Great review, I’m considering the mentor jacket for purchase and wanted to know what your impression of the new 2012-13 model was with regards to durability. It appears that the 70D fabric now only covers the shoulders and hips as compared to the arms/elbows/chest in the older model. Do you think this could lead to durability issues down the road particularly in the elbow area?

Regards
-Andrew

I am headed to the Houte Route in the spring (April 1st). I am looking for a go to hard shell for that trip and others I plan this winter. Mentor looks great. How does it compare to something like the Arcteryx Alpha LT? Both are pro shell but the Alpha is several ounces lighter and only $25 more or so. If not those two jackets, any other recommendations? I am admittedly a Patagonia junkie but I don’t see anything that really fits the bill for ski touring. Thanks

The newer models have reinforced wear areas on the shoulders and hip belt area, but there’s two changes that you might want to know before purchasing.

1. The wrist adjustment tabs have a much shorter length of velcro than the older models, so if you have tiny hands/wrists, try before you buy.
2. If you’re a short Men’s S (say, 5’5″ like me), the designated hip belt location is below where actual harness/pack hip belts should ride. Unfortunately, they moved all the pockets down by about an inch and a half, meaning that my natural harness line cuts directly across the two bottom pockets of the jacket. The old jacket pockets were high enough to still be mostly usable.

If you’re on the bigger end of your jacket size spectrum, these shouldn’t be a problem for you, but they’re something to think about for smaller guys. That said – I’m looking forward to rocking this electric blue jacket this ski season

It’s reasonably light weight, the color shows up well on the snow without looking like an emergency beacon, and it keeps my completely dry in all conditions.

It does take up a bit more room in the pack than some lighter materials, but it’s completely bomber when it’s raining or snowing, and I’m hoping it’s durable enough for 3-5 seasons of wear.

Also, some of my older lightweight shells (e.g., Marmot Precip) are very “slippery” feeling, and I worry that they could make arresting a fall more difficult. The Gore-Tex Proshell in the Mentor jacket feels like it has a higher coefficient of friction.