Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket - Men's

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket - Men's:

Mostly I wear this jacket for extended dog walks (2 - 4 hours)
It's the warmest (light weight) jacket I've ever worn. It is truly windproof and keeps me warmer than I would expect for it's weight and material. I don't over heat in it like some of my warmer weather gear. The only thing I might ask to change is the pockets. They are a little inconvenient to get things in and out of and could be a little larger. But I also think that's part of the reason it keeps me warm.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket - Men's:

I wore this for nearly 4 years, until one of the pit zips broke. That p*ssed me off, so I upgraded to the Arc'Teryx Gamma MX. So now I'm in a position of experience to tell you that, for 1/2 the Arc'Teryx cost, with this jacket you get 2/3 of the Arc'Teryx value.

This thing took a lot of abuse, including machine wash (warm) + dry (hottest possible).

Rolls up as a serviceable pillow.

It's on the short side, which I guess is good when you want to adjust your belt or grab your wallet & don't have to hitch up the jacket. But, unlike a good buddy, it won't cover your [apparently offensive 3-letter word].

The windproof-ness didn't impress me. There's nothing behind the zippers, so that lets the wind in. You'll be OK if you wear something underneath.

Breathability is average; the super-long put zips help but not all that much. If you sweat a lot, may as well spring for the Arc'Teryx. Sorry dude.

Don't know about style, but while use & abuse didn't affect the jacket's structural integrity, it did kinda wilt the collar.

Overall: worth the money, esp. if on sale. My comments refer to the 2008 model, so some of the issues may have been addressed.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket - Men's:

This is the only Jacket I have owned in the last 13 years. I had the old version of this jacket for over 10 years, just bought the new one recently. I have used it for walking the beaches on the Santa Cruz Coast, Hiking Lake Tahoe and Alpine CO Mountains And even Snowboarding. I think both models are superb and well worth the money.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket - Men's:

See pros and cons above. I find this jacket has a questionable fit. I'm 6'2", 160lbs, and bought the medium. I came to find the sleeves are about 1.5 inches too short and the chest is somewhat tight, but the mid section is way to big. I don't really think of this fit as athletic, which is disappointing considering this jackets potential. Unless they were the correct proportions, I would not recommend this to a friend.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket - Men's:

I went to climb Mount Fuji a few weeks ago. Before the trip I was told to pack very light as the hike is lengthy for one day (about 9 hours). The plan was to hike overnight to get to the summit just in time for the sunrise, so temperatures were in the low 30's at night. But, it was quite warm during the day - in the 80's.

This jacket did it all. It is very breathable when it's warm, and it 100% blocks wind and mild rain. And it fits perfectly. I could not be happier.

Only reason I docked it one star is because for a few more bucks you can get a better looking one from the competing brands. But they don't fit as well.

At first, I disliked the slanted pockets, but they actually turn out to be very convenient. They will keep things from falling out no matter whether or not you've zipped them up or not. And access is actually easier than traditional side-facing pockets.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket - Men's:

Very comfortable and warm! You don't typically get a jacket that's geared towards moderate elements, including light rains, that provide the same level of comfort as this one. Mtn. Hardware went out of their way to make sure this one was the one you picked every time you open the coat closet. I've gone thru several similar jackets in this "casual/performance" category and can say hands down this has been my favorite. The pit zips and fold down collar provide relief when the temp changes, and the jacket is stylish enough and true to size that I can wear it in the city even on cold work days when i'm sporting a button down and slacks.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket - Men's:

I bought this about 2 years ago and I hope things changed. The material is really good and is windproof. It's warm and I dare to say that it's a bit too warm or it lacks a hood for the weather that it's designed for.

Secondly, the fit is really weird. I'm 6'2", 220lbs and normally like to wear XL. I don't have a big belly, yet I got so much room in the torso that I can put a basket ball inside. One might say to go down a size, but the sleeve is just the right length. I feel that MH could have trimmed down a bit on this.

Thirdly, the collar isn't very high and doens't snug to the neck once zipped. I consider this a major let down since the purpose of this jacket is to protect the body against wind and cold, an exposed neck is simply UNACCEPTABLE.

Another weird part is that the zippers for the hand pockets are upside-down, ie the zipper is up when opend which is really annoying if you're switching between jackets.

Due to the abovementioned shortcommings I rarely wear this and only use it for walking around down. The only reason I'm not returning this is that I'd feel guilty for keeping it too long.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket - Men's:

I recently purchased this Mountain Hardwear jacket, the Fall 2011 model with AirShield fleece, to replace my 1999 North Face Windstopper jacket which was stolen while on a trip to Spain.

This jacket is well-constructed and comfortable to wear and based on my examination of it, will probably be durable for outdoor use by hikers and backpackers, and will last years if worn casually around town.

I found the medium jacket to fit me true to size in the chest and shoulders. In the past when I tried on Mountain Hardwear jackets I found them to be oversized and did not buy them.

My jacket is labelled as "black" in color but is actually a very dark navy blue, which is acceptable to me. By comparison, North Face jackets in the color black are "The North Face Black" which is a true black.

My one complaint about this jacket is that the recessed elastic bands on the sleeves are not tight enough to keep the sleeves from falling below my wrists. Jackets unlike long-sleeve shirts come only in chest sizes with no variation for sleeve length. That means a jacket must fit a range of individuals of varying heights and arm lengths. It would have been more appropriate if this jacket had adjustable wrist tabs. It is because of this negative point that I give the jacket 4 stars instead of 5.

One final comment, I noticed in stores that there are currently two versions of the Fall 2011 Mountain Tech jacket with AirShield. Some are made in China and some are made in Nicarauga. The jackets are virtually identical and equally well-constructed, and can be identified by a) the collar tag which indicates where the jacket was made and b)the embroidery on the right sleeve. The China jackets have "Elite" embroidered in black thread on a white background under the AirShield embrodiery while the Nicarauga jackets have "Elite" embroidered in white thread on a white background.

I have the Nicarauga version which I found to be slightly better finished than the China version. Many jackets I have purchased in the past have loose threads that need to be trimmed. There were absolutely none on my jacket. The China jacket I tried on in the store had some loose threads but not many. This is a very minor point but indicative of the manufacturing quality of a factory.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket - Men's:

Great Jacket, used my dividend to buy this and don't regret it one bit. Tried on the North ButtFace and it felt cheap, tried this on and you can tell the difference. Quality doesn't lie. Great jacket, little pricy but from what everyone else says it lasts and is durable. So I shouldn't have to buy another softshell for awhile.

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket - Men's:

First off, I'm 6'2" 170-175 pounds (athletic build) and the large fits me exactly as a mid-layer to outer-layer should; it has enough room for a fleece and shirt underneath, but fits snug enough for a water-proof shell to fit over it. The neck is comfortable, the sleeves are long enough, and I have enough room to move without it being baggy. I bought the sapphire blue/black and it looks cool enough, but I only wear this for backcountry trips, backpacking, day-hikes, and trail runs. I spend my time mostly in the San Bernardino Mountains, San Gabriels, Sierra Nevadas, and Santa Anas as I live in Southern California (temporarily), and the jacket is perfect as an outer layer unless it's winter, or it's a rainy day. The pit zips provide excellent ventilation when you're hiking on a day with strong wind gusts, yet is otherwise warm. It doesn't have a hood, but I prefer hats or a beanie anyway, since hoods have always made me feel claustrophobic, and they also affect my peripheral vision, which I don't enjoy on steep, rocky terrain. The pockets seem to be in an odd place until you strap on your large backpack for extended trips and realize the hip belts interfere with normal pockets. The higher placement allows you to access your pockets if need be, and besides, who hikes with their hands in their pockets? Obviously no jacket is perfect for every condition, and in my experience, no jacket works for every person since we all have different preferences and body types, but overall I've found this jacket to be a great asset on the trail and I can honestly recommend it. I hope this helps!