A Shell Built for the Sharp End: The North Face Papsura Jacket Review

As we headed down into Smith Rock State Park, moody clouds swirled overhead. The rain was holding out for now, but we knew our weather window would be brief. Our objective was to do a short multi-pitch climb, so I stuffed my ultralight The North Face Papsura Jacket into a small pack to take up the route. 

Sure enough, drops started to fall as we finished the last pitch. Once I finished belaying, I threw on the waterproof Papsura before setting up our rappels. With its lightweight, packable design, I didn’t think twice about carrying the jacket up the climb, and I was sure glad to have it at the top. As we rappelled down in the rain, I stayed nice and dry; the hood even fit right over my climbing helmet. 

In short: For those counting ounces and flirting with brief weather windows as they head into the vertical, the 7-ounce North Face Papsura FUTURELIGHT Jacket is a solid addition to your kit. I’m hypercritical of the gear that I’m willing to bring up a multi-pitch rock climb, and the Papsura makes the cut.

For a longer expedition or a multiday trip in inclement weather, I would opt for a burlier shell with more durable GORE-TEX fabric. But when the forecast is variable, and you still want to get sendy, the minimalist The North Face Papsura is an easy choice for climbers. 

Looking for a new rain jacket? Check out GearJunkie’s Best Rain Jackets and Best Women’s Rain Jackets Buyer’s Guides for more go-to options.

The North Face Papsura FUTURELIGHT Jacket: Review

It’s obvious that The North Face had climbers in mind when they designed the Papsura FUTURELIGHT Jacket. When you’re holding your weight with only your fingertips and toes, every extra ounce counts. Clocking in at just 7 ounces and packing into its own pocket, this waterproof shell is great for multi-pitch rock and alpine climbing in variable weather conditions. 

As a year-round rock and alpine climbing guide, I’m constantly seeking the balance between weight, performance, and durability in my gear. I tested out the Papsura Jacket in mixed weather conditions during a spring season of guiding in the Pacific Northwest. I brought it out while multi-pitch rock climbing at Smith Rock, hiking in the Skykomish Valley, and teaching mountaineering skills at Mount Baker.

For multiday trips in the mountains in poor weather, I’d opt for a burlier waterproof jacket, but the Papsura is a perfect emergency shell when I’m high off the deck. Here’s my impression of this fast and light shell.

Featherweight Protection for Climbing

The greatest strength of The North Face Papsura is its ultralight, packable design. The jacket is made from the brand’s air-permeable three-layer FUTURELIGHT membrane, which boasts some impressive breathability specs and allows the entire shell to weigh around 7 ounces. For a three-layer jacket, this is a pretty impressive weight.

My other waterproof hardshells would probably fill my entire 18L multi-pitch backpack. By contrast, I easily stuffed the Papsura into my small pack after it was already loaded with a sizable first-aid kit, water bottle, snacks, and satellite communication device. The Papsura is even designed to pack into its own pocket; on shorter routes, you can ditch the backpack and clip the shell directly to your harness. 

The compact three-layer FUTURELIGHT waterproof fabric also improves the jacket’s breathability. I didn’t feel as sweaty in this jacket as I do while moving in other shells; it would be a great option for fastpacking or even trail running in light precip. Ultralight backpackers or alpine climbers who are cutting ounces will appreciate having a waterproof layer for only 7 ounces.

Weather-Resistance and Waterproofing

The FUTURELIGHT membrane used in the Papsura is best thought of as a breathability-first shell, with good-enough waterproofing to keep you dry as you make your escape off the wall when the weather blows in. This is ideal for climbers and mountaineers who need to keep moving under poor conditions and generate a lot of warmth as they go.

While climbing at Smith Rock, we encountered light rain showers throughout the day, interspersed with periods of sun. During each bout of precipitation, I stayed nice and dry in the Papsura. By throwing on the waterproof shell each time it rained, I kept my other layers dry and warm throughout the day. In between showers, the jacket dried out quite quickly. 

The Papsura is also light enough to double as a wind layer. In fact, it’s about the same size as my Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody, a light softshell jacket that I often bring up on multi-pitch climbs. On another day of climbing at Smith, the weather was dry, but the wind was gusting more than 30 miles an hour. I was happy to have the Papsura to pull out at the belay to cut the wind. 

While hiking in the Skykomish Valley, I encountered rain that was much more persistent. After about an hour of walking in a steady drizzle with some periods of heavier rain, I noticed that my arms were starting to feel wet.

Once I took off the shell, I could tell that my layer underneath was getting damp, particularly on the shoulders. The DWR finish shed moisture for the first half of my hike, but water started soaking into the jacket by the end.

If I’m traveling in more remote environments, I opt to carry just a little more weight to provide more durable protection. So for a multiday trip in the mountains, I would seek out shells constructed with burlier waterproof fabric like GORE-TEX Pro. For day trips when the forecast looks variable, I think the Papsura is still a worthy option.

A Trim Feature Set

With its minimalist design and FUTURELIGHT fabric, The North Face has trimmed this jacket down to a mere 7 ounces. While extremely lightweight, the minimal design sacrifices certain features like Velcro cuffs or a cinchable drawstring on the bottom hem.

Instead, it has pre-tensioned elastic on the hem and arm cuffs. This worked decently well for keeping water out of the arms while reaching overhead. 

The helmet-compatible hood is a thoughtful feature that climbers will appreciate. While hiking, I was still able to cinch down the hood over a brim hat with an adjustable elastic drawcord. The two zip hand pockets are nice to have; though when I’m wearing a harness or backpack, I often prefer a higher chest pocket for better access.

The interior sports a single mesh drop pocket, which is enough space to store a smaller pair of gloves when not in use. Otherwise, the Papsura rounds out with a nice toothed zipper, which, compared to a coil zipper, is a more durable design and easier to move.

Fit and Mobility

The Papsura FUTURELIGHT Jacket moves better than any of my other hardshell jackets. The fabric also feels a little softer and less crinkly than other waterproof fabrics.

During a particularly windy day of guiding at Smith Rock, I ended up leading a few pitches of climbing in the Papsura. The underarm gussets made it noticeably easier to reach for holds overhead. While I generally opt to climb in clothing with a bit more stretch, I didn’t feel too restricted making moves in the shell, and I was happy to keep it on to help cut the wind. 

There are a few other mobility-first shells out there, and some, like the Black Diamond Fineline Stretch, incorporate material stretch into the fabric to move with you. The cut on the Papsura is generous enough to get away without needing this stretch, with gussets where you need them to avoid hem lift or binding.

The North Face Papsura FUTURELIGHT Jacket: Conclusion

When ounces will make or break your objective, The North Face Papsura FUTURELIGHT Jacket will help lighten your load. The ultralight, packable waterproof jacket is a great emergency shell when you’re just not quite sure that the weather will hold. 

Those heading into remote environments or on long expeditions in harsh conditions will want a bit more protection than this lightweight jacket has to offer. It does a great job shedding precipitation from intermittent showers and cutting the wind, but it isn’t immune to all-day deluges, and I’d reach for something a bit more burly, like the Arc’teryx Beta AR, for when serious rain is in the forecast.

Climbers, ultralight backpackers, and anyone who wants to move fast with a light pack in the mountains will appreciate The North Face Papsura Futurelight Jacket’s minimalist design and excellent breathability.