The North Face Verto Jacket - Men's

I've never sought out a ultra light wind jacket as I always used my rain coat to cover those bases until recently. I splurged on this little ditty, and am pretty stoked thus far. Ultimately this jacket is pretty much a one note pony, but who cares because it plays that note like Kenny G's circulating breath http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozeQfOdapIU.

But really this thing is great for ultralight hiking, a wind breaker for belays on long climbs, and for a little extra warmth on that day where you couldn't decide whether or not you should pack that extra layer. You'll also look like a back up dancer for Hammer in the process.

I liked this jacket so much, I got another in Monarch Orange....

Packs super small...no bigger than a tennis ball...Great emergency jacket, so light that you have no excuse on any activity..(mountain biking..road riding...rock climbing....spring ski touring and mountaineering.... not to have a jacket packet away in your pack or bike jersey pocket....

I keep this little guy in my car for emergency use and then also always take it when I go climbing or hit the trails. With it being so compact and light weight there is no excuse not to have it with you. While climbing in the Donner, Ca area a small 30min storm came in out of no where and I had this stuffed into my chalk bag, I'm glad I did. I have also thrown it on as a windbreaker on colder days and it worked really well, especially for how thin it is. The fit on it makes it very flexible and comfortable to move.

My only two complaints are; the black looks like a trash bag and the hood can get in your way. I don't care about the look so much, but be prepared to hear about it every where you go. My wife always has to make sure to tell me. :) As for the hood, it fits fine over a helmet when climbing but if you're not wearing one the wind tends to blow it in your face and it can get annoying while placing gear or whatever. I usually just end up tucking the hood into the back of the jacket.

This jacket is really in a class of its own. You cannot compare to a gore-tex windbreaker, as it is so much lighter and thinner, and performs almost as well. I love it, as its really useful to layer over a warm fleece on a windy day.Although the extremely thin Pertex Quantum fabric used is really cool, you cannot expect it to be as strong as say a nylon windbreaker. I put a small hole in it with a key on accident, and there is a small rip at the back about 5 mm in length, but that is the only wear and tear noticed so far. I think the jacket looks incredibly cool(I got it in TNF Black), but as many people have pointed out, it does kind of look like a trash bag. But after a while they really appreciate how cool it is. I have washed it numerous time on delicate setting in warm water, and then dried on delicate setting, and it has shown no signs of wearing or fading from the wash. All in all, an incredible jacket for anyone looking for a lightweight windbreaker.

This shell is awesome. It packs down a little smaller than a tennis ball and is crazy light. At first glance your thought will be: "there is no way a material this light can be durable". Your first though will be wrong. This thing can hold its own! As another review says, if you damage this shell, you'll likely be damaged yourself. Obviously it's not going to hold up as well as a goretex set, but treat it right and this shell will keep you comfortable come wind or rain. Pair it up with the Vicente fleece and a baselayer for those cold rainy days.

At 80 grams in size medium, this versatile piece is a must have on any on my trail run, just in case I need some weather protection.
Much more breathable than other "heavier" shells, which is critical when you push hard on the trail, it also handles rain fairly to make any other rainshell unnecessary on shorter runs.