Cabela's Mountain Sherpa Jacket

this is an extremely thick, warm, windproof fleece jacket. i wore it extensively last winter and plan to again this year.

this is an exceptionally thick, curly fleece that looks like a sheep's coat. it's a lot thicker and more burly than typical 300 fleece. it is backed by a windproof membrane that keeps wind out but also keeps heat and moisture in.

i don't tend to wear it for high-exertion activities unless i don't mind sweating a little, though i occasionally have when it's really cold out, meaning sub-zero. so, i have tended to wear it after winter hikes to stay warm; around town when it's really cold; or for sledding, shoveling snow, or other outside activities where i don't expect to be moving around constantly.

the fabric feels stiff at first, but it softens with wear. it is sized large enough to wear a sweater underneath.

it has two zippered hand pockets and a zippered chest pocket that work well. the bottom hem has an elastic drawcord with plastic hardware, a nice feature, and is easy to tighten; the wrists are not elastic and feel pretty stiff at first. they loosen somewhat over time, but elastic wrists would be an improvement.

the jacket is somewhat comparable to the patagonia retro fleece, but this fleece feels thicker and heavier, the fabric feels stiffer, and it feels different to wear - the collar and wrists on the patagonia jacket felt more comfortable to me, though i have gotten used to this jacket. it is very well-made - hardware and stitching have been bombproof. for the price, about half the patagonia jacket, it is just as warm and an exceptional value.