 Poster: A snowHead
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Just had my first week of use in my Arc'teryx Sidewinder SV jacket & Minuteman pants which are both 480N spec three layer Gore-Tex XCR shell designs. These are true shell designs with no insulation or lining at all. Compared to my old Spyder shell & insulated Oakley pants they are very light at 720g & 660g respectively so that gave me another 1kg of luggage allowance.
The jacket only has a few pockets but as I always use a backpack I only have a piste map & lip salve in them however they are well positioned & the zippers are fully waterproof. The small window pocket on the upper left arm is designed for a hands free lift pass & is ideally located for use so there’s no need for the usual contortions you see at the lift turnstyles. There’s long pit zips under the arms for when it’s really warm.
The diagonal zipper on the jacket is great & when combined & the high collar comes over mouth level. When goggles are worn this means that ones face is very well protected from the elements. With the zipper being at the side it means that there were no sharp bits rubbing on the underside of my chin as has happened with previous jackets. The powder skirt is fine but the elastic seems a little lightweight compared to the one on my old Spyder jacket. The jacket has a permanently attached non-stowaway hood which initially I wasn’t a fan of but I now like as it sits on top of my backpack & acts as a kind of scarf. It’s also big enough to fit over my helmet which was really useful when a chairlift I was on broke down for about 10mins on the shadey/breezey side of the mountain & I could just pull the hood over my helmet.
I tend to run warm although I've lost quite a bit of weight over the last few months & was surprised how much more I felt the cold. Temps were about -5C at the top for a few days & I wore a just a long sleeve Decathlon wicking base layer under the jacket & was fine. I was also wearing thin Oakley MTB gloves & had the vents open on my helmet.
What was interesting is how much warmer I was when I closed my helmet vents & swapped to my insulated leather Spyder gloves. This was equivalent to adding another layer so the old adage of keeping the extremities warm to keep the core warm is certainly true. When the temp dropped to -9/10C at the top I added an Arc'teryx Delta LT lightweight fleece & was then fine on the lifts & pretty toasty after a long run.
The Minuteman pants are a no frills design with a couple of front pockets & a long vents on the outside of the thighs on both legs. A couple of owners on Epic reckon that the reinforced area on the inside of the bottom of each leg isn’t that tough but it seems ok to me & as I managed to ski all week without a fall I was unable to test if they’d resist any nicks from my edges.
Apart from the last day I just wore the shell pants over bare legs which was fine. I would imagine that it could get a bit chilly on the backside on a lift seat or button etc but I was wearing armoured shorts & the seat area padding & coccyx protector means there's no direct contact with the lift. On the last day I wore a pair of Patagonia Capilene 2 leggings under the pants. I couldn’t get the shorter version of these so just cut them off under the knee & glued a hem etc which worked fine. Temp was about -7C at the top & whilst toasty on the lift my legs were too hot after a long run & during lunch. From now on I’ll only be wearing the leggings when it’s quite a bit colder.
Whilst temps weren’t seriously low I reckon I’d have no problem going to -20/25C with a base layer, two mid layers plus my leggings etc, especially with the hood up.
Arc’teryx gear is pretty pricey in the UK & the above combo has a retail price pushing £700 which is expensive. I bought out of season & got both for just under £400 from EB’s at Castleford which at the time was about the same price as importing from the US. I’ll do five weeks this year & plan to do similar over the next couple of years so that amount of use works out pretty cost effective for high spec items, & then they’ll still be used for winter dog walking etc.
The most cost effective option for anyone buying now would be to order online from the US from the likes of backcountry.com etc, remembering to budget for possible duty, VAT & a clearance fees. Sizing is on the generous side so I’d recommend trying before ordering although there’s detailed chart on their website.
Overall verdict: Superb & highly recommended.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sidewinder SV jacket
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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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spyderjon, Great review. I love my Arc'teryx jacket too and at first found it surprising how warm it can be despite being so thin and light.
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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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Nice reveiw...I have the exact same combination and love it ! spyderjon, by the way the clear pocket on the left arm is designed as a radio pocket. Sound in and out, but also windproof / waterproof. Its got a patent so you wont see another jacket with the same. I keep my motorola in there and love it. Great stuff and as you mention cheaper even including duty etc when ordered from the US. I got mine from Moosejaw.com.
Alex
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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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I also have a new side winder jacket and the ladies sallopettes that I cant wait to try out thankyou for this review!
They are still hanging on my bedroom wall with the tickets on and have been there since October 15th when they arrived from the USA  Only another 5 weeks to wait !
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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has anyone tried on the new one with the stowable hood?
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skimottaret, the hood on mine is folded into the collar IYSWIM ??
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| skimottaret wrote: |
| has anyone tried on the new one with the stowable hood? |
AFAIK & according to Arc's website the SV (Severe Use 480N) model has a 'drop' hood & the AR (All Round 380N) model has the stowable hood. The SV model is also slightly looser fitting to allow for additional layering.
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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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spyderjon, thanks jon didnt appreciate they had different fits and gore material. Might have to try one on at EB. Got a trip to the states in March and may be investing when over.... ps how did you like courchevel?
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spyderjon, I had one a few years back, loved it, awesome fit and very cool to boot. Grew tired of the failing zip and eventually ATX gave me a credit, converted to Mammut, now i get free kit!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I think they make good kit.....even if from China....
The new Gore Tex Pro Shell is a definite step up from XCR, IMO......... superb feel...which might be lost on mountain kit, but there you go.
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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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| JT wrote: |
| The new Gore Tex Pro Shell is a definite step up from XCR, IMO......... superb feel...which might be lost on mountain kit, but there you go. |
I agree I have a Free Thinker with XCR and another one with Pro Shell and I much prefer the Pro Shell.
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I have Arc'teryx Stinger jacket and bib, the new pro shell is awesome, definitely recommend to anyone wanting seriously good gear. Great for in and out of bounds. Has no insulation though, so you need to buy a size that allows you to layer up a bit for the really cold days.
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You know it makes sense.
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Reading this, I think my old fishing coat and nylon motorcycle over trousers need to be replaced!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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My Sidewinder has seen action in Landgraaf, Tignes and Hintertux so far this season and has acquitted itself well even in blowing -25deg glacier blizzard conditions. Very pleased!
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Poster: A snowHead
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slikedges, what's your layering system for -25 use?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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spyderjon, all breathable, microthermal base (long top and bottom from Tog24 - can't remember which exactly), 2 mids (one a Mountain Hardwear windproof fleece, the other a Killy thin fleecy high neck half zip), traditional buff for the face (over the Sidewinder) - and to keep moving!! With helmet and Reusch gloves felt absolutely fine even on raised exposed T-bar tracks, as long as then didn't stand about for too long at the top!
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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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spyderjon,
Good question and no one knows until THEY have done it...... but I ran a GT Paklite with a mid layer Scholler Dryskin and a Microtec base to pretty low wind-chill temps in Le Grave and I had an icebreaker base in the bag which I never felt the need to use. I was ready to alternate between the Dryskin and a Polartec200 mid but there wasn't that much difference..to my surprise. It is a warmer garment on it own by far tho'...... 
Far more important than sheer layers, IMV is how well you can batten down the hatches and that is in the design of the kit as much as anything else.
To aid all this, you need a good hat over the ears and warm glooves as it isn't much good being warm in most places if your hands or somesuch are cold because that will get to you anyway.
But, I reckon...... if I saw -25 posted on the TV cam in the hotel then I'd go 4 layer with the above kit with the addition of the icebreaker. I think that would be fine, but when I actually do it, I'll confirm. What works for my body temp might not work at all for someone else so these things can only be a guide.
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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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JT, yep, already cold temps at top had been predicted to drop by almost 10deg for the next day, so rarely used 4th layer went on without any further ado. Battening down hugely important and Sidewinder and buff very good for this.
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FAQ
