put in about 10 days so far in this jacket. All skiing in back- and front-country. Nothing but good stuff to report.

I opted for the blue with orange zippers. Color is great. Fabric feels very nice (almost softshell-like), is reasonably breathable, and seems durable. I've skied through a lot of trees and caught branches that would tear flimsy fabric; so far the jacket is totally unscathed. Can't really comment on waterproofness, as I've not worn it in rain or melting snow.

Construction is impeccable. Seams are all welded. Zippers all waterproof. Reinforcements where necessary. Everything perfectly finished.

Design is very solid, well thought out, with a lot of innovative touches. It has two external chest pockets (hooray!) and one internal chest pocket for iPod etc. There's a powder skirt that I'm ambivalent about -- I ski wearing bibs -- but it's removable if you don't like it, or want to wear jacket for hiking etc. Hood is great. Stays out of the way when not in use. Large enough to flip up over a helmet. The jacket has unusual elasticated cuffs (with thumb loops) that grip your wrist and keep snow out of your sleeves.

My only quibbles: 1. There's also a strange left forearm pocket that seems completely pointless to me. 2. Underarm zippers seem well-placed, but are NOT mesh-backed as stated in description.

Sizing is VERY roomy. At 6 ft, 160 lbs, slim build, I have *plenty* of room in the Medium. In fact, a friend who is 6'4" tried on the jacket, and was able to wear it without it looking ridiculous.

View Details: Stoic Bombshell Jacket - Men's

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