The North Face Mountain Light Jacket

Just received mine 12/01/2009 and love it. I searched for a while to find a shell that was tough enough to handle winter mountaineering (White Mountains, NH - keeping in mind I keep a big down parka to throw over the top while sitting or on a long belay) as well as be casually worn in the winter, all while staying within my budget. I had help from BC's online chat on what size to get and the jacket fit great. I'm 6'0" and fluctuate between 195 and 205 lbs., and now considered a Clydesdale. I need to use an XL to get the room for my shoulders. I have a Nuptse and Denali (both XL), which zip in great and fit well zipped in. Surprisingly, I don't feel like I'm swimming inside the jacket wearing the shell only either, so TNF really nailed the fit. The convenience of the zip in is great. I personally sought out this feature, because I like my jacket to move as one piece and not have a lot sliding around inside and getting bound up. If you intend to purchase the Black one like I did, keep in mind it's very black. Zipper, zipper pulls, etc.; everything is black. It will never go out of style that way, but it's also a little boring if you are the type that wants to make a fashion statement while on the summit. The construction is solid and the newer Gore tex is softer, more flexible, and quiter than other gear I have had in the past. My gov't. issue gore tex sounds like I'm wearing a trash bag compared to the Mountain Light. The mobility is good and should be sufficient for casual/limited ice climbing. It already performed well in some sideways rain, dropping temps, and a spin on the dirt bike. In summary, if you want to do some serious outdoor activites but can't shell out $500 for a top shelf shell, this is it. Invest in TNF's compatable jackets that zip-in (Nuptse, Nuptse vest, Denali, Denali vest, Redpoint) and you will have a year round "system" that will pretty much stand up to anything. Hope this helps someone out there.

I bought this jacket in April of this year for skiing and backpacking. I also purchased a Denali to use as a Zip in. I love both jackets and they are perfect if used for what they were designed for. They both have pit zips. I used the Mountain Light Jacket on a five day backpacking trip in the Weminuche Wilderness area of Colorado last July. I only took the Mountain Light jacket (with The North Face rain pants) to use as a coat and for rain protection. It rained every day and the jacket performed perfectly. I never got hot or overheated while hiking in rainstorms as the jacket breathes extremely well. I never got wet either. I did not take my Denali with me due to weight and volume. I only got chilled one night when we got caught on the top of the Continental Divide and had to hunker down due to lightening and lack of a flat place to put our tents. The temperature went into the 40s with a strong wind but it was ok. Buy the jacket if you want a technical, high performance jacket. I am very picky and I am very pleased. If you are going to get into extremely cold weather, put the zip in Denali and it is second to none.

An outer shell is an essential part of a layering system and this is my go to piece. I wanted a piece that accepted zip ins and TNF has designed this piece well. It works well by itself as a rain jacket and wind shell. It works with numerous other pieces as a shell including everything from a 700 weight down (Nuptse) to a lighter fleece from TNF as zip ins. It even accepts my Mountain Hardware Windstopper Technical Jacket (zips are backward but it does zip in). Good zips, pockets, waterproofing, breathability, venting (pit zips) and a lifetime warranty. Don't skimp on your outer shell because you will use it the most and it should last for years. You will appreciate that you spent the extra $15-$20/ year over 5 years every time you use a breathable membrane coat over a cheaper coated or less breathable piece.

this is my best hardshell jacket. the goretex is unbeatable - it's my snowboard, rain, and general cold day jacket. it has some pretty cool features, like a malleable metal wire running along the upper edge of the hood, so that you can shape the hood to keep it out of your eyes no matter what the condition (glasses, goggles, etc.)

i only have one complaint: this jacket is not very form fitting, which is sometimes a problem when i'm racing down hills snowboarding.. (this season, after 10 years of snowboarding, is the first time i have had this problem.. probably because i'm pushing about 60mph on my board these days..)

but i guess if you want form fitting, you lose some layering capacity. so great jacket, anyways.

Just got it in late fall '08. Since then I have used it for skiiing, walking the dog on cold wet days, hiking and even going to work. Forget what the reviews of older Mt. Light jackets say. This new model has pit zips, velcro cuffs, removable hood, great pockets, etc... I am very pleased with the protection it offers, the comfortable fit, and how good it looks.

As for zip in liners, guess what, just about any North Face fleece or other will fit. I have a Mountain Hardware Windstopper that fits inside as well (zipper is closed in a backward fashion though but it works!).

Try it out, you'll like it. NF has listened and made improvements were needed.

I have owned my Mountain Light since 1995, and have used it more than just about any other piece of outdoor clothing. It is my favorite jacket, notwithstanding its age and feature obsolescence these days. It is completely watertight, durable, and time-tested.

That said, and apart from my sentimental attachment, it has its limitations. One big one is that it is a bit heavy in today's world of ultralight shell design, but that is due in part to its extra mesh lining double zipper for zip-in linings, and reinforced wear areas.

Mine has duct tape and seam sealer repairing tears, burn holes, etc., and it still holds up in terrible weather.

I bought my first Mountain Light in 1994. It served me well for many years. Saved my life in a blizzard on Longs Peak in Colorado. Never had any complaints about this jacket. It worked wonderfully for 14 years. The liner became damaged and some of the seams got damaged and leaked water. It was sent back to TNF for repairs.

The jacket was not repairable and TNF sent me a gift card for $300 towards a new jacket. That's awesome service!!!

I plan on buying another Mountain Light to replace my older one. I hope the newer jackets are as well made as the older stuff.

This thing can really get the job done in any conditions. If you have a good fleece zipped into it, it'll keep you warm. If it gets hot, you can take the fleece out and open up the vents to cool off. If the rain starts feeling, you can through on the hood and trust the gore tex to keep you bone dry. Tough material, and packs down to a pretty good size. I found it to fit true to size (I'm 6' and 160 lbs and a small fits me great even with some layering underneath.) Highly recommended!

I love that this jacket can double as my ski coat and rain coat. There is an interior pocket for a water bottle, and I didn't realize how much I would love this feature when skiing. I have not yet found the need to wear an interior jacket, as my layers have kept me plenty warm. At first, I didn't like the bright blue (basin blue), as I was expecting more of a navy, but it has grown on me, and now I really like the color. Overall awesome jacket.

I bought this last year replacing a Mountain Light Jacket that I had bought in 96 along with a Denali that I still wear thanks to some TLC provided free of charge by the North Face warranty department. Its zip in compatible so there was no problem there which was nice.
I must give TNF credit for this one b/c i sent the denaili in with torn cuffs, broken zippers and a few other issues and they fixed it up good as new (almost its still a 12 year old fleece that just looks new) for free. I was pleasantly surprised at this so thumbs up to them for that.

The original Mtn Light I loved dearly, and I thought I was just upgrading to a different color and gore tex pro shell but as many reviewers have said before this jacket does NOT have pit zips which if I had known I would never have purchased and would have bought an Arc'teryx. This is not what i would call a highly technical jacket unless you count walking around the city a good hike. In general Tsaylor45 says everything I would have said except he said it first. Not the best for the but good for the pricepoint.