Babak
I'll answer that question. The snaps work great. I prefer them for the weight savings as I'm normally wearing my Houdini over the Hardon anyway. They seal well enough on their own. Only might be an issue if it were quite breezy out. I wear the Houdini or rain jacket it over it for more warmth and a bit of protection.
As long as you buy the correct size, the hood fits awesome! Seals off around the face completely and snugly. Sleeping with it on is great because I find it stays put. I know the attached picture doesn't show it the best, but you can tell by where the last snap is sitting, that if I snap it it comes down and covers my forehead completely…and look at that hood loft (ignore the sleepy faced foo). If you're wondering, that's a Cap 4 hoodie sticking out of the hood. That was a COLD Colorado morning on the CDT.
I have a 37"ish+ chest and wear a size small. The medium was too big to be effective and as a result the hood too big. You have to get into it carefully with your arms, to not stretch things in the wrong way, but when it's on, the fit is perfect with just enough room to let it loft and not be a set of bellows.
HTH
KJ
