Mountain Hardwear Nut Shell

This is a good hooded jacket for when you don't need Gore-tex (or equivalent). It is windproof, and highly breathable (long pitzips too), durable (reinforced patches on shoulders, elbows and butt) and pretty functional for outdoor sports in dry conditions. It is light, cut to allow excellent mobility, and has a lot of features found in expensive high-end jackets. It is well thought out for the most part.

I bought it thinking that it would be a perfect ski jacket. I have a Gore-tex parka for stormy weather; but I sweat a lot when I ski and while gore-tex breathes better than old-fashioned coated nylon jackets, I still often end up with a big buildup of moisture. However, after a couple of years of on-again off-again use, I now usually leave it at home.

WHY:

* pockets are large and numerous -- too large it turns out. stuff I put into them flies around and gets uncomfortable.

* no waist gaitor - wipeouts almost always result in snow getting up into the body even with the bottom drawstring tight.

* good hood. But I never need it. If it's stormy, I wear a 3-layer goretex parka with hood. I want this jacket for nice days. The hood rolls down to make a collar, but it's design for this is clumsy and uncomfortable.

* I'd prefer a little bit of microfleece at the the top of the zipper to protect my chin. this jacket don't got it.

* storm flaps: this jacket only has teeny little storm flaps that don't actually snap or velcro down to protect the zip. During particularly windy days, the flaps blow over to the side and you can feel the wind coming right through the zipper.

So, like so many other things in life, it is pretty good for what it was designed for; but it has limitations.

great colors though - check out the apricot!

I am an outdoor products salesman, and I have found the Nut Shell superior to any other jacket in its category. It is not waterproof, but I have hiked through all sorts of weather in it and it serves great as a relatively inexpensive barrier of the elements. I would recommend this to a skier/snowboarder for a top-quality shell for a reasonable price. Mountain Hardwear is one of the most respectable and top of the line companies these days.