Mountain Hardwear Nemesis Softshell Jacket

The Nemesis jacket is well made product by MHW. The jacket fits to the form of your body but also stretches to give plenty of room for layering (A heavy sweater and t-shirt was easily managed. I am convinced another layer could work but the arms would be tight). The jacket kept me more then warm in 40 to 50 degree weather while strong Alaska winds and misty rain assaulted most everyone but me. I have confidence it could manage the low teens with proper layering. The shoulders and arms have the NanoSphere to protect you against the rain (the Sphere does not cover the entire arm, fleece makes up the under part of the arm). The body of the jacket is fleece. The Nemesis would not protect you in heavy rain. In the sleeves are cuffs for around the wrist (no way to tighten them but this is not needed). I chose the brown color, and the picture on the site did it justice. The Nemesis is very comfortable and the stitch work does nothing to ruin that comfort. 3 pockets on the outside and 2 on the inside. There is a drawstring cord located at the bottom/inside part of the jacket for a snugger fit. Lightweight and very sharp looking.Pricey but an excellent product!

The selling points of this fleece jacket are the Fit and Water resistance. This jacket is NOT windproof nor is it designed for deluges (look for Windstopper Tech by MHW, Patagonia R4, NTF Windwalls or Sentinel jackets if you don't already own a highly technical fleece jacket for windy/blistering cold). You can't have one jacket that does it all, and this Nemesis jacket is designed to give you warmth and water-shedding abilities during those unexpected light showers (NanoSphere shell on shoulders and arms where rain hits with most impact) in the ~50 degree range. It is also a great jacket for around the town, as it looks great, and the fit is perfect. Other technical fleeces I own are windproof/waterproof but they also have long monkey arms, high placed pockets, looser fit for layering (which are all essential in their own rights). I'd highly recommend this Nemesis for the everyday use around town / short hikes, because did I mention that it is the best looking/fitting fleece jacket I own.

First the good. This jacket looks great. One can wear it out on the town and look good. The jacket is very comfortable and fits wonderfully. Since it fits so well, it easily layers under a hard shell. This jacket will shed light rain etc without any problems. The bads are also significant. . . . . I don't feel this jacket is warm enough. It is essentially just a lightweight fleece. The wind cuts through it quite easily even at 10 - 15 mph. The sleeves and shoulders are true softshell material, but the fleece lining doesn't make up for the loss of heat the material leads to. So, if you need warmth while you are doing something aerobic, this jacket will work. But it doesn't work as a day to day jacket for much else without a hardshell near by. I'd give it 3 stars, but the good looks really do give it one extra.

This is a good looking and obviously well-made jacket, but be prepared for a trim fit. I'm 5'8" and 155lbs, and I would be hard pressed to get anything underneath it other than a t-shirt. I ordered a medium, and actually started wondering if I received a mislabeled small. For comparison, I also have a medium MH Windstopper Tech jacket, which is a much looser fit and allows for true layering underneath it. The Nemesis is much more form fitting, so order one size up if you want it for anything other than an inner layer, or outer layer in moderately cool/cold temps (40-50 degrees).

The Nemesis jacket is a great fleece for the fall months when it is just a little too cold for a sweatshirt. Great for early morning treks or trail running. The fleece is breathable, so it doesn't stop the wind as much as I had hoped and most of the actual jacket is fleece and is only the softshell material on the arms and chest pocket. I wear a size medium shirt and I bought a large size in the jacket and it fits well.

Great piece of equipment if you don't mind it being too small even through MHW sizing chart. Fits small, smaller than usual MHW gear, you want to order next size up. Light, sleeves are "normal" length, even a bit too short,comparing to those new nowadays technical shells and climbing jackets that feel like they were built for monkeys. Thick woven front, decent wind resistance. Athletic cut, so if you got pot belly, go with diff brand or jacket.