Arc'teryx - any experts?

[DoubleSix]

bhstewie said:

Well this hasn't got at all weird has it

Comments welcome on what might work in the British climate for normal daily use either over a tee shirt or work shirt when on the commute as the variety on the Arc website is a bit overwhelming as is the price delta between the bottom and top end.

Right now I use an old fleece or an old Montane Prism or occasionally a Rab Vapour Rise which is lovely but has seen better days.

I answered that exact question above.

[vikingaero]

If you want a good value shell, that performs well technically and don't give a st about brand names, then my recommendation would be Keela Munro or Munro Travel. It's also made in the UK. Most Mountain/Lowland Rescue use Keela, Mountain Equipment or Paramo in the UK.

I have both the Keela Stratus and ME Kongue MRT supplied to me. The Keela is around £200 and the ME Kongur is around twice that - the Keela is easily as good as the more expensive ME Kongur.

[WY86]

bhstewie said:

Well this hasn't got at all weird has it

Comments welcome on what might work in the British climate for normal daily use either over a tee shirt or work shirt when on the commute as the variety on the Arc website is a bit overwhelming as is the price delta between the bottom and top end.

Right now I use an old fleece or an old Montane Prism or occasionally a Rab Vapour Rise which is lovely but has seen better days.

Personally if your only wearing it as a daily i would not be looking at Tech Jackets, Get something like a Drakes chore jacket, hard wearing and smart looking or if you want a budget option look at something like a Carhartt Chore jacket Both work well if paired with a shirt or a T Shirt.

[bitchstewie]

DoubleSix said:

I answered that exact question above.

Appreciated This is where I struggle with the Arc range as the Beta LT is about £350 whilst (for example) the Atom SL is £180.

It isn't at all obvious (to me) which one is an all-rounder.

I'm also slightly conscious about not going overkill and walking from the station totally cocooned and looking like I'm trying to climb Snowdonia etc.

Bit like that old cliche of all seeing people in (probably fake) Canada Goose cooking their tits off on a "cold" UK day.

[vikingaero]

bhstewie said:

DoubleSix said:

I answered that exact question above.

Appreciated This is where I struggle with the Arc range as the Beta LT is about £350 whilst (for example) the Atom SL is £180.

It isn't at all obvious (to me) which one is an all-rounder.

I'm also slightly conscious about not going overkill and walking from the station totally cocooned and looking like I'm trying to climb Snowdonia etc.

Bit like that old cliche of all seeing people in (probably fake) Canada Goose cooking their tits off on a "cold" UK day.

They have sub brands/ranges much like Armani Black/White Label all the way down to AX. Arc'teryx have the Veilance brand in their range as the super posh stuff.

[DoubleSix]

bhstewie said:

DoubleSix said:

I answered that exact question above.

Appreciated This is where I struggle with the Arc range as the Beta LT is about £350 whilst (for example) the Atom SL is £180.

It isn't at all obvious (to me) which one is an all-rounder.

I'm also slightly conscious about not going overkill and walking from the station totally cocooned and looking like I'm trying to climb Snowdonia etc.

Bit like that old cliche of all seeing people in (probably fake) Canada Goose cooking their tits off on a "cold" UK day.

Beta is just a hard shell that will pack down very well or layer, no insulation. The Atom in contrast is insulated.

If you’re already wearing a merino or cotton pullover you just want something to keep the rain off, so a shell is fine, you aren’t going to freeze as the hard shell locks the wind out.

Edited by DoubleSix on Thursday 8th September 08:57

[ecsrobin]

vikingaero said:

If you want a good value shell, that performs well technically and don't give a st about brand names, then my recommendation would be Keela Munro or Munro Travel. It's also made in the UK. Most Mountain/Lowland Rescue use Keela, Mountain Equipment or Paramo in the UK.

I have both the Keela Stratus and ME Kongue MRT supplied to me. The Keela is around £200 and the ME Kongur is around twice that - the Keela is easily as good as the more expensive ME Kongur.

I’d echo this. There’s a reason lots of rescue teams use the kit.

[oddman]

Arc'teryx have a highly complex but logical coding system for garments SV = severe (alpine mountaineering); AR = All Round; LT = light; SL = super light; FL = ha ha fast and light.

Alpha = top end mountaineering
Beta = hill walking

There are even youtube videos explaining the complexity. They are very canny at making things that do a very specific job very well so you buy multiple garments. There isn't really an all rounder for british conditions. The likley all round combo would be a Beta AR jacket and Atom LT insulation. Waterproofing tends to be goretex. The core outdoor line is ridiculously over specced for everyday use.

Mostly made in far east but still some lines made in BC. They are more keen than most in re factory conditions and QC

I've been buying their kit for over 25 years and it holds up very well and they haven't compromised like North Face. I use it for Mountaineering, ski touring and skiing. I need to rely on gear in very harsh unpredictable conditions and it needs to be light. If you see what mountain guides choose so pay for then it is Arcteryx, Mammut, Norrona - ie the very top brands

These lines are unashamedly sport orientated. Jackets for skiing will have powder skirts, mountaineering jackets will be cut to accommodate harnesses. They are cut for athletic and tall people 6' 32"waist 40"chest is a medium and the sizes go up proportionately. If you're not lanky, they may not fit.

They have an urban line, Veilance which is hideously expensive and has a Japanese minimalist designer look. They also do an everyday line which has the essential 'roadkill' badge

Edited by oddman on Thursday 8th September 09:01

[deckster]

Arc'teryx is awesome but pricey kit that really isn't designed for walking to the station.

But then again, people drive the kids to school in Range Rovers and pick up the shopping in Ferraris, so fill your boots.

[bitchstewie]

deckster said:

Arc'teryx is awesome but pricey kit that really isn't designed for walking to the station.

But then again, people drive the kids to school in Range Rovers and pick up the shopping in Ferraris, so fill your boots.

That's kind of the tightrope I'm trying to walk here.

Oddman has helpfully explained some of the naming

If a £180 Solano or Atom SL is plenty good enough for urban UK weather at ground level I've no desire to spend twice that on something that's massively overkill.

Not going to pretend something a bit cheaper wouldn't do the job but I'm also not going to beat myself up for the odd treat.

I think it's trying to understand what degree of warmth the shells offer v what degree of wind and rain protection the insulated jackets offer and then choosing the best compromise taking price into account.

[addey]

Atom or Solano would probably be fine for 90% of the time in the UK. Atom is more insulated and will deal with a bit of rain. Prolonged downpour and you might get a bit wet. Solano not as warm but the face fabric is windstopper (now called infinium) which will cope better with rain.

I've accumulated quite a few arc'teryx jackets over the years, quality is great and the fit spot on for me. I have bought the majority of items on sale which makes the price more bearable!

[oddman]

bhstewie said:

That's kind of the tightrope I'm trying to walk here.

Oddman has helpfully explained some of the naming

If a £180 Solano or Atom SL is plenty good enough for urban UK weather at ground level I've no desire to spend twice that on something that's massively overkill.

Not going to pretend something a bit cheaper wouldn't do the job but I'm also not going to beat myself up for the odd treat.

I think it's trying to understand what degree of warmth the shells offer v what degree of wind and rain protection the insulated jackets offer and then choosing the best compromise taking price into account.

A lot of the jackets especially the insulated ones are high cut to allow a harness and assume that you'll be not encountering rain or wear/carry rainproof legwear.

Atom SL is very lightweight - I use it as a thin windproof barely waterproof shell for uphill ski touring or running when temp about 0-5 degrees C. I would only have a merino t shirt or thin long sleeve underneath.The hood has no insulation but can be useful pulling up under or over a helmet when it's windy.

The insulated lines, proton, atom are only DWR treated and won't cope with a downpour.

For something cut a bit longer, surprisingly warm but able to keep out a fair amount of wet, the softshell Gamma line MX, and SL are probably more suitable. I've got the Gamma SL used this instead of taking my goretex jacket and my atom SL on my last multi day ski tour as the weather was stable. It was excellent with 2 x merino base in temperatures down to minus 10 and wind of 30km/h (very aerobic and down jacket on when stopped or cold downhill). Neither pack down particularly well but the fabric doesn't crease and they drape much better than a nylon shell.

Another thing all sleeves on Arc'teryx kit are very long to take account of climbing with arms above head and integrating with gloves for skiing/using ice tools.

[okgo]

All you see in Clapham or Wimbledon is this brand. I think it’s likely gone that way.

[rewild]

They're a great brand if you're tall and narrow. They cut their jackets longer than most other top-end brands I've tried so I don't need to go up to XXXXXL to get the length, and end up with huge excess width and look like ship's sail. I can buy L or XL which is long enough to cover the top of my arse, and I can lift my arms up and still have the sleeves reach my wrists. Maybe this is just tall people issues.

I don't need the performance, and the price is hard to swallow (£500 for a shell? OUCH!), but I buy them for the cut and I'm sure I'll never need another in my lifetime.

[Faust66]

ecsrobin said:

vikingaero said:

If you want a good value shell, that performs well technically and don't give a st about brand names, then my recommendation would be Keela Munro or Munro Travel. It's also made in the UK. Most Mountain/Lowland Rescue use Keela, Mountain Equipment or Paramo in the UK.

I have both the Keela Stratus and ME Kongue MRT supplied to me. The Keela is around £200 and the ME Kongur is around twice that - the Keela is easily as good as the more expensive ME Kongur.

I’d echo this. There’s a reason lots of rescue teams use the kit.

Excellent shout on Keela. Always fancied a Munro but I'm a bit worried about breathability (I walk very hot!). Would you say it's an issue in your experience?

[LimaDelta]

Rohan do some good, subtle but well performing kit without any image issues or negative associations. British too. Also Buffalo systems, but they are more for serious outdoor work. Neither could be described as 'fashion' brands.

[deckster]

LimaDelta said:

Rohan do some good, subtle but well performing kit without any image issues or negative associations.

Not so sure about that. Rohan is very much associated with a certain breed of mildly outdoorsy rambler type. My A-level Physics teacher lived in Rohan gear and that was 30 years ago and I'm not sure the image has improved since

[LimaDelta]

deckster said:

LimaDelta said:

Rohan do some good, subtle but well performing kit without any image issues or negative associations.

Not so sure about that. Rohan is very much associated with a certain breed of mildly outdoorsy rambler type. My A-level Physics teacher lived in Rohan gear and that was 30 years ago and I'm not sure the image has improved since

Maybe in purple. But some of their urban waterproof stuff is very subtle and certainly doesn't scream 'bobble-hatted hiker'.

[Gweeds]

Take a look at Frahm as well.

[okgo]

Gweeds said:

Take a look at Frahm as well.

fk that after his first venture.