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Brought this jacket despite seeing a a lot of bad reviews of former FDWear from a few seasons prior. I knew I was taking a bit of a gamble, which paid off!
Used it for a full season out in Whistler(150 days on the hill). At first I was again worried as it is heavily insulated, and I was concerned that it wouldn't be breathable enough in the warm wet weather here. I was completely wrong- The heavy insulation meant that I was never EVER cold, even when we were reaching -25c last Jan. The material, despite not being the most porous on the market, never got me too stuffy on warmer days, and when twinned with the crazy zip features (including detachable arms) that also add an aesthetic element I like, meant for a good all round jacket. The only time I ever struggled was touring whilst wearing the jacket, but that was my fault for poor clothing choices.
Waterproofing seemed pretty good.Most importantly I never got wet underneath, but the jacket sometimes on wetter pow days would become SLIGHTLY saturated. Skiing one rail jam on a warm night in town when it was raining it did get quite heavy, but only after about 2 hours of exposure.
Durability was great. Jacket is practically in the same condition as when I brought it even after 150 days on the mountain. The only reason I am replacing it is for the newer 3L jacket. The durability comes add the cost off a little extra weight, but I can't really see how anyone would consider that a decisive factor in jacket choice. Personally I enjoy the feeling of being comfortably hugged when I put it on.
Aesthetics is highly subjective but I loved it. Got it in Blue-Purple and only ever got compliments from my buddies. The style and fit I liked- baggy and tall but nothing too much!
Features included several ventilation zips that were greatly appreciated on warmer days. A billion extra pockets which I loved as my pockets are always stuffed with various skiing paraphernalia. Finally the removable arms were nice on park sesh day. Chuck a light crew on underneath, looks sick and gives you a lot of freedom.
If in doubt, buy. Virtika are going up in the world and their newer stuff will be strong competitors in the market.
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