Arcteryx
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I have had a minor obsession with Arcteryx over the last couple of years, mainly since lockdown drove me and everyone else outdoors.
Like when I first got into denim, I made several rather expensive errors finding the pieces that I not only loved, but also worked for my sizing and function.
So far I have settled on the following little collection for all my outdoor adventures (keep it clean folks).
Zeta SL Goretex shell
Thorium AR 24k Down Hoodie
Atom LT 24k Insulated Jacket
Solano Windstopper (mainly for casual wear)
Kyanite Hoodie
Kyanite LT jacket
Covert zip up fleece cardiganPics to follow …..
Like Iron Heart, I love the mix of beautiful design and extreme function.
Unlike Iron Heart, Arcteryx stuff will fall to pieces quickly if you don’t look after it.
Any other devotees of the dead bird here?
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I may have a piece or two
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I’m intrigued Ed, tell me your layering system?
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When it comes to withstandind the elements IMO there nothing better than Arcteryx. I also did many unnessecary purchases from other brands before I built up my collections of items for hiking, climbing and mountaineering. Now, I‘ve got several jackets, shells and insulating layers, but the best or most used one is my Atom LT Hoody. It‘s with me on every trip, also right now. So small that it fits in a shoulder bag, but gives good warmth, wind resistance and protects against light rain.
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Mine and the Mrs Arcteryx collection, left to right beta LT, Squamish hoody, then my wifes beta AR, and atom hoody. Our Betas got tons of use last two winters in SF hella rain/crazy atmospheric rain storms, had never heard of those till last year lol. But we stayed dry, atleast top part of us. Great thread @Megatron1505 stoked to see everyone’s jackets. -
@endo , much love for the Atom LT here too, I was in New York last winter and it was my go to for the trip, also for the English springtime unfortunately.
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@meatmarketdenim1 , the Beta AR was my first Arc, I screwed up the sizing and hated the storm hood. The Beta LT is what I’m considering next for a real waterproof layer. My Zeta is Gore Paclite, which does keep out the rain but is nowhere near as durable as proper three layer Gore.
Mine is also an Arc family. My son has an Atom LT and Atom SL, and my wife went straight n with a Beta, which I’m pretty jealous of
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Terrible photo for now, will add better and fit pics later.
Left to right….Zeta, Atom, Thorium, Solano
I recently bought the Cormack pants too, with the international of running in them. My laziness has meant that they are actually really expensive lounge pants though
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@Megatron1505 very nice line up, and how are the pants? I debated getting some after being stuck in rain, and all the water from up top/jacket just beads off so legs get completely soaked all day lol. But it’s not often I’m mobbing around in downpours but occasionally get stuck in one. Kinda wanted to get a black AR but with all my recent IH purchases think I’m fine with the bright orange AR
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@meatmarketdenim1 That’s a wise move, much as I love Arcteryx gear I think that once you have your line up all weather conditions then you’re good until something wears out, or you want to upgrade to a more durable version.
The pants are great, super comfortable, slim but not tight. They are nowhere near waterproof as they are designed for fair weather trail running, but they dry super fast.
These days my out of work uniform is basically a pair of leather Adidas, my IH-NOLOT and whatever Arcteryx jacket the weather demands.
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Big Fan here...or used to be. The company in it's present state is a shell of what it used to be. After the company was sold to Amer Sports, outsourcing and greed has led to poor quality and higher prices. That being said, I do own quite a few pieces-Alpha SV, Beta LT, Firebee, Thorsen, Thorium Parka, Cerium, a few Atoms and coverts, Delta LTs. The Thorium Parka and Thorsen are my winter go to's. Atoms for the Fall. For extreme cold, I'll use the Firebee or Alpha SV/Cerium combo.
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@teddyjay
Yeah it’s wild to me that don’t offer free repairs anymore. While north face and Patagonia still offer for life. -
@teddyjay I think these days you have to be very select about what you buy from them. I think the Alpha is still made in Canada, and the stuff not made in China (mostly Vietnam now I think) is slightly better than the Chinese made synthetics.
Outdoor brands haven’t been helped quality wise by the chemical change to DWR and Goretex either, the material is flimsier and the DWR doesn’t last as long.
Although, it’s better for the planet so that’s a bonus.
If I’m buying fleece or waffle knit zip ups I like to look for an older used piece in decent conditon, I looked at the newer ones in the Flat Iron store in New York last year and they were not impressive.
That’s a hell of an Arc collection by the way.
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Arcteryx fan here. I’ve owned quite a bit of their gear over the years but only really use the Beta LT now. It’s an awesome minimalist shell and is very versatile. Here’s a pic of me wearing it in Taos with my daughter a couple years back. Overdue thread @Megatron1505 thanks for starting one!
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Looking good @SKT
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@Megatron1505 have you reapplied their DWR spray on any of yours? I bought some with their washing detergent but didn’t need to use it after wash/dried. The gortex got reactivated, and no more wet spots. Imagine in the future will need to spray it down
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@meatmarketdenim1 I’ve used their down wash on my Thorium then re-applied DWR and also just last weekend washed my Zeta and re-applied the DWR. Both worked a treat for me, but I did use a shit load of DWR on both.
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@Megatron1505
Thanks for the info, I’ll test mine out again after next wash/dry . Didn’t wanna apply it too soon if didn’t need to. The gore Tex jackets get a lot of wear in the winter here but it’s just city life, to work and back, dog walks etc ,on those Rainy/windy days. They’re still in really good shape. -
For what it’s worth, I used to be a huge Arc’teryx fan. They were subsequently sold to Anta (a Chinese company), who left the BCI (better cotton initiative) to continue using cotton from the Xinjiang region of China (where forced/slave labor of Uighar muslims to work crop fields has been reported). Of course, I’m not an international trade expert, or cotton expert, or clothing expert, or… you get the point. I also don’t support 3Sixteen (India) and Post O’alls (China) for reasons in the same bucket. Again, I’m not an expert, I can’t say I have even a tenth of the information, and I could be completely wrong in my decision.
Iron heart appears to be a company that supports ethical manufacturing, fair pay for workers, environmentally conscious sourcing and development practices, and just plain appears to treat people well. It’s becoming harder and harder to find clothing companies to purchase from that can say all of those things. So, very grateful to you guys and the work that you do!
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I have an Atom that I downsized as a mid layer, under a IH CPO, for riding motorcycles in the winter. That and my 362 is all that’s needed in the 30f range. I love that thing.