MEC Couloir Gore-Tex Jacket

This is the best jacket I have ever owned! The quality of the jacket is outstanding and the waterproofness is excellent.

Some features include underarm zips with inside covers (very easy to open in the rain or snow), an ajustable hood that can fit an ice climbing helmet under it or a head with no hat, and many other features that are too numerous to name. I have never been wet even after being sprayed with a firehose.

The jacket also fits very well with the MEC Cornice jacket. MEC knew what they were doing with this jacket and I hope the new Super Couloir will be just as good! I know I won't find out how good the new Super Couloir will be for quite a while because I know this jacket will last a long time.

I did a lot of research before buying my jacket and really feel that I got the best possible jacket for the money I had to spend. I tried lots of different kinds and fabrics, but the deciding factor was fit, and the MEC jacket was the best for me.

It's a great, lightweight 3Ply GoreTex shell, with a zip off fully adjustable hood, pit zips, a drawcord at the waist, double taped seams and double velcro flaps over the front zipper. It kept me dry and comfortable last weekend on a canoe trip that saw nothing but rain and cold winds. I love it!

*nothing is perfect however... I have to say the downfall of this jacket is that the pockets are at chest level and not great for hand warming.

Was looking for the best quality/price compromise, then found it. And for the quality itself, didn't find any difference in design/material with $400 to 650 jackets.

There may be additional features I missed, but if there are some, I wouldn't have paid an extra $200 for them. Well designed hood, large pockets located out of your pack straps, etc, etc, etc.

In my opinion, the only reasonable reason to choose a more expensive jacket would be for the colors. On the technical aspect, even if you plan to climb Everest, it is OK.

This coat has it all: the best material available, a perfect design and a price that absolutly cannot be beat with a coat of comparable features. It has an excellent hood and collar design, big mitten pockets, and underarm zips for temperature regulation.

I have used this jacket in both summer and winter for four years and it looks like I bought it yesterday. It is perfect as the outside layer in the coldest temp. or as the only layer in the rain. Compare at $400-$650.

I guess you get what you pay for. If you want something better you should shell out the extra cash. After a while of moderate outdoor use, the stitching under the arms began to break loose and zippers show their signs of use (stick and separate and begin to leak).

Otherwise a good jacket for the price you pay.

High quality jacket (as are all MEC products I own). Durable and extremely reliable in wet/cold conditions. Three-ply Gore-tex is a great material as it doesn't have that pesky loose liner inside!

Overall, you're getting a jacket which should sell for twice the price!

Best materials.

Pit zips to stay cool.

Adjustable hood.

This jacket has it all comparable $400+ for equivilant quality in TNF and Sierra Designs.