Really nice jacket with caveats

Sherpa Adventure Gear Mani Rimdo Jacket - Men's

Sherpa Adventure Gear Mani Rimdo Jacket - Men's

Rating for this product: 4 February 16, 2012

Aside from the length issues (see my other post on the sleeve and body length), this is a nice jacket and great for the price - lightweight, lots of pockets, breathable with good ventilation and ridiculously comfortable. Seriously, this is easily the most comfortable insulated hard shell I've ever tried on, which I attribute to the soft/lightweight/stretchy outer fabric, the lightweight (40g) Primo One insulation and the fleece lined collar. The downside of that comfort is that the fabric is so soft and lightweight that it doesn't exactly shout durable (or even whisper it for that matter), but only time will tell.

Other nits: the hood brim is a bit too small/short; no interior zippered pocket; hand pockets are outside of the insulation so they don't much other than block wind; collar is a bit tighter than ideal (especially if you have a collared midlayer underneath) and shorter than ideal for resort skiing (you can't get it up past your chin while on lifts) and the stitching is a bit below average.

I tried half a dozen other lightly insulated shells (Arc Teryx, OR, Patagonia, MH, TNF, Mammut), all of which were substantially more expensive, and for resort skiing decided that this one was the best for me regardless of price - the others were either too heavy, too warm, too bulky or not breathable enough.

Last but not least, the waterproof and breathability ratings are wrong both on this site and on the product tag that comes with the jacket. According to Sherpa, the wp laminate is rated 20/20 (not 10/20 as it says on this site or 10/10 as it says on the product tag), BUT the breathability rating is for the laminate alone, and the actual breathability rating for the jacket with the insulation and the lining is going to be less than 20k. That said, that's almost always the case with breathability ratings on insulated jackets which rarely if ever factor in the insulation and lining, and with the pitzips breathability has not been an issue for me.

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Sherpa Adventure Gear Mani Rimdo Jacket - Men's

January 28, 2012

So I ended up ordering both. The M was fine at the shoulders and chest with just a light or mid baselayer and a little tight with a thicker layer. The arm and body length, however, are fairly short on this jacket. I have normal length arms and torso for my size, and the length of the arms and the body on the L are just barely adequate and definitely not ideal - another inch or more on both would be perfect - and unworkable on the M.

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Mountain Hardwear Returnia Pant - Men's

January 21, 2012

No mesh on the vents, but that's a preference thing. The problem with most mesh lined vents is that they snag. No mesh = no snag. Personally I only keep vents open when I'm going up or once I'm at the bottom, so the risk of snow getting in is pretty minimal.

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Sherpa Adventure Gear Mani Rimdo Jacket - Men's

January 15, 2012

Another size question: I'm 6' 175lbs with an athletic build (31 waist but I wear a 42-43 suit jacket). Should I go medium or large if I plan on using this for skiing and may need to layer a mid weight fleece or Patagonia ultralight down underneath. I don't want a baggy fit but I don't want to be constricted in the shoulders or pits either. Thanks.

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Stoic Bombshell Jacket - Men's

January 4, 2012

Fit vs. '09 Stoic 2.0 version

Can anyone tell me for certain if this version is cut/fits roomier than the '09 Stoic 2.0 version (the last version before they created the separate Stoic brand)? I've been trying to get a straight answer to this to no avail - some of the comments here clearly suggest that it is roomier, but I chatted with a BC agent who told me that it is cut/fits exactly the same.

I currently have the '09 Stoic 2.0 in a large, and while it fits perfectly with a thin midlayer, anything more than 100g fleece and it's too tight around the shoulders and arm pits, so I'm debating between getting this version in the same size L or going up to the XL so that I can layer more underneath and use the jacket during the winter. I'm 6'0, 175lbs with an athletic moderately muscular build (31 waist, 42-43 chest) and usually wear a M in Patagonia and Arc'Teryx and L or XL in Mountain Hardwear depending on the cut. Thanks.

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Rossignol Experience Sensor Inside 130 Boot - Men's

December 2, 2011

Almost, but not quite. The power straps are different (the power straps on the Rossi appear to be the like the ones on the 2011 RX 130 but are clearly not the non-elastic cam-lock straps on the 2012 RX) and I've heard that the liners are different as well.

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Best in class

Patagonia Down Sweater Vest - Men's

Patagonia Down Sweater Vest - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 January 7, 2011

Spent the last month searching out and trying every other lightweight down vest (high fill power/low-medium fill weight/under 10oz) because I wanted to try a brand other than Patagucci. I ended up with this one anyway because it fits better, is made better and just feels better than every other one I tried. Add to that the eco sensitive construction and ironclad warranty and it really is the bomb.

Also, for anyone looking to compare fill weight (as opposed to fill power), the fill weight according to Patagonia customer service is 57 grams/2.01 oz.

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Killer ergonomics, features, fit and comfort

Backcountry.com Stoic 2.0 Shell - Men's

Backcountry.com Stoic 2.0 Shell - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 May 20, 2009

This shell isn't just great for the price - it's great, period, and would still be my choice even if it were priced the same as competing shells from Arc Teryx or Patagonia.

Materials: The Bombshell fabric is solid, quiet, supple (compared to Gore-tex Pro Shell), has just enough stretch and has a soft inside lining, and the whole of the inside of the collar has a soft fleece like lining, all of which together make this one of the most comfortable tech shells I've worn. I find a lot of other tech shells have a stiff/boardy feel and a tacky touch on the inside next to the skin if worn with a short sleeve shirt, as a result of which I tend to wear them only when I really need them and take them off the moment I don't in favor of a softshell. This shell, however, feels great on - it's soft next to skin, supple and quiet, and I find myself throwing it and leaving it on even when I could be wearing a softshell.

Features/Design: The angled cuffs are awesome - every shell should have these. Pockets, inside and out, are exactly the right size and placement for me, but I could see how for a lot of people the hand pockets might be too low for use with a pack. The welded seems and watertight zippers are trick and minimize bulk, although the main zipper doesn't engage quite as smoothly as on some other jackets.

Fit: Perfect for wearing with or without layers if you have a lean to mid athletic frame, but too snug to really layer without sizing up if you have a stocky or large athletic frame (if you don't have an athletic frame - look elsewhere). I'm 6'0, 175lbs, have a 31in waist and I'm thicker than average in the arms, shoulders, back and chest (I lift weights regularly, but I'm by no means a muscle bound gym rat), and the large fits me perfectly with lightweight layering. With midweight fleece, it still fits fine and is perfectly comfortable, but is a smidgen snug at the shoulders (which is more visible than it is noticeable in use because of the jacket's stretch). Heavyweight layering is doable, but noticeably and less than ideally snug at the shoulders and armholes.

Weight: With the caveats that I'm not an ultralight backpacker and don't plan on trail running in this jacket, the Stoic is plenty light for me. Yeah, there are some competing jackets that weigh 4-8oz less, but most of them are missing at least 1 or two features of the Stoic (e.g, 4 pockets, 360 degree fuzzy collar liner, soft bamboo carbon lining, tough exterior fabric) that, for me at least, more than make up for those few extra ounces. And to get up on a soapbox for a second, anyone who thinks that they can tell the difference between a 16oz jacket and 22oz jacket once they're loaded up with 40+ pounds of other clothing, gear and a pack is kidding themselves.

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Backcountry.com Stoic 2.0 Shell - Men's

May 14, 2009

How does this jacket compare (aside from price) to the Cloudveil Koven and Patagonia Stretch Element, both of which also use waterproof stretch fabrics (both, I think, made by Toray)? It looks like the Koven has a slightly higher breathability rating (20k v 15k), but I know breathability ratings are somewhat subjective.

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