This jacket is very light and packs well. It does not form fit as some other quality jackets, but at the current price, no other jacket performs as well overall. Try finding another Gore jacket of any brand at the current price- even less than LLBeans. The base material is a bit soft for crawling around in the bush- so look elsewhere. All the people that hate it are of the same type that hate Nike for being Nike. Hey, it works and works well- the fact that kids buy it for brand logo coolness doesn't bother the fact that it works for me. I use it for almost everything- it's very mobile. (*hint:some other brands can zip into the shell)

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Older Ultrex, and other proprietary coating- which work well to some degree, but wear/flake like nuts or the shell is thick, sheetlike.

the mountain lite is not worthy of The North Face logo. It is over priced, and does not function as is intended to (it is not built for walking around a college campus). I am not bias against North Face, however i feel that for the same amount of money you can buy a much better product from Mtn Hardwear. I only wish I could give it a negative rating.

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Mountain Patrol Parka, Ethereal FTX Ultra

I have had the Mountain Light for a little under a year. I have done every thing from working in driving rain or snow to hiking in a downpour or blizzard and it holds up every time! This is the best jacket that I have ever owned and when I zip in my Denali fleece it is the best combo! I love that the pockets were moved up - the are relatively easy to get to, even while on the trail, and don't get in your way as pockets that ride on your hips do. I have always had faith in the North Face and they stand up to all expectations every time!

Customer Service

The North Face will usually either repair or replace the products no questions asked but it usually takes some time.

A great rain jacket. keeps out any kind of rain or snow you can find with a few downsides. The price is atrocious! I got mine for a much more reasonable $110 than the hefty $365 price tag but if your not a good shopper that is quite a sum. The features on the jacket are great, the hood is wonderful(moves with your motion), the pit zips are extra long. The durablility in the none reinforced spots however leaves something to be desired. I have ripped this jacket when climbing and it is not pleasent to see all that money down the tubes. Otherwise great purchase if you've got the cash.

I used to truely love this jacket and have two- a medium that I use when I need a lot of layering underneath and a small, good with less layers. Even though I think this is a great basic jacket, I find it at times too heavy (weight wise) and at other times not warm enough. It has done a good job of keeping me dry in driving rain and on ice. It is a great back packing jacket and also is great just for running around the city. There is a bit too much material however to make it super comfortable under a harness.

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Mountain Hardware Exposure (heavy but durable and great for colder weather) and Direct X (just got it- too soon to tell.)

I use this jacket for everything, from hiking to a cover for boating out to favorite dive locations. light weight, excellent ventalation, great fit, (sizes run a bit large though) I've even grown to like the high pockets..

The Mountain Light is RELATIVELY light and versatile but I do question the fabric strength; whenever I brush up against a branch, tree, rocks, etc., I always shimmer at looking at the fabric to see if it is wripped. The zipper also sometimes will be stubborn to get started. The Large did not fit correctly over my arms, extended, for my 6'2", 175 lb frame, though North Face insists that it should, so I opted for the XLARGE, which is a bit too large; if you want to layer though better to be large than too snug, especially when you extend your arms. Overall, however, I have enjoyed the Mountain LIght - it fits nicely into any pack, rolls up small, and does the job, though only on sale would the price mak any sense (as I had bought it 8 years ago!!!!)

Customer Service

Excellent customer service. Replaced my jacket twice. DWR wore off twice and I only use it on rainy days and two-three backpcking of 5-6 days each a year.

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Have tried on Marmut Alpinist Lightweight III and Lightning Jacket - excellent!!!! EMS Expedition (too heavy), TNF Paclite seems interesting but a perhaps papery and fragile?.

Best money I ever spent. I ride motorcycle too, and when the weather turns bad, I just put the shell over my leather jacket. It cuts the wind and the rain, the velcro cuffs keep the wind out and the elastic cord around the bottom seals it up nice. Not to mention the yellow color makes sure I'm seen by other drivers. My jacket's been everywhere from the Black Hills, to the Rockies, to the Cascades and it hasn't failed me in the three years I've owned it. This is a great jacket and well worth the sale price of $275 I paid for it.

Great Jacket, no doubt about it. Comfortable fit and very versatile. The picture with description above all the reviews states it cost $210. WRONG! Much more expensive at $345.00+. This jacket can take a beating and won't fail you. I've worn it in the Tetons, Rocky Mt. Park, Yellowstone, Smokies, and it hasen't failed me yet.

great jacket for the money! i have been from the colorado rockies to the french alps and it's been wonderful. you need to purchase the north face nuptse down jacket for a complete all weather jacket. i've been with guy's & gal's that have purchased parka's that have cost upward's of $750 and they are no better than my tnf. remember, i paid $250 for both the parka and nuptse from cabela's.

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