Asmund Men's Hard Shell Mountain Jacket

I have the NeoShell version of this jacket, and I love it. It breathes really well and blocks wind, so it's great in cold high-intensity activity. The full face zip and hood are amazing, and the deep chest pockets are great. It also seems highly durable, sliding around on rocks, bushwhacking in frozen conditions, and no tears. In fact it still looks brand new.

My biggest wish is that it had hand pockets. I know it's more of a mountaineering and skiing jacket, where you use your hands a lot, but I use it for backpacking and also mountain photography, and it's a bummer to not have a place to shield my hands from the rain and wind. I obviously wear gloves but it's still not as good.

Additionally, I've really struggled to reapply DWR after the factory DWR wore out, and I've found it nearly impossible to get it back to that level. I don't know if it's something weird about the material. I've tried about a dozen times with all different techniques, and it still wets out pretty fast. But that's a minor complaint.

Quality lightweight jacket

I already have the Bergelmir (neoshell version) jacket in small which I use for hill-walking in the UK but it is too restrictive for skiing when I need more layers underneath. I'm 5'9" with a 38" chest so I bought the Asmund (Skjoldr) in medium and it is perfect for up to as many as 3 base and mid layers plus a thin insulated jacket too. On the other hand it doesn't feel too roomy with just 2 layers on when out walking in the UK.
The jacket is light, fits over a ski helmet very well and zips up around the face perfectly to keep out strong winds and snow. Cuffs were easy to adjust, pockets easy to access and zips worked very well too. I was only piste skiing so wasn't exerting myself too much but on a couple of forays into deep powder just off piste I ended up falling over; the breathability of the jacket helped keep the build up of sweat to a minimum and throughout the week, in situations where I would normally overheat, I maintained a very comfortable temperature. Conversely, conditions were down to about minus 10 deg C at times with some strong wind chill and with suitable layering I was warm with no wind penetration at all. I've not worn it in heavy UK rain yet but for a bit of fun tested it in the shower and it seeemd to work just fine.
I am very happy with the Asmund, and my Bergelmir (and for that matter my Erling base and Hemming mid layers which I live in almost permanently) and would thoroughly recommend all of them.
Pre-purchase advice has been good when asked for and items all delivered promptly.
Great products from a company that seems to get things just right.

Called today, and was promised a call back, but no-one called back.
Just wondering if the replacement jacket is on its way?

Bought the Neoshell version of the Asmund about 2 years ago. I hoped that the added breathability and the good reviews, would elevate the jacket above Goretex equivalents I've used before. Unfortunately not. The Neoshell works perfectly on the slopes in Austria but is totally found out on a wet weekend in Scotland or the Lakes. I don't expect any hardshell fabric to perform as well in the wet and warm UK, as it does in the Alps but I don't expect to get soaked due to rain! The build quality also has to be called into question, as some of the internal taping is already coming away. This, on a jacket that is always well looked after (as is all my gear) and that has never had a difficult day, scraping around on a gnarly winter climb! I really don't think the Neoshell is up to it! The hood design also falls short of others (ME Changabang), as when volume control is used in windy conditions, any rain seems to run down the inside of the hood! Some design improvements required, to be considered anywhere near the best. In all, I can only conclude that Jottnar's decision to switch to the new Skjoldr fabric, has everything to do with Neoshell not being up to the job. I hope the new fabric is a massive improvement but I think I've been put off enough not to find out! A real shame.