The North Face Mountain Light Parka
Average Rating: 
Reviewed by 57 Trailspace users
Description
The Mountain Light Parka is a hard shell jacket made by The North Face. It has an average rating of 4 stars (out of 5), based on 57 user reviews.
Here's what other sites are saying:
From Moosejaw:
"On Sale. Free Shipping. The North Face Women's Mountain Light Parka (Fall 2007 Discontinued) Specifications for the Mountain Light Parka by The North Face CB: 30in. Avg. Weight: 27.5 oz (780 g) Fabric: Body: 40D x 40D 85 g/m2 nylon 2L Gore-Tex Pro Shell Abrasion: 70D x 70D 155 g/m2 nylon 2L Gore-Tex Performance Shell Features: Seam sealed Standard fit Zip-in compatible Fully adjustable, removable drop hood with lower face protection Brushed collar lining Two core vent Alpine pockets with wind flaps Right internal zip pocket Left internal stretch water bottle pocket Pit-zips with two-way zippers Two hand pockets Elastic and Velcro adjustable cuffs Hem cinchcord"
From RockCreek:
"The Mountain Light Parka by The North Face is one of the their most classic jackets that has been around for almost as long as The North Face. Constructed with a Gore-Tex Pro Shell that is fully waterproof, breathable and completely seam sealed to ensure your absolute dryness in inclement weather. With a parka as opposed to a jacket, you get more length to the bottom covering over the waist to the top of the thigh. A fully adjustable, removable drop hood with lower face protection and two core vent Alpine pockets with wind flaps, gives you a highly versatile jacket for snow, rain and wind. Zip in compatible with other North Face fleeces or down vests/coats to give you a total layering system for those really cold days out climbing, skiing, hiking and traveling."
From Backcountry.com:
"The North Face made the Women's Mountain Light Parka with Gore-Tex waterproof breathable fabric, so you'll stay dry on your mountaineering adventures. The two-layer Gore-Tex material creates a barrier against wind and water while maintaining breathability, so you can skin through winter storms without getting wet or feeling stuffy. A lower-face protection panel on the removable hood blocks wind and snow. Two vented alpine pockets on this shell keep your pockets available while you're wearing a harness or hip-belt, and the Mountain Light Parka's light weight makes it great for backcountry trips."
From Altrec Outdoors:
"The Mountain Light Parka is an all-around jacket, suited for extreme weather conditions."
User Reviews
Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Jared, Dec 06, 2006
"This jacket is nothing less than awesome. I will start with the 'quirks' of the jacket first. The hood is a little hard to snap in simply because if you're wearing gloves, the slot where it snaps in is small and precarious. Secondly, the two zipper function is a little difficult to master the fist couple of times."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Ryan, Feb 28, 2006
"I bought this jacket to replace an older one-piece insulated Helly Hansen jacket that ripped. Since the ML is only a shell, I can zip in other pieces that I have accumulated over the years. I have an EMS heavyweight fleece that zips right in, as well as a TNF Redpoint vest."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Contra Basher, Mar 28, 2004
"Found this gem on e-bay at a great price; I would never pay the retail 'cause I'm cheap. Only bought the jacket because of the positive image association I hope to get from the logo. I work in a data center with other wannabe outdoorsmen but finding time to sit in the woods is a challenge."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by lzcdragon@..., Jan 10, 2004
"This is a good jacket. The water and wind resistant is really living up to its name. I live in the city and wear it in a daily basis on cold days. Fews days ago it was like 5 degrees F, and i felt cold in the jacket. Not sure if its my jeans or the jacket that making me cold."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Bob Gergen, Apr 03, 2003
"I must say my experience with this jacket differs from many of the reviews I have read on this website. I have been quite impressed with the quality and performance of this jacket. In fact, I had both this jacket and the Arc'Teryx Theta LT (a very well respected piece of apparel) and I actually returned the Theta LT in favor of the Mountain Light (saving me $225!!)."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Barry, Jan 02, 2003
"Heavy jacket for three season use. Have newer version with core vents, wish it had pit zips. Overkill for backpacking but good for winter use/mountaineering. Well contructed but DWR finish needs renewal quite frequently. A ripoff for full price. Would recommend to anyone using it for its intended purpose. Watch for last year's model on sale."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Jon Pollard, Apr 12, 2002
"I reviewed this jacket once already on 2001-04-02. Here's an update. The lining is coming apart at the bottom hem of the jacket. I am going to send this back to TNF to see whether the company will stand behind the product, but even if I get a new Mountain Light out of it, I won't be happy."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Ted, Apr 07, 2002
"Two comments, to add to the many:
(i) The jacket is about as sub-great as everyone says it is.
(ii) BUT the company is serious about the warranty, if my experience is any guide. I bought a TNF jacket roughly comparable to the ML (but non-Gore-Tex) back in about 1989 for about $100 new."
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Women's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Kate Robertson, Jan 18, 2002
"Moments ago I finished reading the review written by the lucky (or not so lucky) college chap who bought the Mountain Light Jacket for under 200 and the Denali for under 100. I myself own the jacket, having paid 300+. I understand your need to defend your gear manufacturer of choice, and even agree that for folks who plan on extreme weather (who PLANS on extreme weather?!) the Mountain "Light" might not be the best choice."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Jon Pollard, Apr 02, 2001
"I have worn this jacket for two winters here in the southeast Alaska rain forest. I really wanted to like the jacket because I spent a bunch of money on it and who wants to admit to making a mistake? However, I realize now that it's not a particularly well-designed product."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by an anonymous hiker, Jan 22, 2001
"an excellent jacket. i am very impressed. the only complaint is sizing. theb arms are a little too narrow to allow comfortable layering. i got a size larger just for that purpose, but it's just not designed for layering underneath. still, a great jacket."
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Women's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Rachel, Dec 26, 2000
"This jacket is a big disappointment. By moving the ventilation zips to the chest area, they made it incompatable with other fleece garments, plus it doesn't work well anyway. They took the pit zips out to cut cost at the expense of my comfort. Also, when you buy outerwear, you buy it to perform, not for the name."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Robert Mitchell, Oct 28, 2000
"The North Face Mountain and Mountain Light
I have owned both coats for several years now and love them both. Both of these are well made products. Of course, these are the ones with the pit zips. I wouldn't have them any other way. I don't care for the core vent coats."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Mike, May 21, 2000
"I am frankly getting sick of people bashing the North Face Mountain Light. People complain about its durability, its price, its increasing popularity, etc. . . First of all, the people who complain that it isn't comparable to other high-end mountaineering shells, and that say it is their worst investment ever need to think about it."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Mike, Mar 29, 2000
"Now I don't get a chance to do much backpacking because of school, but over spring break my Mountain Light performed flawlessly. I was in the Allegheny mountains and the weather turned from bad to worse. The first 2 days were rain, then the second night it turned to snow and 40mph winds."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Jon, Feb 25, 2000
"Lightweight shell for skiing and hiking. Easy to jam in your backpack when the sun comes out. Keeps the rain off and the wind out. If you're looking for a durable climbing parka for scraping against rocks and scrambling through branches, get something heavier."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by an anonymous hiker, Feb 14, 2000
"TNF bashing has become a national sport on many web pages. Some of it is no doubt deserved; some of it comes from people who are simply disappointed that the brand has become so well-known and popular since the 'outdoors' has been mainstreamed -- they feel they can no longer look cool unless they buy MH or a smaller 'boutique' label."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Justin Desmarais, Jan 06, 2000
"Most definitely the best jacket I ever owned. The Gore-tex fabric keeps me dry even in the harshest conditions. the pit zips are great, you don't have to stop to peel layers when you're hiking or climbing. the articulated hood is killer. the gusseted cuffs keep the snow out off your arms.
No doubt worth the money!!"
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by an anonymous hiker, Dec 26, 1999
"Quite frankly, I am quite disappointed with the fact that no liners work with mine. Anyways i'll just send it in. Still sucks to send it in. Otherwise the jacket has been working out quite well."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by POP, Dec 23, 1999
"Stop the bitchin' and moanin'. I bought this jacket 8 years ago on sale (which by the way is the only way any garment, techwear or regular clothing should be purchased do to incredible mark-up) and have returned it twice to North Face because of problems."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Big Greg, Dec 15, 1999
"Jacket held up nicely on my motorcycle during heavy Florida rainshowers on several tours to Daytona and the Keys (sometimes going 60mph). Kept bone dry except near sleaves--remedied by wearing neoprene dive gloves OVER TOP OF tightly velcroed sleeves!
Also held up well in EXTREMELY heavy downpour on my boat while cruising to the Bahama's at @30 knots."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by John H. Drisco, Nov 03, 1999
"I have used this jacket in the northeast for 4 years and have been in all kinds of extreme weather and it held up nicely. When I go to Colorado at least twice a year and it has held perfectly in the rockies also.
One complaint that I believe they changed with the new 1999 model was how the hand pockets were laid out."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Tyler, Oct 17, 1999
"Owning this jacket taught me a lesson. I learned never to buy any garmet with the word "Light" in the name. Bragging about a jacket's light weight is no different from bragging about a jacket's durability.
The North Face has a pretty clever marketing scheme."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by an anonymous hiker, Oct 13, 1999
"Fantastic jacket. From summer bimbling in Cornwall to snowy expeditions in the Pyrenees this jacket just keeps going. Very light, comfortable, packs down to nothing, hard wearing (apart from one velcro cuff closure which has come away a little) and totally waterproof."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by an anonymous hiker, Aug 22, 1999
"A great all purpose jacket.....i use it in the hottest wettest days in the summer and the coldest snowiest days in the winter."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Brian Porembski, Jul 26, 1999
"What a piece of trash! I've had this jacket for three year and it was great at first. Then the seams began to tear out and was no longer waterproof. The EMS Expidition is a lot cheaper and gets the job done. My personal favriote is the Marmot Alpinest Jacket. TNF still makes some quality products but as far as I'm concerned they're a bunch of sell outs."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Garth, Mar 19, 1999
"I have had this jacket for 5 years. I use it for rain gear only with north face pants. I never use the hood as my sport is bikes. I have found this to be the best rain gear I could get after trying several other options. On one trip several of us were forced to ride home in the rain for nine hours (because of time it was a sunday work on monday)."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Chandler, Feb 01, 1999
"Bought it from a friend who works at a TNF store. It was marked down to $179 because the color wasn't up to TNF standards (the red was a little darker than normal), and he gave another 50% off.
I love the jacket, except for one major complaint."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Tom, Dec 30, 1998
"I took the jacket hiking in the Smokies for a week (rain/sleet/ice) and found it to be just about the best jacket I ever had. Perfectly watertight, no sweat condensation, good cap which protects from wind and weather.
Very light. May be a bit fragile when crawling through dense bush.
Zipper can be difficult to zip with liner unzipped.
I love it."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Mike Roncadori, Dec 17, 1998
"I keep hearing about zippers sticking, but with or without a liner, mine has never hung up. I use it for hiking, outdoor exercise, protection when outside on rainy days, etc. It seems to do quite well in the woods and I have yet to tear or puncture it (I've had it for about 2 years)."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by an anonymous hiker, Nov 19, 1998
"Sorry guys, but this jacket bites. I've been in downpours and taken it into the snow. The Gore-tex is fine, it's the quality of TNF. It used to be good, real good in the '70s and early '80s, but it's all down hill. Fashion, no longer function. This jacket leaked and the lining was coming out along with the stitching."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by G.Brown, Nov 19, 1998
I have had this jacket for one year now and it seems to be holding up quite well. I've taken it rock and ice climbing and extended backpacking trips, no near plans on losing this one. Accompanied with the Mountain Light pants "your bombproof".
Great Product (I think the folks that bad mouth it just don't like the way the the North Face name is getting so popular with the city kids".
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by an anonymous hiker, Oct 10, 1998
"I work outside a lot. My Mountain Light jacket withstood nearly daily use during this year's heavy El Nino rains, and has accompanied me on numerous backpacking trips. It's completely waterproof and windproof. I tend to do a lot of off-trail hiking/bushwhacking and have yet to puncture or rip the fabric Combined with TNF's St Elias fleece vest, Mountain Light keeps me warm and dry."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Nathan, Sep 19, 1998
"This is a great jacket. People often complain that the zipper gets caught. Once you learn how to make sure the zipper won't snag, you don't have anything to worry about. Almost everybody that works in the ski shop has that jacket, it lives up to the conditions well, and is flexible."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Lee Williams, Jul 19, 1998
"North Face offers excellent products but where did they go wrong with the Mountain Light? I have used this jacket for numerous outdoor activities such as mountaineering in the Canadian Rockies, mountain biking, backpacking, hiking, and the occasional trip to the grocery store and found this jacket to be below average in performance."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Al "Rainman" Klaski, Jun 15, 1998
"I used the Mountain Light jacket up in the mountains of Haiti while doing missions work. Although I did not get the cold temperatures it rained like cats and dogs and I remained perfectly dry, the DWR held up quite well. The hood and body of the jacket fit me very well I am 5'8" and 155lbs."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Sierra, May 26, 1998
"I have been very pleased with the jacket overall. The two chest pockets are easily accesible with a harness on. The pit zips are great, but a little hard to open with gloves on. The DWR eventually wears off, but that is to be expected. It has kept me warm and dry from through Mt."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Kit Tsoi, Apr 09, 1998
"Bought this in a sale last August. It was originally retailling at about GBP260. Great versitility, I use it with either my TNF fleece or down jacket. Held up on a 6 day trek up to the summit of Kilimanjaro and a 3-day winter mountain course in the Cairngorms, in Scotland. I have used this in temperatures going down to -20C and high winds.
My best buy."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Walt Stundick, Mar 12, 1998
"Great all around parka. Fantastic for cold, wet conditions or dry, windy conditions. Good for hiking, backpacking. Seems to be durable so far. I purchased this jacket after being very pleased with the hydrenaline jacket."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Jim, Mar 10, 1998
"TNF Mountain Light is a good all around jacket. Unfortunately its $100 over-priced. The nylon around the zipper is too loose and has a tendency to get stuck in the zipper. The water repellent finish wore off in a couple of weeks and the nylon would absorb water especially around the cuffs."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Greg, Jan 21, 1998
"i have had this jacket for nearly 5 years, and it is the best! it was worth every penny i paid for it. it has kept me warm and dry in conditions ranging from mild rainy days, to hail and blizzard conditions. along with the denali fleece liner it is all you need."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Rob, Jan 07, 1998
"My Mountain Light Jacket turned one year old last week. It still looks brand new. I love it and would buy it again if someone stole it--my biggest fear. I have a Purmori fleece jacket that I wear inside and stay nice and toasty. It has kept out rain in the many storms it has seen."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Mike Wang, Jan 01, 1998
"It's a great jacket. it's light, so it's terrific for hiking in the summer rain. Put on intermediate layers, and it's good for winter as well.
I've been wearing it for almost a year, and it's still like new. No leaks, no tears. It even survived Kauai's Volcano Naitonal Park, a rain forest."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Eric Ganske, Dec 26, 1997
"jacket has been a disapointment since day 1. snaps coming off of material, one is alomost completly gone. zipper is fraying at bottom seam. sent to warranty to have snaps replaced recieved jacket 3 weeks later in same condition as sent. very disapointed,looking for new company to go with."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Carl Dashman, Nov 25, 1997
"This is my third one. The first couldn't stand up to battery acid, but it's still a great "dirty" jacket. The second fell apart in the pockets and was replaced w/o question. The third has held up very well for several years in all kinds of weather, with all kinds of liners."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Steve Line, Nov 21, 1997
"I bought it for mountaineering. It's a great jacket for hiking, backpacking, and skiing. It fits great, looks good, allows freedom of movement and is great for around town. It works adequately for moutaineering but the nylon is a bit thin. I have punched many holes in it."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Ian Cooper, Nov 20, 1997
"I've had the jacket for a year now and am mostly satisfied with it. My biggest complaint is that the DWR is quite poor. The jacket needs to be redesigned, using a better textured nylon. Fortunately, the thicker overlayed fabric on the shoulders and sleeves has a better DWR."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Brandon Hicks, Nov 16, 1997
"I bought this jacket while in the Army stationed at Ft. Benning, Ga. If you know the rainstorms that Georgia gets then you know what I'm talking about. I stood out in an hour rainstorm and not one drop of water made it through this jacket. I then got an idea--see if hot water can make it through the fabric of this jacket."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Matt, Nov 14, 1997
"After wearing while working on ski patrol at a southern for a year, this jacket has held up very well. It's light enough to wear on a warm, rainy day, and windproof to wear on the coldest. Only downside is the rather high price and the fact that substantial layering is required for anything less than 50 degrees."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by an anonymous hiker, Oct 29, 1997
"I have had this shell for two years and found it to be well made. Nothing spectacular just does what it is intended for! It is something I would purchase again, the only fault is the DWR, a longer lasting coating would be an improvement."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by an anonymous hiker, Oct 26, 1997
"Excellent wind, snow and rain protection. Fabric is durable yet flexible, even in extreme cold conditions. This is a great year round coat. Light enough that it can be put in your pack for summer hikes."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by an anonymous hiker, Oct 12, 1997
"It's minty. It holds up perfect in a torrential downpore, in four feet of fresh powder, and in 60 mph winds. It is all around an excellent jacket to own for outdoor use."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Rob Mat, Sep 10, 1997
"I have no major compliants about my jacket except for the fact that I had a new version Nuptse and it did not fit in my shell Mountain Light Jacket."
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Men's Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by Andrew Price, May 15, 1997
"I have put this jacket through conditions that would have turned other jackets to shreds, including bushwacking through a thornbush field, and it has held up beautifully. I must say that I was initially hesitant to purchase due to the price, but I now look at it as having been a good "investment"."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by an anonymous hiker, Jan 11, 1997
"I have found it to be an overall versatile jacket. However, after a backpacking trip to the Smokies, the color bled through the back. North Face has had other complaints about this, but stressed that in no way would this affect the performance of the jacket. Aside from this, I have found no troubles whatsoever."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by jkeyes@..., Oct 31, 1996
"Excellent lightweight shell with many features, including the well used pit zips. However, after extended use the two ply gore tends to absorb some of the water. Loses its wicking action fairly fast in that the water does not wick off the jacket. Other than that, the jacket is very versitle and is an excellent choice."
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Mountain Light Parka
Reviewed by dalmeida@..., Mar 27, 1996
"Great outer shell that can be used year round.
Pit zips work great for added ventilation.
Hood design needs a little work, which they seemed to have fixed in the latest model.
All the bells and whistles..."
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Where to Buy
Buy Online We found the Mountain Light Parka at 6 online stores:
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