Robust, comfortable cold-weather shell - Fjallraven Anorak No. 8 Jacket - Men's

First a word about sizing: I’m 6 ft 185 lbs with an average build and got a size Medium. It fits well with appropriate room for layers underneath without looking like a tent. A bit long in the arms when standing normally, but that’s on purpose; it doesn’t ride up over the wrists when stretching/extending. In the torso it covers half my butt in the back, almost but not quite enough to sit on. The color: I got the asphalt version and it looks a lot more greenish/olive than in pictures on the web. The hood has lots of adjustment options and is huge, as others have noticed. I haven’t played around with it after initial adjustments. The funny strap that goes between the legs may come in handy for snowboarding, but I don’t think I’ll use it for hiking. The side zips are generous but not very heavy-duty and should be used gently - avoid hard, single-handed tugging. Long leather pulls on all zippers are good with gloves. Generally, there are lots of options for ventilation with the side and collar zips that make this piece good for active wearing up to about 55 deg. I like the buttoned collar panel for the looks, but to be honest I mainly wear it in the buttoned-back position and just zip up for warmth. I have no idea why the collar-zip is bidirectional, but it’s a good strong zipper otherwise. Note that a backpack hip belt will interfere with use of the side pockets, but that happens with other jackets too and can be solved by leaving the side zips partly open and routing the hip belt under the anorak. I was impressed by how windproof this anorak is; it’s an excellent outer shell for cold and cool weather and surprisingly warm despite lacking any insulation. Mine was well-finished, high-quality stitching and materials and such. However, I don’t think it has enough added features to justify its higher price over Fjällräven’s Singi anorak which I also have. I would wait until it goes on sale (Campsaver periodically has great deals), or check out the Singi which doesn’t seem to be available from US retailers but can be ordered from the UK.