Function and Style

By jjglynn Ranked #1899 - Men's Technical Shells April 2, 2008

Excellent coat for many reasons. 1) The material is VERY durable. I crashed my bike and skidded across the pavement for a few feet and the jacket only developed one very small hole, and that was only through the outermost layer. The North Face was able to excellently repair the hole, and now it is indistinguishable from the original material in both looks and weather resistance. 2) Speaking of weather resistance, this coat will do a very good job of keeping you dry and fairly warm. This jacket is only a thick shell, extra insulation IS NEEDED for wintersports like downhill skiing. This jacket was made with this in mind as it features zip-in compatibility. Personally, I zip in a Redpoint jacket for insulation in the winter, and the result is a bomber coat that is really warm and comfortable without extra bulk and weight. 3) The jacket looks awesome. This is not one of the North Face's flashy, glitzy, ski-bunny styled pieces of apparel. This is a serious jacket, made for people who want to brave the elements, and the jacket's appearance reflects that.

This fabric, when comparing to other coats, is not the slippery nylon feel of many waterproof fabrics. Rather, this is a thicker, rougher texture. As a result, the jacket is much more durable. HOWEVER, water does not simply bead off this jacket like wax paper. In fact, the fabric actually gets pretty wet on the outside, and it takes a little while to dry. Inside, though, you will never have to worry about getting wet. Overall, This is an AWESOME coat for someone looking for a durable, weather proof shell that works great when layered in winter, or as a stand-alone in spring/fall.

View Details: The North Face Varius Guide Jacket - Men's

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