Outdoor Research Men's Chaos Insulated Jacket

light and warm sleeper
November 15, 2011

This is the second OR Chaos for me. My first is an older one with the heavier insulation in xl. This new one is a L with the newer design and lighter insulation. I love them both, but as the jacket runs to the "roomy" and as I lost weight, the xl is just way too big. The new one in L weights 718g, lighter than most similar jackets. While I like the heavier insulation of the older model, they both have windstopper membrane which adds warmth and so I think the lighter insulation probably makes sense. I've had it on in 40 degree weather so far and it is plenty warm. Fit, as I said is roomy, and even though I've downsized, so to speak, I can layer heavily under it, so I wouldn't upsize even for really cold weather. Finish, stitching and materials quality are top flight, all adjusters are where they should be and work well; zipper pulls are big enough to grab, and when zipped up, it covers the nose like a belay. Only thing I would change is the chin material: I would rather have slick nylon than the fleece that catches beard stubble. All said, I think this is a sleeper, as it blows away most other brands in every way and comes at a decent price. Seems most people haven't heard of it!