If you want carbon nanotubes that boosts the price by at least a factor of 10, jeeze josh.

The right gear can mean not turning around on a simple hike because you'll be miserable, it can get you higher, sometimes get you farther, keep you out longer. Because your worries of getting too cold, too wet, or moving too slow because you bought heavy ass cheap stuff are gone. If its important to you to use the days you have for adventure and not have weather play a big factor, or it making it to your goal on your hike/climb/whatever then that jacket is probably worth every penny.

Its all about what you want to do with it and how you want to use it.

Also, are you referring to the north face's Verto windbreaker, because that is some seriously sweet sexy ass shit.