Arc'teryx Acto MX Hoody Review

One day, while reading Jason Kruk's blog, I came across these lines:  "If you read through the archives of this website you will see a distinct lack of gear reviews or blatant product placement. I don't really roll that way. . . .   As an alpine climber, . . . you gotta use the best stuff.  Simple.  Consider this a public service announcement: You need to know about the new Arc'teryx Acto Jacket!"


http://blog.jasonkruk.net/2011/09/acto-psa.html

Arc'teryx Acto MX Hoody, Cardinal Red, $300 retail

I read further and by the end of the post, I was 99.9% sold.  I "needed" to get my hands on an Acto.  Soon after that I came across a second blog post about the Acto, this time from Dane at Cold Thistle.  He said, among other things, "After seeing the Acto I can say I am a little disappointed on the fit and detailing on this $300 garment. And like my previous garment before it, I am not sure I can find a place in my clothing system, either climbing or skiing, that the Acto makes much sense compared to others I now use . . . .   The Acto promises a lot and doesn't do much for me @ $300. The Gamma MX seems a steal at $350 by comparison as does the Epsilon SV Hoody @ $225. "


http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-arcteryx-soft-shell.html


After that post, I was 65% sold on the Acto.  Maybe I trust people's opinions too easily.  But Jason said he had climbed in Patagonia with it and it worked great for him.  I decided the best way (though also the most expensive way) to figure it out was to get one for myself and try it out.  So, I tried one on at Backcountry, decided I needed a Large (I'm 6'2", 185lbs, and Medium fits me well in most other Arc'teryx products).  The medium was just a bit too tight to layer and too short in the torso, which is weird for me because I have a short torso (18").  A month later I was the proud owner of a red Acto MX Hoody.

Size Large with climbing helmet layered over NWAlpine spider hoody.  Fit is trim.  I'm 6'2", 185lbs.

I'm sure, at this point, you understand that I am a bit partial to Arc'teryx products.  Back in the day I had a lot of Moonstone, Mountain Hardwear, and Marmot product.  I never bought Arc'teryx because I couldn't afford it.  Finally, I got a good deal on the Gamma MX Hoody, and I was totally sold on the quality of Arc'teryx.  After that point, I made affording their product a priority.  I have a number of Arc'teryx pieces now, but I'm happy to say that I don't buy exclusively Arc'teryx product.  I shop around through all the brands for what I feel is the best product and buy that.  I still have a number of newer products from Marmot, OR, Rab, NWAlpine, Mountain Hardwear, Mammut and others.  I do still find that attention to detail is usually a bit higher in Arc'teryx products.  Price usually is too.

In the Field

Anyway, I took the Acto snowshoeing the day after I got it.  The weather was in the mid 20s and partly cloudy.  While hiking through the trees I felt comfortable in just a baselayer and the Acto.  It wasn't until I started going  up a long, steep uphill section that I started to overheat.  Pretty soon, however, we were out of the trees and into the wind (about 30 mph gusts).  Whatever sweat I had worked up quickly dried and I was back to comfortable.  I ended up hiking comfortably the rest of the day in just the baselayer and Acto.  The Acto quickly became my go-to jacket for snowshoeing.


A day or two later I took the Acto on its first ice climb.  On previous trips I had climbed in a baselayer, the NWAlpine Black Spider lt hoody, and a gore-tex shell.  This time it was about 20 degrees, slightly windy, and I decided to try just a baselayer and the Acto.  I'd throw on the Atom lt at belays.  I felt totally comfortable the whole time I was climbing.  I even stood under a dripping part of the waterfall for about 10 minutes to check out the water resistance.  Thanks to a good DWR, the water rolled right off.  The little bit of water that didn't roll off quickly froze and fell off.  The Acto quickly became my go-to jacket for Ice Climbing.

Ice Climbing, 4am, Ogden, Utah

A week or so later, my wife said she wanted to climb the Pfeifferhorn in Little Cottonwood Canyon.  Last year we got caught and spent the night (in a tent) in a nasty blizzard on the south face of Ben Lomond.  That trip convinced her she didn't want to go with me to Mt. Rainier anymore.  So when she suggested we go on a winter climb of the Pfeifferhorn, I was very pleasantly surprised.  While packing for that trip, I took the Atom lt out of my pile of clothes and replaced it with the Acto.  It was a hard decision to make.  The Atom and I have become very close over the last few years.  I didn't wear the Acto the first night as we were hiking to red pine lake.  I had a heavy pack and I was comfortable in just a baselayer.  But the next morning I put on the Acto at our camp and didn't take it off again until we had climbed the Pfeifferhorn and were almost back to the car.  The temperature was about 25 degrees that day but very windy, and I was totally comfortable in the acto the whole day.  When hiking up steep slopes, I unzipped the front zip a little.  When resting in the wind, I zipped it up and tightened the hood.  I don't think I got sweaty on that trip, except under my pack.  The Acto quickly became my go-to jacket for mountaineering.

The summit of the Pfeifferhorn, Kelsey in Atom lt Hoody, Me in Acto MX Hoody

The Jacket

The Arc'teryx Acto MX Hoody is designed to be a very breathable, but protective jacket for high-energy exercise in cold weather.  It is made of Aerius Gridloft, which is a lightweight grid fleece laminated to a wind- and water-resistant shell fabric.  Or in other words, take the Patagonia R1 Hoody and make it highly water- and wind-resistant, but don't take away very much of its breathability.

The wind- and water-resistance is due to the tightness of the weave of the face fabric, not a membrane (like windstopper or conduit, etc).  Therefore, it breathes significantly better, though it doesn't block all of the wind.  I would guess, based on my own experience, that it blocks about 95% of the wind.  That 5% that it does let in helps to move water vapor out of the garment and speeds up drying if somebody has already sweat.

The features of this jacket are simple:  two chest pockets, a helmet-compatible hood with two-way adjustment (Needs a different adjustment system, imo.  More about that later), and that's about it.  I absolutely love the simplicity of this jacket.  No pockets where a harness or hipbelt go.  No pit zips (not necessary)  The seams are taped to increase comfort while wearing as a midlayer, not for increased water resistance.  The cuffs and hem are impeccably finished, but I think Arc'teryx could improve the function of those as well.

Two mesh-backed chest pockets

Abrasion resistance on this jacket has been top-notch so far, though it is only about 2 months old.  I have dry-tooled in it and scraped up against rocks and bricks and so far no sign of wear.  Time will tell, I guess.

This Jacket is beautiful.  While ice climbing in it, I ran into a friend.  From about 50 feet away while hiking up toward us he said, "Dang.  What jacket is that?  That looks nice!"  And then he inspected it for about 5 minutes.  And the compliments keep coming.  Pretty much wherever I wear this jacket, people are making comments about how nice it looks.

The Gripes

I love this jacket and I use it almost everytime I go into the mountains, but it's not perfect.  First of all, the cuffs and hem that i said were finished so nicely, need a little work.  I thought I'd love the cuffs (because Arc'teryx always nails the cuffs - see Atom lt), but I don't like that they're not adjustable.  When I climb in them, they're great.  But when I want to put the jacket on or take it off, I have to take my gloves off as well.  I didn't think that would be a problem, but I was surprised how often I would get slightly annoyed that I couldn't get my jacket off with gloves on.  Maybe if they were just a little stretchier.  I'm not sure the best solution, but the cuffs need a little work.

The hem also needs work.  There is no hem drawcord on this jacket.  Again, I didn't think I would care about this when I first got the jacket, but because I usually use this as my outerlayer, I would like to be able to keep cold wind out of the jacket a little better.  A hem drawcord would be nice.

Hem, Cuff, and Material detail

Finally, I think that the hood needs a little work.  It works pretty well while wearing a climbing helmet, but I can't seem to get the hood adjusted right when I'm not wearing one.  I like a hood to move with my head when I turn.  This one doesn't very well, especially without a helmet.  The size of the hood is perfect, but they need a drawcord to cinch the hood to the head from behind.  Again, I'm not sure exactly what the best solution is, but I think the hood needs work.  Arc'teryx has been making the best products for years, I'm sure they could figure something out.

Helmet-compatible hood with two adjustments.  The lower adjustment takes volume out of the hood when not wearing a helmet.  The other adjustment cinches hood around the face.  I think a third cinch from the back of the head would help when not wearing a helmet.

The Verdict

Though not the perfect jacket, there is something to be said about a jacket that is my first choice for almost every outdoor trip, from ice climbing to snowshoeing to mountaineering to looking good at the movies.  This jacket has all but replaced by Gore-tex shell, occasionally replaced my Atom lt, and totally replaced all my other fleece midlayers.

The material is top-notch.  I haven't ever seen or used a better softshell (Arc'teryx calls it a hard fleece) for high-aerobic activities, including my gamma mx hoody.  If I expect to be in absolutely horrendous weather, I still take the waterproof shell.  For everything else, I take the Acto.

Worth its $300 retail price?  I guess that totally depends on your income and how much time you spend in the outdoors.  If  you have $300 to spend on a softshell, this would be a great way to go.  If buying this means your family goes hungry, probably not.

I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.  5 out of 5 stars for the fabric, but 4 out of 5 overall.

NWAlpine Fast and Light Pant

I was finally able to get back on ice again after almost a month.  Unfortunately, extremely busy schedules mean that 3am departures for ice cragging sessions before work and school are one of the only ways for me to get out. 

Phil on Malan's waterfall at 4am; Ogden, Utah

The climbing was great, though I fell asleep in classes and struggled to stay awake at work. When I was packing my gear, I noticed that I have many different jackets for many different uses.  Some are waterproof hardshells, some softshells, some primaloft, some down, and some fleece; each has its specialty, and each one I take for different climbs.  Pants are a different story for me.  Though I have 3 different models of softshell pants, I really only use one; the NWAlpine Fast and Light Pant.  I use these for winter hiking, snowshoeing, ice and rock climbing, etc.  They are the best softshell pants I have found.

NWAlpine Fast and Light Pant

I’m picky about pants.  There are certain features on pants that I feel are key for climbing and other winter activities in the mountains.  There is a certain fit that I look for in a climbing pant, and I won't use the pant for climbing if it doesn't have that fit.  First of all, grommets. Grommets at the hem of the pants can turn a pant into a gaiter, allowing for better breathability around the leg, a lighter and more comfortable fit, and it looks better in pictures J.  Also, heat from your boots will move out the top of the boot and up the leg, helping to keep the pants dry and your legs warm.  Gaiter often trap this heat exchange around the lower leg and mostly build up sweat, the opposite of what you want to happen.  I love gear that can pull double duty and allow me to lighten my pack.  Anyway, grommets=gaiters.  Some pant companies sew nylon loops at the hem of their pants instead of grommets.  This works too.  It’s not as easy to secure and probably not as durable, but it works.  I have had pants, however, that I have put grommets in, but the pant wasn’t long enough or stretchy enough, and the pant impeded movement.  I couldn’t high-step in them.  I only use those pants now for skiing because I never worry about having a gaiter while skiing.  Another thing I am picky about is having a good fit in the waist.  If a pant is too big in the waist, it will either fall down or come out from under a belt and look/feel horrible, especially under a hipbelt.  Most pant companies will either fit me in the waist and be too short in the leg, or fit me in the leg and be to baggy in the waist (though my waist is getting bigger, now that I’m married L).  The only pants I have found to fit well are the arcteryx gamma lt in a medium long and the NWAlpine Fast/Light Pant.  The gamma lt in med long is about the equivalent of  a 32 waist and 34 length.  But the gamma lt’s don’t have grommets.  Therefore, my pick for the best softshell pant:  The NWAlpine Fast and Light Pant.

NWAlpine Fast and Light Pant

These Pants are perfect, almost.  I decided to try out the NWA Fast and Light pant because they are designed specifically for alpine rock and ice climbing.  To be honest, the feature that convinced me to try them is the grommets around the cuffs of the pants.  I went through a stage where I put grommets in all of my winter pants (with some successes and a few big failures).  Now I prefer to buy pants that already have them.  I also like the pocket and waist design on the pants.  First of all, there is only one pocket on the pants; on the right thigh.  This is just low enough that it is not covered by a harness and just high enough that you don’t feel it on your knee.  It is also big enough to securely carry most topo maps, a few snacks, etc.  No other pockets mean they are great for climbing, but not real great for around town.  That’s what levis are for anyway.

Single thigh pocket with items for scale

The softshell material is very stretchy, so even though they are a bit short on me in the leg, they don’t restrict movement while climbing, even with the pants tied down to my boot as a gaiter.

.                          

 I got these pants in a large for extra length but was afraid they would be too big in the waist.  They have sewn in stretch panels on the waist, however, which pulls in the extra fabric nicely.  The waist really does fit perfectly, with a belt.  This is the only pant that fit this well in the waist with a variety of layering options (the pant alone, one baselayer, and even two baselayers underneath). 

Fast/Light Waist with stretch panels

note: these pants are a low-rise fit

 My arcteryx gamma lt pants fit very well in the waist too, but do not grow to accommodate a lot of extra layers underneath like the NWA pants.

The material is also fairly water resistant, though the gamma lt’s do have a better DWR.  These pants dry quite quickly, though, which helps if they wet out.  I have used these pants now for about 8 months and the DWR has pretty well worn off.  While ice climbing in December in fairly wet conditions, the pants wetted out after about 10 minutes on a drippy waterfall.  But, they were dry again in about 10 or 15 minutes of hiking after I got off the climb.  I’m sure if I re-treat them with a DWR, they would be almost as good as new.

Fast/Light fabric wet out after 10 mins, but dried again in with about 15 mins of hiking.

The DWR was great for about the first 6 months of use.

I have only two complaints about these pants, but one of them is really my fault.  First of all, they have a double layer of fabric on the instep for protection against crampons.  That is nice, but I put a crampon point through one of the layers and had to patch it.  I would prefer that they put a more abrasion resistant layer of material at the instep.  But, if you just don’t stick your crampon through the instep, you won’t have any problems.  Don’t know if it’s so much a design flaw as user error.  I do like gear though that is designed for my own stupidity.

Repaired instep

  My Gamma lt pants don’t have instep protection either, but their fabric has a little more stretch and a tighter weave, I think.  When I caught the instep of the gamma lt pants with the same crampons, nothing happened.  No tear.  No mark.  Nothing.

The other complaint is that, though they put grommets in the hem, which is a big thing for me, the fabric around the hem is quite stretchy.  They even put in an extra stretchy section in the hem.  If you’re post-holing in snow for a while, snow will work its way up through the stretchy hem, even when it’s tied to your boots gaiter-style.  I would prefer that they sew in a no-stretch material around the hem so that I can get a really tight seal around my boot and no snow will get in if post-holing for hours.

Stretchy hem (bad design, imo) with grommets (good design)

Even with these complaints, these are still my go-to pant for every winter trip.  I would probably choose my gamma lt pants if they had grommets, but they don’t, so the NWA Fast and Light pant gets my choice.  They retail for about $110, an absolute steal, especially compared to many of the other softshell pants on the market (usually between $150 and $300).  The Gamma lt pants retail for $170.  The Gamma Lt pant is my choice for the best all-seasons softshell pant.  They are cool during the summer, plenty water-resistant for winter, and very comfortable.  They just need grommets.

Check out the NWAlpine Fast and Light Pant here: http://nwalpine.com/fastlight-pant
Make sure to check out the other cool offering from NWAlpine too!
Check out the Arcteryx Gamma LT Pant here: http://arcteryx.com/Product.aspx?EN/Mens/Pants-Shorts/Gamma-LT-Pant#

Winter Layering Part 1

I got home the other night from climbing, changed my clothes, and climbed into bed.  My wife rolled over and said, "You're not going to shower?  Gross!"  I told her that I didn't sweat the whole time I was climbing and I'd showered before I left, so I didn't stink.  She rolled over, smelled me, and agreed I didn't stink and said I could stay.  She then said, "How do you go climbing for four hours and not sweat?"

The key is proper layering

The fact is, the last few times I've been snowshoeing or climbing I haven't sweat (except a little under a pack).  I have sweat a ton less this winter compared to other winters but I've also been getting out a lot more often.  I have found that you have to feel just slightly cool so that you don't sweat.  If you're moving, chances are you will feel good.  If you stop, you may get a little chilled.  That's the ideal.  Before you get cold, throw on a warmer layer over the rest of your clothes.  This is the action suit/belay jacket idea.

A couple good link for more on winter layering:

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2011/09/winter-layers.html

http://willgadd.com/?p=568

Last year I thought I had finally found the perfect winter clothing system.  For the upper layer, it consisted of the Arcteryx Rho LTW as a baselayer, the NWAlpine Black Spider Light Hoody, the Arcteryx Atom LT Hoody, the Arcteryx Alpha LT Jacket (I have the SV but if I had to do it again, I'd get the LT), and finally the Rab Neutrino Endurance down jacket.  Actually, my ideal would have consisted of the Arcteryx Dually Belay jacket, if it wasn't so dad blame expensive. 

NWAlpine Black Spider Light Hoody

Climbing Ogden Via Ferrata in Arcteryx Acto MX Hoody

 Anyway, I felt like this combination of jackets would take me anywhere I would ever want to go (at least in the lower 48 and probably even Canada and AK).  I wouldn't always take every layer with me on a winter outing, but mostly.  For the bottom layer, my ideal system would be the Arcteryx Rho LTW pant, the Arcteryx Gamma LT pant, and the Arcteryx Kappa pant.  The Rho baselayer is plenty of insulation on the bottom layer for hiking and climbing in all but the very coldest situations (0 degrees or colder while hiking uphill or climbing strenuous rock/ice).  For standing around in cold temps (below 20 degrees), I prefer happy pants (insulated pants that make the cold weather climbing experience much more enjoyable).  Almost every company make them, but the best ones have full side zips.  The best I've found are the Arcteryx Kappa Pants (though quite pricy), but the Mountain Hardwear Compressor Pants are quite good as well.  Rab has an updated offering (Photon Pant) that looks pretty nice and I'm excited to try out. 

Mountain Hardwear Compressor Pant

Arcteryx Kappa AR Pant

 My wife, Kelsey, has a pair of First Ascent Igniter pant which she loves and, I must say, they fit her very well.  I originally ordered them for her because I found them online for a good price and I wanted her to enjoy winter backpacking with me a little more.  When they got here I was impressed with the quality of the manufacturing.  The only compaint I have about the pants is that the side zips don't go all the way to the waist.  The men's version don't either.  They are perfect for her because she doesn't do very much climbing with crampons.  I, on the other hand, would pretty much only use them on climbing trips with crampons.  Without full zips, it is impossible to get these pants on and off without ripping them into pieces without taking your crampons off first.  This is, at the very least, a hassle, and at the very most, dangerous, depending on the terrain you are on when you put them on.  Anyway, for climbing applications, get happy pants with full side zips.

So, my layering generally goes something like this:
If the weather is 25 degrees and not snowing:
 and I'm hiking uphill, I wear a long sleeve baselayer (Arc Rho Ltw) and softshell pants. 
If I'm climbing, I throw on a weather/wind resistant hard- or softshell to keep dripping waterfalls at bay.  I really like the Arcteryx Acto MX Hoody or I use the Arcteryx Alpha SV Jacket. 
If I'm resting I throw on the Atom Lt Hoody.  I may layer the NWAlpine black spider light hoody under the atom is I think I'll be sitting around for a while.
If it's snowing, I throw a hardshell over all the layer (with all vents open if hiking)
If the weather is 15 degrees or colder and not snowing:
and I'm hiking uphill--Baselayer, NWA hoody (if not windy) or Arc Acto Hoody (if windy)
If I'm climbing--Baselayer, NWA Hoody, and Arc Acto Hoody or Hardshell (Arc Alpha) OR baselayer and Atom Lt Hoody.  The Atom as a climbing layer is one of my favorite options.

Climbing in Atom Lt Hoody, Middle Teton, October 2010

never overheated, never got too cold

If I'm resting--Rab Neutrino or baselayer, NWA Hoody, Atom Lt Hoody, and hardshell.
If it's 15 degrees or colder and snowing:
and I'm hiking uphill--baselayer, light softshell (Arc Acto) or NWA Hoody (not water resistant, but if it's that cold you shouldn't get wet in it, unless you're really working up some steam).
If resting and snowing--same as if not snowing.  At 15 degrees or colder, there is no need for waterproof.  Even water-resistant is usually unnecessary.  The snow simply won't melt, unless you sit or kneel in it.

I pretty much take the same jackets on almost every trip now.  If the weather is going to be above 15 degrees but below freezing and I'll be moving most of the time, I take a baselayer, the Acto, and the Atom Lt Hoody.  I wear the Atom to climb in if it's near 15, the Acto to climb in if it's closer to 25 or 30, or all three if I'm belaying.
If the weather is below 15 degrees, I take a baselayer, the NWA black spider light hoody, the Acto, and the Rab Neutrino.  I only wear the Neutrino for belaying/sitting around, but I'm always warm. 


Anyway, that is, in a nutshell, how I usually layer during the winter.

What works for me may not work for others at the same temperature.  It varies based on many factors.  Body fat percentage, diet, fitness level, hydration level, etc.  The key is to understand the principles--hike slightly cool, action suit/belay layers, etc., and adjust them according you one's own personal physiology.

Some thoughts on particular pieces of gear that I have really been impressed with (or not) will be on Winter Layering Part 2

Arc'teryx Atom lt Hoody Review

The Arcteryx Atom LT Hoody

I just wanted to share a few thoughts about what has become one of my very favorite pieces of kit.  I have owned this jacket now for almost 2 1/2 years.  My initial thoughts on it when I first put it on were that the fit was perfect, the cuffs were the best I've ever seen for this type of jacket, and the price was very competitive with many of the other synthetic offerings from Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, etc.  A few days later I was using it as a belay jacket while sport climbing in Ogden, Utah (it was October), then a week or so later I used it as my active climbing layer while climbing the NW Ice Couloir on the Middle Teton.  The next week I was using it as a more formal jacket while going to eat at a nice restaurant.  This jacket has been one of the most versatile jackets I have ever owned.

NW Couloir, Middle Teton, WY

It was about 25 degrees Fahernheit while on the Middle Teton.  The wind was blowing about 35 mph from the lower saddle until we got into the couloir and then it died down to about 15 mph.  Normally these temperatures would have been a little too warm to be climbing hard in this jacket, but the wind, combined with the underarm stretch panels, made climbing in this jacket quite comfortable.  It was just the right amount of insulation to not overheat while climbing, and to not freeze at the belays (though we simul-climbed the majority of the route).

Two years later and I am still smitten with this jacket.  My wife was too and often stole it from me, until she got one of her own for christmas.  I have taken this jacket on every climbing and backpacking trip since I got it until just a few weeks ago when my wife and I climbed the Pfeifferhorn above Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT.  I have grown quite attached to this jacket and I have to admit I was a bit sad leaving it behind.  In place of the atom I took the Arcteryx Acto MX Hoody and a Rab Neutrino down jacket.  I figured the Rab would be a little nicer around camp (lows were in the single digits) and the Acto was new and I was anxious to try it out.  I must admit I was very pleased with the Acto.  Stay tuned for a full review.  I need to get more climbing and hiking in it under my belt.

My wife and I on the Pfeifferhorn, UT.  I am wearing the Acto MX Hoody and she is in her Atom LT Hoody.

Back to the Atom.  A few reasons why I love this jacket.  First of all, the fit is incredible.  I am 6'2", 185 lbs., and have a short torso (18" torso length).  I bought it in a medium.  The sleeves are the perfect length, the hood fits nicely over my head without a helmet and very well over a helmet, and the hem drops down to about mid butt in back and a couple inches below the belt in front.  The DWR was intially very good, though it has now worn off.  It still repels snow, and it repelled light rain well for about the first year.  With the hood over a climbing helmet, the hood pulls the front of the jacket up to my nose.  This is perfect for me in cold, blowing weather, and I can easily unzip the jacket six inches to breathe easier or to dump heat.

A few of the features on this jacket include two fleece-backed handwarmer pockets and an internal zip pocket, 60g of coreloft insulation (very similar to primaloft, from what I can tell), powerstretch hardfleece underarm panels, the best cuffs on the market, and a hem drawcord.

About Coreloft:  I was told by an arcteryx rep that coreloft is very similar to primaloft, except the fibers are slightly bigger in diameter.  This allows Arcteryx to use a looser weave in their nylon without coreloft fibers pulling through the shell fabric.  This increases the breathability of the shell.  I would have thought that a looser weave would decrease the durability of the fabric, but in the two years I have been climbing in the jacket, I can't find a single snag or sign of wear.  My wife, on the other hand, has had her jacket for about a month and just found a small snag.  She was using an ice axe for the first time a couple weeks ago, so that may have been the culprit.

There is only one way in which Arcteryx could improve this jacket, in my opinion.  And actually, I don't really think it would be an improvement in most cases.  Anyway, a drawcord on the hood would allow one to cinch the hood down a little tighter around the head for windy conditions.  With a helmet on, the hood is perfect.  Without a helmet, the hood can let a bit of cold air in around the head and can even blow off the head.  A drawcord on the hood would fix this, but I'm still not convinced it's worth the extra weight.  On very cold and windy days, the powerstretch panels can get a little drafty.  In this case a light wind jacket over the top is an easy solution.  The benefit of the added breathability far outweighs this bad side effect. 

To see this jacket in action as well as the fit and features, here's a good, short video from ogdenoutdooradventure.com:

http://ogdenoutdooradventure.com/2011/12/08/gear30-arcteryx-atom-lt-hoody-review/

Also, a couple good reviews from a very knowledgable Dane at Cold Thistle can be found at this link:

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2011/02/arcteryx-atom-lt-hoodyjust-how-good-is.html

and

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2010/12/climbing-sweater.html

I'm convinced that this jacket will continue to be a favorite for years to come.

-Greg, Gear:30