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I'm going to start with the cons on this jacket. The first and most glaring issue that I encountered with the Ledge was its zipper. It's a waterproofed YKK which is nice, and probably represents the best quality you could ask for. However from day one I found myself infuriated by how difficult it was to fit the two halves of the zipper together. I found myself fiddling with the mechanism each time I zipped or unzipped the jacket. I thought maybe it would work in with time, but it remains finicky. In a backcountry situation, for example, I don't want to worry about freezing my hands while I mess with my zipper.
Similarly, I don't really like the velcro snaps that cover the zipper. They're nice and quick to do up but I think it's a cheaper option than buttons, and it makes for a loud unzipping. For me, who used this jacket primarily in a social setting, at school and with friends, velcro was an annoyance because of how clunky it is.
The final aspect that irked me a little was the chest pocket. The Ledge includes a hole that you can thread your headphones through, which is nice, and a necessary accessory these days. However the hole connects only to the external chest pocket which means that the battery on your connected device drains quickly as it has no insulation. The chest pocket offers quick access without having to unzip, but I would have preferred for the headphones to access the inner chest pocket.
Ok, that's out of the way. Here's what I liked about the jacket.
For starters, I liked the mesh fabric in the collar. It prevents your chin from a) getting covered in drool and b) from freezing on account of your own condensation.
I also liked the colour combination and the wide sleeves on the cuff. I was using this jacket with a pair of Dakine mitts, and never once had to mess around trying to tuck my gloves into my sleeves. On the hill this is key for when you need to reset yourself after checking your phone or shedding a layer or what have you.
The jacket was warm enough to get me through -20 Celsius weather in Montreal, but I definitely needed layers underneath. At 6'1" a size Large fit me just right, although I would have preferred a slimmer fit. There isn't any added shape to the torso of this jacket.
In all, I was very satisfied with the Ledge, with a few noticeable grievances. I had trouble with the zipper, and I didn't like the chest pocket. I really liked how it looked on the hill, and with an MSRP around $200 I think that you get real bang for your buck with the Ledge.
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