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Re: [at-l] LL Bean jackets.

At 08:34 PM 10/6/97 PDT, Kristin Pilotte wrote:
>Anybody out there have experience with either the "Gore-Tex Mountain Guide
>Shell Parka" or "Intercept Parka"?  Both are by LL Bean.  I'm needing a
>new jacket (my old one was my high school soccer jacket, worked wonders
>and was light!), and am doing some trail leading here in school, so I want
>something nice.  Thanks for the help!  =)

Kristin,

I have the Gore-Tex Mountain Guide shell.  I got it because they make tall
sizes.  I like it very much... the features (pit zips, etc.) all work just
fine and the shell seems well made.  It is reasonably light, as Gore-Tex
parkas go, and is made of three ply material (as opposed to two ply + liner).

On the other hand, I have been questioning the need/usefulness of Gore-Tex
parkas recently.  This summer, all I used was a coated nylon rain jacket
(LLBean again, for the usual "tall" reason).  The argument against GoreTex
runs something like this:

(1) You sweat so much in warm weather that the breathability of GoreTex
isn't going to do you much good.  You'll get wet from sweat no matter what
you are wearing.

(2) If you are warm, who cares if you are wet!

(3) If you are cold, you aren't sweating, so you don't need GoreTex.

(4) In camp, you aren't sweating, so you don't need GoreTex.

For cold weather hiking, I think the case for GoreTex is a little stronger.
 First, it apparently works better when it is dryer out and when there is a
bigger temperature differential between inside the coat and outside... both
of which you get in colder weather.  Also, you are more likely to need a
wind shell in cold weather, and the pit zips and funky vents that are
usually only found on high end jackets are more useful.  Finally, the three
ply material is really tough, and makes me feel a little more secure
(perhaps for no reason) in really cold weather.  On the other hand, the
person I know who does the most winter camping is perfectly happy with his
Campmor "Backpacker II" coated nylon parka which, at about $40, is five to
ten times cheaper than most GoreTex parkas.  I bought two of the kids
version of the Campmor parka for my daughters, and the appear to work well
and be well made.

Anyway, if I were you, I'd post what you want to use the jacket for, and
see what kinds of responses you get.  If you do decide on a GoreTex jacket,
I think the LLBean Mountain Guide series is a good, and reasonably priced
(by high end, GoreTex standards), choice.

-- Jim Mayer

P.S. If I had to choose between a GoreTex jacket, and a coated nylon jacket
and a pair of trekking poles, I go with the trekking poles.
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