Patagonia Alpine Guide Jacket

Water resistant and wind proof. Soooo it does what it's supposed to.

The fit is off to me. I am 6'0'', 145 and I usually wear a large in soft shell jackets, so I ordered a large when getting this jacket. That is SO off. The jacket goes down to my crotch, the arms slide down to my knuckles, and the wrist velcro is barely long enough for me to get it tight. I guess I would have to give it a 5 for adjustability!

I must be in between sizes because I sent it back for a medium and everything was so tight I could barely move. I eventually went back to the large. I will say the large gives me enough movement even with layers on underneath, so if you're hesitant, go a size up.

Like I said earlier, the adjustability gets a 5/5. The velcro adjusters on the wrists give ample amount of strap to fit a lot of different wrist sizes and still get a nice fit. The cinching cords on the bottom of the jacket create a nice seal to keep out snow, rain, dirt, whatever.

The water-resistant material used is a lifesaver. For example, went fishing last weekend on the Chatahoochee in the pouring rain and I never got a drop on my torso or arms. Everything covered by this jacket stayed nice and dry and wicked the moisture right off the outside. I have noticed that during heavy snow that the jacket becomes a bit icy but I have no idea what that's from. Normal?

I use this jacket mostly while cold-weather backpacking and a little bit of general use around town (because it looks sleek!). When I'm busy hiking, I don't really notice a lot of heat building up inside. From the use I've put it through, it seems to be wicking the moisture right off my skin and evaporating it off the outside. 

I would hesitate to recommend this shell as a go-to shell for all activities because it really only works well when you are being active. It simply isn't made to keep you warm while you're standing still.

Though I said earlier that the jacket is a bit big for my frame, I does work well when coupled with base layers under and another layer on top. By itself, I would say to wear a small fleece or flannel if you plan on standing around a lot.

Whatever material it is made of stands up extremely well to weathering and abrasion, may that be on rocks, branches, dirt, etc. I use mine sometimes as a jacket to wear while climbing in windy weather and I have yet to have a problem with rocks seriously scratching the outside.

Everything works as advertised. I got the jacket at a very nice price so I can't really have too many complaints (regularly $299.99 USD and I got it for $99.99 USD).