>Rating: 5

Sturdy shell when things go to hell

Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer Fit: True to size Size Bought Large Height 5` 9" Weight 190 lbs

Before buying the OR Interstellar jacket I did my homework. I was planning a summit attempt of Cotopaxi in Ecuador, but I didn't have an Arcteryx budget. Upon first glance, the jacket was medium in its structure, light in weight, had a great hood that fit my helmet with great articulation, and the jacket had a nice trim fit that accommodated layers underneath yet fit nicely under my summit parka. I chose training days of driving rain/sleet and it held solid, I took the jacket up cold ascent to see how it would breathe at high output and it performed great. Though pit zips would be nice, it wasn't a problem. Then came the true judgement day.... The night we left the hut for the summit of Cotopaxi, the weather was horrible! There was a 40mph wind, freezing drizzle/rime ice, and my first line of defense was this jacket. Though any fabric had its limitations, this jacket performed flawless. When the gear of my teammates was failing, I was DRY in my interstellar jacket. We were forced to turn around at 18K ft and I was still DRY when my team arrived back at the hut. In the worst conditions possible, my OR Interstellar Jacket exceeded my expectation. I'd happily recommend this jacket as a rain jacket or light mountaineering hardshell. Super happy with this jacket! Picture: 18,000 ft, covered in ice on Cotopaxi