I wear this jacket year round, its just perfect. I have used it for everything except skiing this year and I hope to try it out soon on a warmer winter day. I have been happy with every item fromCleve LL Bean so far.
I stumbled upon the Pathfinder Soft Shell by accident, because I was looking for a Wind Challenger fleece jacket, but L.L. Bean did not have one in the color I was looking for. The Pathfinder has a similar design in colors I like, so I thought I would give it a try.
I am very pleased with the functional details of this jacket. The zipper mechanisms, for example, are durable metal rather than plastic, and have nice pulls made of nylon rope and rubberized tabs. There are five pockets: two external handwarmer pockets, one external chest pocket, and two internal pockets built in behind the mesh that makes up the handwarmers. This is great for storing mobile phones, wallets, gloves, hats, and pretty much anything one would need. The cuffs have a sort of fleece seal inside that keeps cold air from going up the sleeves.
As far as I can tell, the Pathfinder blocks nearly all wind. I've worn it in situations with severe gusts of wind and nothing seemed to get through the tight weave of the exterior shell. This same tight weave will repel light rain, which beads and rolls off, but heavy rain or long exposure to water will cause the fabric to eventually soak through. Fortunately, the exterior shell dries very quickly. I'd recommend pairing this jacket with a light uninsulated waterproof shell for hiking when there is a chance of rain.
In terms of warmth, I would rate this jacket about as warm as a mid-weight fleece like the Wind Challenger. The interior fleece layer feels about the same as that jacket. It works well on its own for cool to modestly cold climates, but should be paired with more layers under and over for use in freezing and below temperatures.
Overall, the Pathfinder works pretty well as a mid-weight layer. It costs slightly more than its fleece relatives, but the extra details like the metal zippers and sealing cuffs are worth the price.
