Product Ad: “Venture out and explore in changing conditions with the lightweight Venture jacket from The North Face. It’s engineered to withstand severe rainstorms and styled for everyday use.”
I needed a jacket to keep me dry, cheat the wind and look descent when I am not using it hiking in the Greens or Adirondacks. The hand pockets were good and bad: The good part was that the bottom of the pockets were sewn into the waist of the jacket to make a “bucket” inside pocket on both sides. I usually store a map there, or my wallet in town. The downside is that the pockets are entirely mesh, which keeps them light weight, but if the pockets are open and it is windy then your tummy will sure feel it. Another pro for the TNF Venture is that it is more durable/heavier than most of the other rain jackets in its price range. I also met some people that use it as a four season shell for skiing and snowshoeing. I might experiment with that next winter.
(legalese)
The Suburban Mountaineer 