Craghoppers Venta Lite II Jacket

A very lightweight warm jacket with hybrid insulation. A good all-around jacket for any activity.

Craghoppers Venta Lite II jacket looks like your basic down puffy jacket, but is quite a bit more. The Venta Lite shell is comprised of 100% Polyamide (nylon) and is windproof and water resistant.

By using their Thermo Elite Hybrid insulation (60% down, 40% ThermoElite synthetic fiber clusters) Craghoppers has taken the best properties of the two types of insulation while minimizing the shortfalls. The down keeps the weight of the jacket down (12 oz) while the synthetic allows the insulation to provide warmth when wet.

Two zippered handwarmer pockets are supplemented with two stuff pockets on the inside of the jacket. An RFID shield pocket is provided inside a zippered security chest pocket. As with most puff jackets, the Venta Lite II can be rolled up and stored inside the righthand zippered pocket.

Having received the jacket in early December I have been wearing it a ton. I've used it over a yak wool base layer for skiing, a flannel shirt for winter hiking, and over a variety of undergarments for around town use. I appreciate the long cut of the jacket as it helps to keep the butt warm in addition to not allowing my bare skin to show when bending over.

A size medium fit my 5'9" frame quite well and when fully zipped protects me all the way to under my chin. I haven't had it out in a downpour since we are having a drought, but I have been caught in a few showers and the coat held up well. While it's not waterproof it did a good job of fending off most of the water and it stayed warm regardless.

The coat with one layer underneath keeps me warm to about 30 degrees and there is plenty of room to add another layer to protect me down into the 20's. A nice feature of the dark grey jacket I have is the inside is bright orange which could be used as a beacon if lost in the backcountry. The jacket is holding up well to wear and tear, and all the zippers work smoothly.

Craghoppers products are guaranteed for life against manufacturing defects and they also have a price match guarantee.

I feel the Craghoppers Venta Lite II is a good value for the money.

Jacket facts:

• Price: $100
• Size: Small- 2XLarge
• Colors: Dark Grey, Dark Wine, Dark Moss, Blue Navy

Not sized for athletic build.

This jacket is sized longer than usual, much larger than usual in the stomach, and MUCH smaller than usual in the shoulders/arms. I ordered a medium, and the stomach is probably big enough to fit someone with a 40+" waist, and it's long enough to fit someone 6'6". However, the shoulders and arms are EXTREMELY tight.

I assumed that a brand named "Craghoppers" would have a fairly athletic fit, but it's the exact opposite. This is sized for someone tall, wide in the stomach, and scrawny in the arms/shoulders.

Background

I bought the jacket, tried it on, it doesn't fit, and I'm returning it.