Reviews & Ratings for Western Mountaineering Hooded Flash XR Jacket - Men's — 2 reviews — Page 1

Like killing a hummingbird or intentionally telling your grandma the wrong directions, rating this jacket a 1 star is a sure way to H E double hockey sticks. Unreal jacket!!! A MUST for those 11,000 foot mornings or any winter weather outside of Minnesota and North Dakota (which should both be avoided during the winter anyway). This jacket will go wherever I go, and I won’t even notice it’s with me until I need it...or my wife needs it more. Thank you WM for sticking to practical functionality and not trying to get all cutesy when it comes to lightweight warmth (like seemingly every other brand). I’m 5’9” now that I’ve lost most my hair and 185 pounds of strength; medium fits like the gloves I no longer need when dawning my Hooded Flash XR.

I've had a WM Ultralite bag for 10-years this year (I got it along with a clone Mt. Washington pad). I absolutely love the bag, and I've taken it from Finland to Africa without fail. The Flash XR jacket however, leaves a lot to be desired.

First, the fit is terrible. I'm 5'9" and about 135 pounds. The jacket fits like a marshmallow (a square). It's far too wide and too short, barely covering my waist, and yielding a much cooler than normal experience. There's also no drawstring to cinch the waist. Take each side in by ~1.5" and add that to the length.

Second, there's no stuff sack. Neither an internal one (via a pocket), nor an external one is provided. I've rolled mine up in the hood and stuffed it in a gallon Ziploc bag. The answer from WM support is they don't sell one, but any 5" x 7" stuff sack should do. Maybe I'm being a diva, but at this price point, a stuff sack would be nice.

Third, the WM warranty. The reason I'm even motivated to write this review is how horrible the WM warranty and warranty process are. On my second time out with the jacket, the fabric tore at a perfect 90-degree angle, about 1" long by 0.75" wide. My best guess is this was a result of a branch, or some other active use of the gear. Contacting support I learn this is *NOT* covered under warranty, but a repair can be made at a cost to me of up to $45 to patch it. Also, they contract customer support (Active16), so you're not even speaking with someone at WM.

As a result of all of the above, ...
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