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Michael's Review of Western Mountaineering Hooded Flash XR Jacket - Men's
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, I'll be returning this jacket and trying the hooded Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer. The fit is superior, the waist has a drawstring, it weighs less, it has an internal stuff sack, and it costs less. Despite this, I swore to WM based on my Ultralite experience, and gave them a few points for 'Made in USA'. In hindsight that was misguided, and I do not think I will be purchasing another WM product again.
Michael
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, I'll be returning this jacket and trying the hooded Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer. The fit is superior, the waist has a drawstring, it weighs less, it has an internal stuff sack, and it costs less. Despite this, I swore to WM based on my Ultralite experience, and gave them a few points for 'Made in USA'. In hindsight that was misguided, and I do not think I will be purchasing another WM product again.
Michael
This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.
Would Recommend:
Yes
6 of 17
found the following review helpful.