Mountain Hardwear Men's Epic Jacket

Emigrant Backpack
Just got back from a 7 day trip in the Basin. Rained 4 of 7 days. This jacket was everything I hoped for. Light weight, easy to unzip arm vents and durable. I stayed dry at camp and hiking, unlike my friends who were unprepared for the weather (see photo).

Best rain jacket that I have ever had! The material wicks away the water with ease and keeps you dry even during hard rains. The armpit slits are perfect in hot rainy days and keeps you cool.

Exceptional Jacket!!!!
just got it 3 days ago in time for the major Cali storm... lots and lots of rain... Can't wait when i go back to poor english weather to put it through its paces. unlike goretex which requires a special "washing" (when you need to wash your smell out) with a special detergent and "follow up spray", the Epic is a WATERPROOF shell...no if's and's or but's. None of this "breathable" stuff where you have to tend to the jacket to keep its waterproofness while maintaining a comfortable breathable nature. the Epic shell is extremely lightweight, due to it being a single layer of material *backed* by a waterproof plastic/rubber/nylon coating. This coating on the inside ensures that there isn't a chance of water getting in... maybe if you ripped the jacket. The seams are taped fyi. The burnt orange colourway is awesome on the Epic... with a "ripstop" style crosshatches and a dark satin orange finish, the Epic was perfect for me.! In my opinion, there is no *waterproof breathable* with the chance of water getting in & pit zips do so much more in terms of vapor transport ... unless you want to pay 2-4 times the price of a VERY good, simple shell. Durability Seems like a thin material, but i'm sure MH wouldnt produce something that wasn't up to their standards. I can't comment on the longevity though. Waiting to see what happened with the back area, shoulderstrap areas, and the elbows for wear. Comfort Wear a Base Layer! It will eliminate the change of condensation forming btw the material and your skin... making you feel cold. Without a base layer, the jacket will keep you DRY, NOT WARM. It is a great windbreaker (as no wind can get through a waterproof material in the first place), but if there is no separation btw the skin and jacket material, it is basically ineffective, at least for the parts of your skin that contact the material. I rated comfort 4/5 because you NEED to have a base layer to stay warm/comfortable & because the neck area gets a little cold unless I'm wearing a turtleneck... this is expected with a minimalist shell though... so no surprise. Although i have seen a few shells with a couple of layers of nylon that act as pseudo insulation layer, which does help a lot haha. Stay away from cotton if you're gonna sweat. Cotton will just absorb moisture and become wet so go with synthetics for the base layer. the thicker the better. If it's really cold, a MH down jacket (if your brand conscious) will get you down to subzero temps if you're active. Subzero, a MH Monkey Jacket and a baselayer were good enough for me... but i'm in shorts in rainy 45deg weather in the first place.... Fit I'm 66kilos 5'9" athletic build and there is room for the MH Monkey Jacket, and a baselayer. Pit Zips are splendid for cooling and much more efficient than goretex. I DO like more tightly fitting activewear but that would defeat the purpose of the pit zips to some degree "Compact"ability Can be stuffed into a sandwich ziplock or a bit smaller if you're goretex loyal, go spend 70 more quid on a MH Typhoon Jacket. Same Build, but with goretex and a little bit more features. Nothing to call home about through if you've already got the MH Epic Jacket though!