I'm not sure where this fits in the quiver of jackets. When I'm cold at the crag belaying I'm gonna want more windproofness and insulation. If it's for underneath as insulation, why the hood? Maybe a mildly cool day at the crags but this isn't gonna see much use from me. Marmot Dryclime windshirt seems more logical.... Wild Things belay Jacket sets the standard, IMHO. Others tried:various Marmot synthetic jackets, a North face one and two generations of Patagonia Das Parka, the older one being better than the thinner newer.

I like this jacket a lot. Exchanged my downlight sweater for this coat. Packed it up Mount Si, to my surprise winds were 80-90 miles per hour at the top. i stayed toasty and warm while I sat and ate some energy bars. My girlfriend hates the teal color, I like it though. My only complaint is that with my Arcteryx shell the igniter hangs out, but it can be shoved up into the coat but makes me look chubby. Also, I wish a light DWR would have been added, the jacket easily gets wet, but it also dries quickly. Not absolutely necessary, but would be nice. Keeps me warm in the cascades.

Great Jacket. Works great as a layering piece between climbs and is a great belay jacket for cold days. It also makes a good pillow when winter camping in 0 degree weather. The compression sack is a great feature and the fleece lined pockets and a hand warmer make a nice combo.

Let me start off by saying that I work at Eddie Bauer, so take that as you will. However, I have been wearing technical outerwear for a long time and have no particular brand loyalties--I wear what works for me. I love this jacket. The fit is perfect--very sleek, very fitted. However, it still accommodates anything that I feel like putting under it, from the Cloud Layer fleece to a bulky woolly pully sweater. The length in the front, rear, and on the sleeves is just right. The hood is wonderful: it has two cinch ties to adjust to your head; the end result is that it doesn't obstruct your field of view, moves with you, and is still excellent shelter. The turtling collar is useful, too. It's not waterproof, but I don't really need it to be. It fits just fine under a waterproof shell if I need it. However, it has worked just fine the times I've worn it in the rain and snow (water beads up). I'm not worried about it getting wet, though; in fact, that's the reason I chose a Primaloft piece over down, because I'm expecting it to get wet. I live in the Mid-Atlantic region, and it doesn't really get too cold or snowy here. If there's any weather, it's usually rain. I haven't had a chance to really test this out hiking or backpacking yet, but I think it will work just fine for my needs. Extremely light, too.