Gear Review: L.L.Bean Gore-Tex Paclite Stowaway Wading Jacket

*In the first of many L.L.Bean product reviews (YAY!) comes the Gor-Tex Wading Jacket. The format to these reviews will remain fairly constant, starting  with a short product description, technical specs, key features, and then finally my personal review and final thoughts. During this and future reviews I will strive to give accurate observations and opinions, but personal bias will come into play. Just because I like or dislike something does not mean you will, so as with any review please use it simply as a guide to gain more information.

Thanks!

-Ben

L.L. Bean Gore-Tex Paclite Stowaway Wading Jacket

(Technical Specs., Key Features, and other product details taken from www.llbean.com)

*My first thoughts when I put on the Paclite jacket centered around how light it truly was. After zipping it up and adjusting the cuffs around my wrists, I moved around freely and unrestricted like it wasn’t even there. The hood also sat very nicely and did not restrict vision. While the jacket length was short to better accommodate wading, it wasn’t uncomfortable and sat very nicely on my shoulders.

—Casting:

My first casts wearing the Paclite jacket were smooth and unrestricted. The adjustable wrist cuff made it easy to tighten up and keep the jacket from getting in the way of my line, which is always appreciated. I was impressed with how well the jacket continued to sit on my shoulders during casting without twisting and getting in the way. The tucked away hood pulls were also very affective and held fast once tightened. Even with long hauls and multiple false casts I was impressed with how well the jacket held strong and sat nicely.

—Material:

The material that makes the jacket so light is Gore-Tex Paclite Faboric. While weighing less than a pair of forceps, the jacket cut the wind without a care in the world. At one point the wind was howling at my back and caused me to put my hood up. Instant shelter. While cutting through the wind, I was also quite appreciative of how breathable the material was. I have owned previous Gore-Tex products that tend to not breath well, and this certainly isn’t one of them. It was about 70F the first day I wore the jacket and I kept it on for the extent of my trip.

—Features:

The great features included on this jacket are what set it apart from other packable jackets of it’s class. It includes two nicely placed zinger tabs for the attachment of various tools. The tabs allowed me to reach my forceps and nippers when I needed them, but kept them out of the way when I was casting (very important). The D-Ring located on the back of the jacket is also nicely placed and allowed for easy access to my net.

Upon reaching into the water up to my elbow, I was extremely impressed with how effectively the waterproof wrist cuffs held out water. When I pulled my arm out the water simply beaded away, leaving me dry and comfortable. Perhaps the most important and useful feature of the jacket is the nicely placed, oversize fly box pockets located on front. They easily fit my large fly box, while sealing nicely to secure it inside. When I wanted to change my fly, it was simple to get at. The two fleece hand warmer pockets were also a nice touch and double effectively as a place to safely store sun glasses.

Final Decision:

While the Paclite wading jacket doesn’t feel like much, it’s worth much more than it’s weight in gold. It gave me all the features I need and none of the features I didn’t. When combined with a Lanyard, this jacket provides all the essentials with none of the bulk. My only complaint would come with the location of the hand warmer packets. The were a bit high and felt unnatural when I put both hands in them. The absence of pit-zips was also a mild disappointment, but the breathable nature of the jacket almost made them obsolete. Ultimately, a great buy for any fly fisherman who wants a jacket that performs in the field, and stores nicely in the back of a vest when it’s not needed.

For more information on the Paclite Wading jacket, click HERE!