 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello,
Having reviewed dozens of threads... I am afraid I still no nothing! Hence my little request for help.
I currently have:
->Base Layer: Ice breaker 200, Capilene 1 et al.
->Patagonia R1 Pullover
->Arc'Teryx Atom LT
I am looking for a hard shell jacket and trousers which would serve me well both in skiing and mountaineering (I am planning to go for an alpine course next summer).
From the numerous reviews I have read it seems like Arc'teryx Alpha SV is the leader here. Unfortunately, their S size is a bit too big and they don't do XS for men... Also, I am not sure if paying 1000 GBP for a set makes sense, especially given that I am an intermediater skiier and a beginner in moutaineering - thus it is likely I will destroy it relatively quickly. I can technically afford it, but I cannot justify the expense to myself.
Thus... what would you recommend? What are ther others hard-shells which you could recommend?
Thank you for help!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Doesn't have to be arcteryx ...although their gear is probably the best money can buy, there are cheaper alternatives which are almost as good if not just as good. "Mountain equipment" for example make cracking jackets and can regularly be found on sale. Personally I'd go for a goretex pro jacket as the material seems more robust than the alternatives, although everyone's opinions will differ. Fit is also another important factor, it would be worth you trying a load of goretex jackets to see which fit best as sizes and cuts differ with each manufacturer.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 6-10-13 19:31; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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You should have a look at some Haglofs Jackets as their sizes tend to be on the smaller side of the scale.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Mountain Equipment are good quality, good value and tend to be on the small side. For summer Alpine mountaineering I wouldn't take hard shell trousers. It's not normally cold enough to warrant wearing them. Most of the time you won't be wearing the hard shell jacket either, but you do need one for the early starts and if the weather is bad. For your legs I'd go with soft shell material and a pair of lightweight waterproof over trousers. These should have full length zips from hems to waist, so that they can be put on and taken off without removing crampons or harness. Don't spend a lot of money on them as you'll shred them with your crampons anyway.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi,
Thank you for the replies.
Having read these and some other reviews, I have come across the following suggestions:
----Mountain Equipment Tupilak (Gore Tex Pro Shell)
----RAB Latok (eVent)
----Montane Endurance (eVent)
----Rab Stretch Neo (Polartec NeoShell)
Do you know anything about them? How do they compare? It seems like Gore Tex Pro is regarded as better (albeit less breathable) than eVent, but I am not sure if Tupilak is a good/well-designed piece of gear as such.
Thank you for help!
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I've got the arcteryx alpha sv in a small (I'm 5'9, 69 kilos) and the size is perfect for me. Not too bulky, looks slim but space to layer up if required on cold mountain days. The hood is absolutely perfect too and ideal for a climbing helmet. The jacket is designed to be an 'athletic fit' so its never going to be a body hugger.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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"The jacket is designed to be an 'athletic fit' so its never going to be a body hugger"
I was under the impression that "athletic" fit meant sort of slim fit, or well fitted...??
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It was supposed to be... the problem is that Arc'teryx starts their small size at 38''+ chest, whereas I am the rare breed of 30'' waist and 46cm arms. I do work out regularly and could describe myself as having "athletic" silhouette, but it doesn't change the fact that I look in Alpha SV like wearing a bag of potatoes...
I have tried Tupilak and it has significantly better fit (no extra material in stomach/back area). Obviously, I do take into account the numerous layers which I might end up wearing underneath.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| under a new name wrote: |
"The jacket is designed to be an 'athletic fit' so its never going to be a body hugger"
I was under the impression that "athletic" fit meant sort of slim fit, or well fitted...?? |
The Alpha SV is actually an "expedition" fit going by Arc'teryx, designed to have a few layers underneath, defiantly wouldn't say its a slim fit
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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theriel, if you can get yourself to a Blacks they have the Montane Endurance to try on. I loved it - feature rich and great fit. Was really impressed and am likely to go that route when I get a hard shell.
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If you can afford it I would get separate outfits for winter skiing and summer mountaineering, the requirements are quite different.
For summer alpine use, then an Alpha SV is overkill, especially over an Atom Lt which has some weatherproofing being wind and water resistant. Your shell will spend 80% of the time in your pack, if you take a 100g windshirt then it may spend 99% of the time there. Much better, lighter & more breathable, would be a Gtx Active jacket eg the Alpha FL or MH's qDry Quasar jacket for emergency bad weather, and a windshirt eg a Patagonia Houdini which works perfectly over the R1 and can be supplemented with the atom Lt for high and cold use.
For winter skiing then a more bombproof hardshell is better - but again no need to spend the alpha SV / goretex pro sort of prices. Most manufacturers do an in-house fabric which does the job fine - for intermediate resort skiing then I would go for that. And the cost of windshirt + l/w summer jacket + own-brand hardshell will be much the same as an Alpha SV, and far more flexible...
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