Roofmann

I am wearing the 31's in black and RAF green. They are great. I think I will buy a pair of Alpha Green to complete the spectrum.

I agree. DS is much better in cold weather (I am in Canada.) Wearing Stotz is like wearing metal pants. They are icy cold and stiff!

That's a useful tip! You clearly have better hand-to eye co-ordination than me! :-)

1. Make sure both upper and lower zips are moved completely to the bottom. 2. Make sure the upper and lower zips are moved completely to the bottom and aligned vertically. 3. Carefully insert right side of zipper thingy into jaws of death. 4. Pray and make burnt offering. 5. Slowly and carefully drag the zip straight up until it jams: and then start over! I am only exaggerating slightly!

I feel your pain!!! Every Day! If you are really careful and make sure everything is lined up, and the zippers are in alignment with the stars . . .it might go up without jamming! It shouldn't't have to be this hard! Good luck to all J88 owners . . .please post zipper tips here!

I have one. I like it very much. Quite warm but light and open weave allows it to breath so you don't get overheated. Looks like wool but doesn't itch at all. Fits snug. For me the neck is a bit too tight when buttoned up fully. I took the shirt sling off because I found it annoying.

Agreed! It is also more water resistant than the others. Only flaw is the zipper which is really finicky. I am used to it now but I still jam it from time to time!

Thanks! That’s the one.

My main complaints surround zippers. I have a J63a and I had to develop a ritual when zipping it up to avoid jamming it. I wasn't on this forum back in 18 so I wasn't aware that it was a common problem. My J83-WS has an equally annoying zipper, but for different reasons. If I take my time and I am really precise in zipping, it's not a problem. If I am in a hurry is a guaranteed jam! These are both YKK zippers. They are the biggest zipper company in the world but they are sure producing some crappy product. Sometimes Acronym uses zippers from an Italian company (the name escapes me now but they are no better!) I have a J46-FO coat and I have jammed that zipper many times!

Yes, in my opinion. It's just subjective of course, but my j83 seems considerably warmer than my j68 or my j58. It also seems more "water resistant." It's a great jacket, but I caution you on the shitty zipper! It's a POS and not worthy of a garment at this price point! Shame on YKK for manufacturing such a POS and shame on Acronym for installing it. At this price point we should expect perfection!!!

the latest version.

Update. I wore the j-68 out this morning to walk the dog . I t confirmed what I said before that the j-83 is warmer than the j-68 and the j58. It feels more substantial too!

I have all three. I have never done an objective warmth comparison, however the j83 seems to be the warmest. I was taking the dog for a long walk yesterday and it was quite warm about +12 Celsius. I was wearing the j-68. It was too warm for that jacket. However,I didn't have to use the sling I just opened the zipper and I was fine. I would have had to remove the J83. Something to consider as well, the J83 has a really crappy zipper. It's a fine-toothed silver YKK. It tends to bind really easily near the bottom and you must take extreme care to align everything perfectly before pulling it up or down. I have lubricated it with zipper lubricants and it helps but I am sure I am going to have to replace it sooner rather than later. The other two have larger-toothed YKK's but they are much easier to use. I thought it might break-in but it seems to be getting worse. The J83 is the most expensive too!