"Monique Y. Herman" wrote in message
...
On 2004-01-13, MattB penned:
Monique Y. Herman wrote:
snip
I have two shells I ski in, niether of which have any kind of insulating
liner. One is an older Patagonia Nitro shell. It's bomb-proof and has a
detatchable hood that I keep detatched for the same reason you mentioned
(helmet). I love it and wear it most of the season until it starts
warming
up.
Then I switch to my Moonstone shell, which is a lighter weight Gore-Tex
hooded affair. I think it's like this one
http://www.moonstone.com/d_mshells.asp?id=083612 but a few years old (I
forget the model). The hood is not detachable (would be nice if it was,
but
it's not a big deal) but it is stowable. It's nice and light and I take
it
hiking and backpacking in the summer too.
Neither of these have insulation and niether are cheap. I hate cheap
stuff,
especially when it comes to something I use a lot to keep me alive. I
don't
like insulated jackets for active stuff because they make me too hot and
I
could always layer up if I need the insulation. I've had the Nitro shell
for
something like 9 or 10 years (maybe 600 days of skiing or so) and it's
still
in good shape although it has faded quite a bit. The Moonstone shell
I've
only had for about six years and it was a replacement for an older shell
that Moonstone gave me at a discount after I wore the older one out and
sent
it in. Quality outerwear is a great investment, and choosing a company
who
stands behind their products is also important. Bottom line: you get
what
you pay for, and I think the $350 and $250 prices of these jackets was a
good investment.
Matt
Thanks for the insight! Naturally, the model of Moonstone that you link
isn't available in women's styles =P Then again, their women's styles
seem to cut in far too much at the waist, which I think might be a
problem for layers.
I think your latter point is key -- I know that I'm going to be skiing a
lot, so paying for quality gear (rather than paying for a brand name) is
worth it. I guess I'll have to get over the sticker shock.
I'll keep the tags on this REI shell and try to visit EMS, Gart's, and
Boulder Ski Deals in the next few weeks to see what they have available.
The jacket I got may end up being the best that I can find, but it can't
hurt to shop around.
Anyone have any other outdoor gear shop suggestions in the
Boulder/Longmont area?
--
monique
Keep an eye out on
www.campmor.com . I got a Northface Goretex Mountain
Guide Light Buzzword Jargon (or something like that...) for almost half off
list. Granted, list was close to 400. I've used it skiing, sitting in a
boat for crew, as my normal rainjacket, hiking part of the AT, and while
biking. So versatile. Two BIG vents, and in the front where they get wind
when you're moving, so they can do a HUGE amount in terms of temperature
control. Waist drawcord, bottom drawcord (although they don't have an inner
powder skirt, but thats never really been a problem for me... yay New
England!), full parka fit so it keeps that wind out nicely. Two big pockets
in front, one small one on the sleeve, one hidden one inside, one hidden one
on the breast right next to the main zipper. Zip in compatible, although
95% of the time I won't bother because it makes it easier to change layers
around without it. The hood is oversized to fit over helmets, and designed
so it turns with your head, instead of cutting off all your peripheral
vision. Not removeable, but it is stowable, and I usually just leave it out
anyway. SO nice for those rainy new england ski days. Also has more
abrasion resistant materials where pack straps go, which is nice if you
might hike in it, or ski with a bag. I think there's a women's model too;
or at least a one of the equivalent current jacket.
Problems: SUPER expensive. But hey, you get what you pay for, and I got a
decent deal.
No hand pockets. When I'm skiing, thats not a big deal, but using it as a
rain jacket its a bit annoying sometimes. I think most of the newer jackets
have hand pockets now.
Its red and black, and a number of ski patrols have really similar jackets.
When I'm using my talkabout with the remote mic/speaker, I'm occasionally
(at least 5 or 6 times in two years use) mistaken for ski patrol. Granted,
one time I was wearing my name tag from the ski area on it....
Don't be afraid to drop a little more than you want to on the shell jacket.
I use that jacket almost as much as I wear my fleece... which is a lot.
But find a good deal, they pop up a lot, especially near the end of the
season. And I know if you find a smokin' deal elsewhere you'll find
something to put that gift cert towards at REI!
Jon Bond