Gore-Tex PacLite Stowaway Wading Jacket

     Upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised by how light and compact as this jacket really is. As promised, L.L. Bean shipped this jacket to us very quickly and the correspondence between myself and their public relations representative, Mr. McKeever, was great. They consistently returned emails in a timely manner, each and every one. Being a long time LL Bean customer, I figured we would not be let down and we certainly weren't.  We were given 90 days to beat up the product and we gave it a thorough review. Please read on.

      Overall, the design of this jacket includes all the required options one needs in a good wading jacket with the added benefit of the pack-ability factor. The front pockets are large enough to carry a day's worth of supplies including multiple fly boxes and all the gear you may need. The fleece lined pockets were an added advantage for use in our cold Cleveland weather. If there is one drawback to this jacket, it would be the lack of a zippered interior pocket for additional dry storage.

     This product performed well under the conditions we field tested it, which was what it was designed for.... cold rainy & snowy days on the river. It kept us dry, warm, and out of the elements.

The Jacket has a heavy duty zipper front and Velcro storm flap and adjustable Velcro at the sleeves to help keep the water out while landing and releasing fish. The large side pockets are lined with lightweight fleece to help warm your hands on a cold day, and easily held my gloves and hat when not being used. There are two large front pockets with Velcro flaps that are large enough to carry all my fishing gear including fly boxes, split shot, floats etc. The hood and waist band have adjustable draw string cords which help keep things snug and comfortable.

    My first impression (prior to wearing) of the jacket was how lightweight the material seemed.  I questioned how it would stand up to walking through the woods to access the river. I found the material to be quite durable and puncture resistant. The material is soft to the touch and does not have the "plastic" feel that many other jackets on the market exhibit.

    Overall, we feel the quality is exactly what we would come to expect from a company such as LL Bean and that is "top notch".

     The conditions I primarily encountered while wearing this jacket included light rain, snow and wind.  I utilized the jacket as a hard-shell in a layering system; I wore the jacket over a fleece jacket and other underlayers and have found that my range of motion is not compromised. However, I would suggest buying one size larger if you’re planning on using a layering system to extend the usefulness of this jacket. The jacket shed water, wind and snow well enough to keep me warm and dry throughout a full day on the river. On warmer days it did not seem to accumulate perspiration and stick to me like less expensive jackets have a tendency to do.

Mike Kolenz - Cleveland, Ohio

Review	Scale	Points	Overall Grade
	scale 0-10
First Impression		8
Design		8	49/60 Great!!
Performance		8
Functionality		8
Durability		8
Quality		9
Max Points	60
Total Points		49

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