Wild Things Snowkite Jacket

These are my initial impressions of this eVent jacket purchased on clearance, well under half price. some preliminary thoughts:

First, it is well-made. Stitches, seams, fabric edges, drawstrings are all flawless, and it looks like it is made for the long haul. Far too early to comment on durability.

Second, this is an odd design in some ways, and the company makes a different jacket that's more traditional. for example, this jacket has an offset zipper - it's located on the left front, not in the middle. Also, this has 'ports' front and rear, essentially small, hooded holes in the jacket to accommodate a harness underneath that could clip into a rope - and to assist with the harness, there is some interior velcro designed to attach the harness to the jacket. It also has armpit zippers for better ventilation. I don't think this company's more traditional jacket has these features. The front and rear ports have a flap that covers the hole, so rain getting in has not been a problem, at least so far.

Third, this is a fairly spartan design. one relatively small chest-high exterior pocket and one interior mesh pocket that could hold a water bottle or smaller items. the jacket has elastic drawstrings at the hem and the waist. the portion of the jacket that's at the neck has a large piece of soft fleece to avoid chin/neck rash. well-sized, adjustable hood. It is a fairly long shell - hip length.

I have used this jacket both as a windshirt and for some walks/hikes in the rain. it does a great job stopping wind, ventilates well when you're walking, and the fabric breathes very well. For example, on a recent walk, I work this jacket paired with a pair of lightweight gore tex pants. both fabrics breathe well; the jacket was marginally less damp inside than the gore tex pants, though it made little difference in terms of overall comfort. When the armpit zippers aren't open, they feel a little stiff under your arms - all the zippers are water-resistant and are a little stiff. The jacket is pretty new, so I expect the zippers to ease up a little. Oh, and it of course does a great job keeping you dry in the rain, and it is very lightweight (though not ultralight) at 20 ounces.

There is no draft flap in front or in back of the main zipper or the armpits - which makes me wonder how it would perform in really high winds.

A well-made jacket that looks like a winner, albeit in a somewhat unconventional design that might annoy some people.