Hello,

 I'm new here and not overly familiar with outdoor gear. Basically I'm looking for a decent outdoor jacket that will be suitable for the summer season. I'm walking the 3 peaks in Yorkshire in a couple of weeks and am hoping to do a lot more hiking and camping over the summer period. My budget is around £150.

 I have been looking at the TNF Circadian Paclite, can anyone recommend this? I'm a little unsure about sizing. Basically the small fits perfectly apart from the fact that it feels a little short. The attendant in the TNF store did say that generally their jackets are a shorter cut. The medium is longer but feels a little baggy. Any advice?

 I've also looked at the Bergaus RG1 which is cheaper but feels a bit bulky for the summer.

 Any advice or suggestions would be greatlely appreciated.

 Cheers!

After reading around on the forum it seems clear that most people (like me) who don't know much about outdoor gear tend to lean towards The North Face products mainly because its the more fashionable name.

I'm definately not dead set on going for a TNF jacket so suggestions for other brands are welcome!

 I must admit that looks are slightly important to me, I would like a jacket that can be worn about town as well. Mainly though I want a good quality jacket that fits well and is suitable for the summer season.  

Sam. I would personally avoid Paclite its not that breathable and you will boil up in it. I have found the Montane Quick Fire to be acceptable in summer, though no waterproof is perfect when its warm. Shop around and you'll find it for £150. It is a little more bulky than Paclite.

Hope that's of some help to you.

Oh and welcome to the site

Thanks for the tip, the Quick Fire does look like a nice jacket.

 I can't find anywhere in Leeds that stocks them but I might just gamble on size and order online. From what I have read Montane gear seems to be quite slimline so me being 5'11" with a 38' chest and a 31' s;eeve size its difficult to know whether to go for small or medium!

I've got a Circadian jacket. (I think so anyway - why can't North Face write the product name on the care or size labels?) I've had it nearly two years now. I bought it after trying on a number of jackets in the same price range as you and found that it was the best for fit and comfort.

The hood packed away nicely and it was one of the few jackets I found where it did so (It isn't one of those fancy ones that sort of turns with your head though, but it works!). Also, the pit zips, when zipped up, weren't so rigid and bulky like on some other jackets that pushed any inner layers I was wearing into my armpits making me sweaty and uncomfortable. And overall, the fit was very good for me too (size M). I don't care for fashion but North Face clothes generally do fit me very nicely.

In use, the jacket has both impressed me and disappointed me. The fit is excellent. For use in warmer weather it's certainly a vast improvement on the bulky multi layer Regatta sponge (circa 1995) I had before but I'll still get too hot in it at times. Water beaded off very nicely from new and it does again now after a re-proofing with nikwax. Rucksack straps quickly remove any applied coating though.

However... paclite seems pretty fragile. Don't brush up against anything while wearing it. Thorns, rough bark, brambles and holly leaves are to be avoided. Not that I abuse the jacket by charging through undergrowth but with every accidental brush against something it seems that at least one thread will be pulled out slightly. The fabric of the jacket has also gone fluffy/pilled under the arms with the inner layer showing through a little in places.

I also wish the top of the collar had a toggle/drawstring to pull it close against the neck. The wind gets down it and I have to mess around with a strip of fleece to draught-proof it in cold windy conditions.

From what I've written you might think that I'm very negative about the jacket. Well, I'm still pleased with it. It's had a lot of use, it's much better than what I owned before and I've certainly got my money's worth from it. Most of my dislikes relate to the paclite material rather than the jacket itself but paclite was the only material in my price-range (couldn't find anything cheap with eVent when I was looking). I'll be looking at Paramo when I come to replace this jacket.

Richard. I am pretty sure you will find Paramo to warm for summer, the rest of the the year it is fab. If its warm and wet then the Paramo wind proof is good as it is more comfortable to be wet from the outside than to be wet and clammy from the inside

Sam. I'm 6' and 40" chest and Montanes medium fits me perfect, if thats any help

Cheers guys, much appreciated,

I'm starting to think that Paclite may not be ideal for what I need it for. Also its not really that much cheaper than some of the Montane eVent jackets.

 I've been doing some more research and I'm starting to lean towards the Montane Superfly, ive read some good things about it and have found it at a very competitive price (Cheaper than a TNF Paclite!). I just wish there was somewhere that stocked them nearby so I could try one on!

Leeds centre is pretty poor for outdoor gear to be honest, Nevisport is the largest shop then all you really have is Millets who stock about 2 decent mens jackets. We have a North Face shop but the prices are top whack. Sorry rant over.

Thanks for the advice anyway guys.

I had an earlier North Face paclite jacket, which was fine for my summer requirements (i.e. stick it in my rucsac and leave it there until it rains heavily - like many here I wear a windshirt or a lightweight soft shell in preference to a hard shell jacket). It was breathable enough not to be a problem for me for general walking purposes. But yes but it went on Ebay to be replaced by a Quickfire, because it was so damn short in the body (and I'm only 5ft 8 but a size L). But neither are particularly durable, suitable for wearing with a heavy sac or for continuous wear - someone here recently posted that Rab said that it was to be expected that their Quickfire equivalent developed faults after I think only 40 days use under a rucsac.

If you want something more durable, a Superfly would be fine, although I would personally find a jacket that fits rather than worry too much about the differences in performance between eVent and Goretex, particularly Goretex Pro Shell.

I believe Sportsshoes in Bradford sell Montane, although not sure that they do the waterproof jackets, so it would be best to ring first.

Edit. Having posted this I've just seen a link Richard Gaers comments on Paclite and Pro Shell in the column on the right. Apart from the fact that I've never "worked hard" enough to overwhelm Paclite, I'd agree totally.