Columbia Men's Back To Hells Mountain Interchange Jacket

My previous Columbia jacket (Ballistic Parka shell / liner combo) is now over 15 years old and I'm sending it in for warranty repair just because the pull tab on the shell's zipper finally gave out. When temperatures were below zero for severaI weeks, not being able to zip my shell up wasn't very fun! I purchased the Back To Hells Mountain jacket so I would have a jacket while I sent my Ballistic Parka in for repair.The Back To Hells Mountain jacket is very nice. It's not nearly as bulky as my old Ballistic Parka and is also weighs a bit less. I did find that the liner from my old jacket would NOT work with this new shell. One side zipped in fine, but the other side, the teeth do not line up properly. The Omni-Heat definitely works, maybe a little too well sometimes. I've found myself taking the jacket off if I'm going inside somewhere for more than 20-30 minutes or so. The shell does an awesome job at cutting the wind and rain. The liner leaves a bit to be desired though. I'm not a fan of the plaid design, but what really bugs me is that the zippers to zip the liner into the shell don't continue all the way up the collar of the liner. So when the liner is zipped into the shell, the collar sticks up and pokes you in the face. In the photos on the product page, the collar is tucked down. I've tried doing this, and within a few minutes of moving around or walking, they pop right back out. I've read another review where the user changed out the included liner with a Zephyr Ridge liner, which looks like the zippers go all the way up the collar on. I may look into doing this down the road, but it will make the overall price of the jacket quite a bit more.Overall, this is a great jacket for the price with only a few minor annoyances (to me anyway). I remember paying nearly $300 for my Ballistic Parka over 15 years ago, but considering how long it lasted I think it was a pretty good deal. Hoping this one will last another 15 years!

I normally don't write reviews. However, there is a lot of misleading info in the comments that might make deciding on a purchase difficult.1) This jacket DOES have two zippers. The inner set of zippers is used to "zip in" the liner. If the liner is taken out the second zipper set is usable. You can also un-zip the liner but keep it in the jacket. This will give you the liner zipper, and the double jacket zipper (3 in all). It's pretty obvious that the reason it is designed like this is to avoid putting a total of three zippers into the outer shell. Navy issue NWU parkas have this exact same design, I'm pretty sure it;s not a flaw.2) The inner liner collar does "pop out." However, this can easily be fixed by removing the collar, washing it as instructed, pressing the collar down, and tucking it into the shell after reinstalling it. After doing this the liner should not prevent the jacket from being zipped all the way up.3) Sizing is difficult, but you can always return. I suggest getting the two sizes closest to you and returning the one you don't like.4) The liner does make the jacket a bit bulky, but it is extremely warm.5) The liner is not a shirt. It is an actual zip up liner that looks like a shirt. Whether or not you like this is up to preference.The reason this doesn't get five stars is because:a) I just bought it,b) While the liner zipper is reversible, the inner shell zipper is not. This makes it harder to hid the left inner zipper after zipping in the liner (this would make more sense if you actually had the jacket in front of you)c) The hood can't be tucked into the collar of the shell.Overall, it's a good jacket and it looks a bit more fashionable than other cold weather jackets (in my opinion). However, mileage may vary.

I have been in need of a new jacket and liked the looks features and price. The shell is perfect and on its own deserves five stars. The material has a nice feel, the pit vents have mesh panels in them, so they only open about three inches, but i like them. The hood is adjustable and works great in the rain. The Five external pockets, three with zippers and two with just velcro flaps, and the three internal pockets, one zipper chest pocket, one media player pocket, and a large google pouch that i stash my hat in.From other reviews I new the liner might be an issue. This jacket would get five stars if it had the classic Columbia fleece liner. The liner is lumberjack on the outside and disco on the inside. Yes it looks like a flannel shirt, put has more of a wool feel to the material. The heat reflective interior is shiney and makes it very warm, and i would probably substitute a plain fleece jacket underneath until Minnesota hits 0 degrees ferenheit. The liner fits a bit tight in the in the shoulders and arms, i would not be able to wear a sweeter with it.

This is my second winter jacket from Columbia and it's far superior to whatever model I had before (donated it already, so I'm not sure which one it was).Pros:-Proper fit.-A good assortment of pockets located in the places I like them. I use the front pocket with the vertical zipper all the time for my cell phone. Jacket also has a large pouch-type pocket on the inside for glove storage, which was a requirement for me.-Quality zippers that are fairly easy to use even with gloves on.-Armpit ventilation for the outer shell.-Comfortable outer shell and comfortable liner.-The plaid liner is very comfortable. The reflective "disco" inside lining is very effective at retaining your body heat; I can usually only wear the liner for brief periods.-Hood is comfortable and useful.Cons:-Plaid liner jacket doesn't have standard side pockets. Wasn't a deal breaker for me.-This jacket model appears to be discontinued and therefore has limited availability and correspondingly high prices now.I highly recommend this jacket if you can still find it at a reasonable price (less than $150), but if not, try to find the updated version from Columbia that is the most similar.