The Loki Midgard Soft Shell jacket is a great alternative to more wide owned top of the line soft shells in the $200 range. Products in this range are all made from the latest 4 way stretch watreproof, windrproof, breathable fabrics. Therefore the Loki soft shell will perform in a manner that is substantially similar to similar products from Mountain Hardwear, Marmont, North Face and ArcTeryx. What makes the Loki jacket a bit different from jackets made from similar materials is are the features.
First this jacket has a wonderful built in hood. But what's really cool is that the hood has a built in face shield/gator which is great for really cold or windy days. When not in use the gator tucks neatly into the back of the hood and is not in the way at all. This jacket also has built in mittens which is really unique and a nice feature when your fingers start to get cold. When the mittens are not needed you can fold them back in to the jacket sleeve. The only downside with the mittens is that when not in use the sleeves of the jacket tend to be a bit long.
The jacket also has plenty of zippers for venting and pockets for storage. The front chest pocket even has a built in clot for holding an MP3 player a slot for the wire so you can listen to your music while staying completely warm.
The Loki is also a nice looking soft shell that is a but unique.
All told the Loki Midgard is a really great soft shell that should be considered when purchasing a high end piece. Buyers of this particular jacket will place a higher value on the added functionality of the hood and mittens than some of the quality fabric details found in other $200 soft shells.