Westcomb Men's Switch LT Hoody

Neoshell has quickly become my favorite shell fabric for hiking and climbing the Adirondacks in all seasons! It is the closest that hard shells have come to soft shells in breathability without losing weather resistance. The Switch has an athletic cut; I needed to go up a size from my usual. My only complaint is that my arms frequently rub against the closed pit zips when hiking/walking without poles. I haven't noticed excess wear on the fabric due to the rubbing, but it is a small nuisance nonetheless.

I was choosing between this and the Arc'Teryx Alpha LT, and settled on the Westcomb. I had fit problems with the LT (it felt too baggy, much larger than the normal Arc'Teryx cut), and disliked its shell face fabric (it's thick and sounds like a huge black trash bag). The Westcomb fabric feels nice, quite soft for a hardshell. The Switch jacket is every bit as well-made as the LT, and fits way better. In terms of weight, it might be a smidgen heaver than the LT, but I don't think the difference is significant.About the NeoShell fabric and waterproofness: I was out skiing Squaw Valley with this jacket in seriously mixed conditions: heavy rain at the base, heavy snow at the summit. When I took it off at the end of the day, I checked the interior for signs of dampness, and found it perfectly dry. A test which, incidentally, a Gore-Tex PacLite shell I previously had failed on a regular basis.All in all: great jacket.

Best lightweight climbing jacket ever.

One thing that is immediately apparent is Westcomb makes really high quality gear, with superior manufacturing and great attention to details. I don't find it surprising to read these are people that came from Arc'teryx and started their own company. Westcomb construction is solid, with great features, stitching, and overall fit.Regardless of breathability, which might or might not work depending on your output and climate, it is great to have proper pitzips with this fabric. Personally in humid summer weather or cold biting winters where I speed hike in the mountains, I prefer the ventilation over anything else. This is one of the lighter weight if not lightest NeoShells with pitzips out there, my size medium comes in at 430gram (10 less than specified). Napoleon pockets are great and generously sized. The cut is not super trim, between athletic and more relaxed, with a slightly longer back than front.NeoShell fabric gets good reviews, but I will update with my own experience after extended use in the crazy rain showers we get here.