Greg Park
Well-designed and rugged shell for bushwhacking in cool & dry conditions.
I grabbed this to use for bushwhacking & trail maintenance in dense, thorny underbrush, and for that it's perfect (for cool, relatively dry conditions) The material does an excellent job as "thorn armor", and the baggier fit & mesh lining allows for plenty of freedom of movement, airflow, and helps keep any thorns that do penetrate the material away from your skin. This is an exceptionally well-designed garment. Plenty of ventilation, a wonderful pocket system (the little hanger loops sewn into some of the pockets and the lining are a godsend), and adjustment points at the sleeves, waist, and hem that make it easy to roll things up & down for different applications. Pockets are positioned conveniently to interface with pack straps, and all the zippers/closures are easy to operate one-handed, while wearing work gloves. I tend to run hot, but in my experience this is a bit too hot (over just a baselayer) for temps above about 60F during moderate-heavy activity (hiking, sawing, chopping, etc). A few quibbles: 1. Size down. I wear a US large in tops/jackets from Patagonia, Arcteryx, Columbia, Montbell, Outdoor Research, North Face, etc. etc. etc. and took an M here. Even sizing down the jacket has a very loose, boxy fit. As mentioned above this is helpful for my applications, but if you're looking for something to wear as a fashion statement you might want to go down 2 sizes, unless you're going for that "boyfriend hoody" look. 2. Hood design. Under pack straps, the shoulders pull the hood down tight onto your head, which is annoying from a comfort perspective and interferes with turning your head. 3. Water resistance. Under any extended or heavy precip, this gets soaked. I treated it with Nikwax Cotton-Proof and that greatly improved the water resistance, but if you're expecting anything more than a light shower you'll want to bring a poncho or other shell. 4. Weight. It's a big, heavy garment. Not something you can stow in a pack as a "just in case" item. If you expec