1994 Retro Mountain Light Futurelight Jacket

This brand has gotten worse. From having excellent products, like the 2000 Gore-Tex Mountain Jacket (I bought it earlier that year) with a zip-in, it has gone on to offer poor products. IN my old mountain jacket I have a hole in the sleeve, caused by the wear of the velcro (using Velcro is its only defect), I sent it to the technical service to repair it and they offered me a free exchange for a new one. What did I tell them? That they give me back my old jacket.

I am 6'1" 190 lbs, the XL fits with or without a thermal layer underneath. I am thrilled they revived this design but mostly I wish they had updated the hood cinch and wish that the original smaller breast pocket inside the main zipper fold was included, it is not. The brick color is drab, I like the older bright red for safety in the backcountry. Also, the zippers for a zip-in fleece are not necessary--I never used them over 20 years with my first couple coats--which would cut down on weight. The mesh liner is antiquated and heavy; modern material doesn't need it. Thankfully there is no powder skirt and the waist cinch is something modern coats could use. I'm also glad there is not a fleece chin patch, which is a common "feature" on modern jackets: the chin patch is like velcro for anyone who doesn't shave every day. The main pockets are not Napoleon, which is the main reason I bought this design over the fad that every other manufacturer has followed: the contents of Napoleon pockets slide out when you bend over during BC ski transitions and boot adjustments. Ideally the pockets need zippers through to the inner layers to be perfect--I keep most of my all-day stuff in my mid-layer which is hard to get to from the main middle zipper. Two zippers on the main opening mean that you can open it as a poncho or allow for easier leg movement when climbing or skiing steeper terrain. It is also helpful for pit stops. The snaps are also important--and have been eliminated on modern models--because the coat can vent without using the zipper in wet and/or cold weather. Thanks TNF for bringing it back! If only had a few tweaks it would be perfect.