[jefemeister]

Was just browsing around when I came across these Arc'teryx jackets. These have to be some of the coolest designs I've seen. There's a place in town that carries the brand and I happen to have a $150 credit there I've been waiting to use.

Anyone have one?

 

[Hiker]

I don't have one of their jackets, but I have an internal frame pack. It is the most comfortable backpack that I have ever used. If the build quality of my backpack is representative of the rest of their products, I would say those jackets should be quite nice. I don't think I have actually seen any of those jackets in person though.

 

[Canman]

Arcteryx makes really sweet gear. Expensive stuff, I think it'll take more than $150 but that's a good start

 

[oneeyedhobbit]

I know a couple of skiers who swear by em, wish I could afford one.

 

[viviorunitia4]

the arc'teryx stuff is really nice, but it is really expensive...
and the $400 jackets on there are probably overkill for most everyday things...
if you want something similar in quality and features but most likely less expensive, check out Mountain Hardwear, The North Face, or Patagonia (there's lots of other similar brands, I just couldn't think of any more off the top of my head)

Or you can look at stores like REI or Altrec for all sorts of mountaineering/hiking/ski stuff like that

for the $150, you could probably get a little more for your money if you go with another brand, but that's just my 2 cents

 

[cpw]

I've got some hardshell rain gear from Arc'teryx and it's great stuff if a bit noisy.
Like all "waterproof breathables" it doesn't breathe very well (Gore-tex) but it's 100% waterproof. They even have waterproof zippers!
Lately I've been going soft shell w/ Cloudveil stuff. Really nice Schoeller fabric that breathes great and will only let water through in heavuy downpours or longer periods of drizzle. I've skied in snowstorms in it and was fine.
Arc'teryx makes good quality stuff. Most of their "softshell" stuff is Malden powershield (or was anyway) but the quality is top notch.
CPW

 

[EricP]

I used to work at a shop that sold Arc'teryx, Mountain Hardwear, The North Face, Patagonia, and other high-end brands of outerwear... the Arc'teryx stuff is really innovative, their soft-shell jacket line 2 years ago dropped a bomb on everyone when they realized that Windstopper was good enough for 90% of the days that they were in the elements, and that the soft-shell concept was a hell of a lot more wearable, especially in stretch varieties.. For those of you not gear monkeys like me, Windstopper is the exact same material as Gore-Tex, just with slightly larger permeations. It'll keep you dry on all but the wettest days.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling but yes, their stuff rocks.

 

[Dan the audioman]

I work at a ski/snowboard shop and we sell arc'teryx coats, fleeces, wind-stoppers...etc. Its really nice gear. At first it was hard to convince people that the coats were really worth their price, but sooner or later they started to fly off the racks and we're backordering like crazy!

Great jackets! If you are willing to drop that much on a jacket, by all means do so. You will not be dissapointed by their performance.

Regards,
Dan

 

[r3cc0s]

fantastic jackets
probably the most protective from any element possible

however...
I find their jackets to be just too restrictive while skiing (at least my friends was)

I find the goretex type layering to be very restrictive dependant on temperature

I like patagonia or DNA myself, I find the fabric they choose more mobile for skiing activities

 

[EricP]

r3cc0s:

Arcteryx innovated the soft-shell jacket concept. Check out the Sidewinder Comp jacket for an example, but they have a whole line of soft-shell stuff, all the way from no-laminate pieces to DWR-coated pieces to full-on 4-season flex shells.

PS: My "all but the worst of the worst days" jacket is the DNA Factory jacket.