Outdoor Research Tremor Jacket

OR is making some really nice outerwear these days.

This tremor jacket is very well designed and executed. The materials are top notch. The features are well thought out. The only reason I don't give it five stars is the way it fits me... and that's a personal thing for me.

Materials: primarily gore wind-stopper soft shell fabric. There are also some areas that use some other type of stretch nylon. The wind-stopper soft shell fabric is light but tough. It is not stretchy itself. The stretch nylon panels are strategically placed to enhance your mobility. It is, as you would expect from the name, quite wind resistant. In fact I'd say it's more windproof than other softshell jackets I've worn (Cloudveil and Patagonia for example). It's also pretty water resistant - again perhaps a bit more thoroughly water-resistant than other softshell jackets I've worn. On the downside, I'd say it's less breathable than other softshells.

Features: nice selection of pockets, well-placed. Nice detachable hood. Pit-zips are welcome on this jacket because as I said above, the fabric is perhaps not as breathable as some other softshells.

Worksmanship seems impeccable. Very nicely made. Much of the jacket is welded construction. Very nice.

My only complaint would be the fit/cut of the jacket. First of all, it's cut a bit small. I'm normally a size L. In this jacket I needed an XL. And, I'm no adonis, but like many climbers (I suspect), my shoulders are broader than my midsection. This jacket seems to be cut very square. For me this means that the jacket is too tight for me through the chest and shoulders, and pretty loose for me around the midsection. Even with the stretchy nylon panel across the upper back, I feel a bit constricted in this jacket. And, there is a lot of extra fabric down low where I would normally want to tuck it into my climbing harness. Fit-wise, I'm just going to say that this is not ideal for me.