D R I F T N O T E S

12/30/14

9/5/14

Currently my favorite jacket, the +Arc'teryx Beta LT Hybrid is a lightweight, do-it-all jacket. It's a personal taste but I'm a big fan of jackets that have a high collar. It's functional for keeping out cold wind and I think it looks good enough to wear on special occasions.

I use the Beta LT for just about everything. When the clouds look daunting I can roll the jacket into its hood and take it with me fly fishing, mountain biking or mountain hiking. The 'hybrid' concept of this jacket means it's a combination of two types of Gore-Tex and face fabrics. Made with N40r (40 denier nylon ripstop) on top of Gore-Tex Paclite for minimal weight and compressibility and N40p (40 denier nylon plain weave) on top of Gore-Tex Tricot 3 layer in the high-wear areas of the jacket for added durability and abrasion resistance when carrying a pack. Tricot technology is essentially a lightweight liner that is comfortable next to the skin and helps reduce noise when moving around in the jacket.

Gore-Tex Paclite meets Gore-Tex 3L w/ Tricot technology

It's not the lightest jacket out there weighing in at 13.4oz for a size medium but it's design makes it a versatile piece of gear. While the jacket is great for most activities from spring to autumn I wouldn't risk tearing the jacket up on the mountain during the winter. It's definitely wearable out on the town during the winter because it's a serious snow shredder but I feel it's to thin to wear for high-output snow sports.

The fit is what you can expect from Arc'teryx's attention to detailed articulation. Ergonomic 3D patterning enhances range-of-motion and a trim cut fits well without the extra bulk and helps shave those grams.

My only critique about the design is I think the jacket should have a stretchable inner chest pocket because I've found that putting my keys or other semi-sharp objects in the two front zippered pockets can easily damage/tear the thin Gore-Tex Paclite on the inside of the pockets. A stretchable inner chest pocket with proper backing on either side of the pocket would help prevent this sort of problem.

Overall, I think it's a great three season jacket that you can stuff into any size pack. Whether it's your emergency rain shell in the backcountry or your casual cold weather shell in town, the Beta LT Hybrid has the versatility to be the only jacket you'll need. That being said, I recommend buying a Gore-Tex Pro shell for your winter sports.

pros: lightweight, very compact, versatile

cons: not rugged enough for serious abuse, no inner chest pocket

8/27/14

Hooked Up

BIG THANKS to rockies region +Arc'teryx rep Ian Armstrong for a big hook up! Arc'teryx flex-fit hat, Phase AR base layer, apostrophe tee and beanie. It was a pleasure to get to know Ian and learn some of the finer details of the outdoor industry leader, Arc'teryx.

7/10/14

Grand Canyon National Park

15 days, 3,000 miles of road, 50 miles of trekking and 3 national parks

Moments from traveling that changed my life

the bright angel trail

skeleton point

late night fire sesh in the national forest

cousin stephen in ben lomond, ca

big sur + bixby bridge

pine ridge trail to sykes hot springs

sykes hot spring

bridal falls, yosemite

campin' in camp 4

yosemite falls

bachelor pad

zion canyon

angels landing

midnight lightning, camp 4

stephen grabbing photos of half dome

the evening blues

7/8/14

Arc'teryx Sidewinder SV

photo: andrew mccloskey

The +Arc'teryx Sidewinder SV I bought in 2013 is an updated version of the previous severe weather jacket. The major improvement is in the redesigned waterproof Gore-Tex pro laminate. Gore-Tex's 'pro' line of outerwear is known for its extreme durability and ruggedness against the worst weather. Before it was updated the old laminate was made up of a single layer of ePTFE which is essentially a polymer that is stretched a specific way (ePTFE is also known as plumbers tape). The new pro laminate is a two layer construction of ePTFE sandwiching a 'mystery-middle' making it more durable and giving way to add a heavier denier face fabric of 40-denier or more. I bought this severe weather jacket because I needed the durability for the long and intense winter seasons in the San Juan mountains.

Gore-Tex - The original pro laminate was commercially released in 2006 replacing XCR and then modified again in 2012. According to Gore-Tex, they were prompted to rethink the pro fabric when a letter came in complaining of moisture build up in the burly shell. In the new shell breathability has increased by up to 28% and the company even updated the inner lining of the shell with a 'micro grid' backer technology that improves abrasion resistance and adds to the overall breathability of the jacket. Photo below on the left is the Gore-Tex pro inner fabric released in 2006 and on the right is the modified pro inner fabric.

Specifically built for snow sports the Sidewinder has all the essential features. It has a non-removable powder skirt that can attach to my Sabre ski pant via two slid n' loc snap closures. It is a great system that really keeps out the pow. Inside the jacket on the right there is a sizable elastic mesh pocket for goggles and on the other side an internal zippered chest pocket. Equipped with an external chest pocket, sleeve pocket and two waist pockets there is plenty of room for all the things you need for a day on the mountain. The jacket also comes resort ready with a discreet loop for your lift pass and also has non-visible recco reflector.

Overall, the jacket performed as well as I could have hoped. Most notably I never got clammy from moisture build up. I abused the jacket a lot this past winter but you can hardly tell its been used and after riding tree run after tree run and taking a few spills the face fabric has held up with no tears. Strong yet light-weight and packable, the sidewinder weighs in at 585 grams.

The number one thing that sold me on Arc'teryx outwear is the construction. The industry standard for stitching is 8 stitches per linear inch but Arc'teryx opts for about 16 stitches per linear inch making the apparel tough and extremely resilient.

Another reason why I think Arc'teryx outperforms a lot of other companies out there is due to the way they design their products. I work in outdoor retail and so I see lots of people try on the competitors products and then try on Arc'teryx. More often than not I will hear the customer say that the Arc'teryx piece fits so much better than the competitors 'boxy' style. Their e3D enhanced articulation provides additional range of motion and mobility for sport-specific activities.

The least thing I like about the jacket are the drawcords for the hood. I think they should be located on the outside of the jacket so you don't have to unzip to adjust.

All things considered the jacket is a top-tier product and I'm happy to know that I'll have this jacket for quite a while.

pros: 28% more breathable, extremely durable, abrasive resistant, light-weight, space and pockets for gear.

cons: drawcords, non-removable powder skirt.