I tend to wear Marmot or Northface.
I have a TAD Gear Stealth Hoodie and find the quality to be top tier but am a little apprehensive to rolling around on the ground in it after paying $250. When it comes to ruff-n-tumble I have a couple Carhartt soft shells for work and play. They can be had for under $100 and if you have to have patches velcro can easily be sewn on a sleeve.
Carhartt is a great way to stay warm and the most durable I have seen. Of all the brands out there come and go I have seen most ranchers and woodsmen wear Carhartt jacket & overalls w/ a good fleece under layer more than anything else.
It’s just not as light or ‘cool’ as LEAF or North Face.
Yup. They can also sew on pockets, internally & externally.
I’ve got last year’s version of the Columbia Ascender…
Here is the new one:
Great jacket. Well made, good zipper, warm, layers well.
The arms are nice & long so I was able to go down a size to the Large. It fits more snug which I really like for shooting.
$70 just about anywhere.
I used to be a North Face fanboy until they started marketing as a fashion brand. Their gear has gone downhill.
Columbia makes good kit and is a LOT less expensive.
Anyone who has read my softshell thread knows that I have owned and or still own softshells and hardshells from TNF, Carhartt, OTTE, Arc’teryx, Lowe Alpine, Patagonia, and REI.
I will say this, don’t pay full retail. I have only ever paid full retail for one jacket, a TNF Apex Bionic. I have found all my other jackets on half price racks out of season (summer) and or discount sites like Sierra Trading Post and Amron International. REI runs sales from time to time as do the manufacturers on their home sites. That is how I picked up a fleece jacket and softshell from Patagonia.
I will have to join Promotive.com once my credentials are verified, sounds like a great source.
I wear TAD, but I have been slowly selling it and replacing it with Arc’Teryx. I honestly don’t care where it’s made, if they charge an arm and a leg for stuff made overseas…I can’t imagine how much stuff would cost if it was of the same quality and made here.
Moose-Knuckle is absolutely right, DON’T pay (or get dissuaded by) full retail. There’s also Arc’teryx’s LEAF program, OTTE Gear’s MIL/LE discount, Promotive.com, Steep and Cheap, and Backcountry.com’s numerous sales. My last three jackets have all been bought used, and at a substantially lower price. I also bought my wife a new Arc’teryx Gamma MX at a discount of something like 67%.
Come to think of it, that’s another benefit of going with one of the leading manufacturers; if you want to get rid of one in good shape, they hold their value quite well.
Pat
I live in Alaska and hard on gear. I’m a civie so my days in the field are spent, ATV’ing, hiking, hunting and fishing.
I came across KUIU gear and for the bucks its hard to beat.
http://blog.kuiu.com/2012/02/22/why-non-laminated-soft-shell/
Above is some good info on soft shells and why a KUIU Guide Jacket is on my list.
I have one of the Chugach Rain Jacket Hard Shell and it keeps you dry and its the most breathable piece of rain gear I own.
My other favorite hard shell is the Patagonia Rain Shadow jacket.
Since this would be my first softshell, I couldn’t bring myself to spent the $ for a LEAF. So I spent the $80 for a Condor Phantom and so far in day to day use it’s been what I hoped. Comfortable, material nice and stretchy, weather resistant, fits well, can layer under, vents work, pockets good, sewing looks OK. Main front zipper could be a problem down the road, looks a little underpowered. I’ve got a 2 day class coming up at the end of the month, I’m not going to baby it. If it works out, I’ll push it thru till next winter. If not, it goes for use around the house. For the $80 I know it’s no Arc’teryx but I don’t make my living with it either.
OR Camber
Excellent in all facets unless you just gotta have a dead bird logo or velcro.
That it is hoodless and has a drawcord at the neck was gravy for me.
For what it’s worth, I bought a Northface Apex in Fig Green from Sierra Trading Post. They are discontinuing this (great) color, so I think I paid like $70 shipped. It had the unique advantage of blending in with the local hipster, douchebag, and suburban brat population. Being that I’m a hipster, douchebag, suburban brat - it was a good fit.
I want to like the TAD… but being that it’s made overseas just like the Condor - it’s really hard to justify the extra cost. I may pick one or the other up as the season closes, but I couldn’t pass up the NF as a nice everyday civilian looking jacket - and my wife says the color looks nice on me (never rule out the “bang-factor”).
Now the bad news is I’ve pissed off either the Gods or Al Gore - because it’s been cold enough here in MI to warrant wearing it exactly twice since I’ve received it. Maybe next year Michigan will go back to being cold in the winter.
Only pic i have on hand right now. Great color though. I may even buy another if that color is still in stock and on closeout.
Steve S, how does the jacket wear as far as concealed carry, looks like it might be too short for non iwb carry.
No issues at all. I’m wearing it now with an M&P / X300 in one of our OWB Holsters. Any decent concealed carry holste will work. It breaks about 8" below my waist line.
I’m doing a VSM class tomorrow, so I’ll try and remember to have someone snap a pic since I’ll be running my EDC gear and drawing from concealment.
ETA - I’ve got long arms, but if I put my hands at my side straight, the jacket goes to about my knuckles. The sleeves cover my knuckles just barely if not cinched back. Their Hook in the sleeves works great. The Loop part is standard stuff, but the Hook is molded into a rubbery plastic tab. Most Velcro wears out because the Hook gets matted with hair and dirt - but this is not your typical Hook. Cool stuff. I’ll post a pic later.