Arc'teryx Kappa Jacket Review at Cold Thistle

As I have mentioned before, I often look to Dane Burns' blog, Cold Thistle, for advice and opinions about gear, technique, etc for apline climbing.  Though no blog is perfect and I don't always agree with his opinions, I usually do and I tend to trust his opinions more than most other climbing blogs.  It is worth thoroughly investigating his blog if you're an ice/alpine climber and you haven't already.  Dane has years of experience with alpine and ice climbing and knows gear as well or better than anybody I know of.  Here's a link to his blog:

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/

With that said, I just read a good review of the Arc'teryx Kappa Jacket on Cold Thistle.  It was not written by Dane, but by Rafal Andronowski, one of Dane's friends.  I have been curious about the Kappa Jacket for a long time, so it was nice to read a good review on it.  I thought I would pass it along.  Here's the link for the review on Cold Thistle, where I first read it:

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2012/03/arcteryx-kappa-equation.html

and here's the link to check out Rafal Andronowski's blog, where the original gear review was written.  Both blogs are worth checking out:


http://blog.rafalandronowski.com/

Crampon fitting tips from Cold Thistle

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again.  I really enjoy Dane Burns' blog, Cold Thistle.  If you like ice and alpine climbing, check it out.  He has a lot of experience, good advice, good opinions (that I agree with about 98% of the time), great gear reviews and comparisons, etc. 


http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/


Today I noticed a post of his about crampon fit, which reminded me of a different post of his that I'd read last year about fitting crampons.  It's an important concept.  Worst thing I can imagine is being half way up a route and have your crampon fall off.  If you ever climb in crampons, check out this post, it's worth your time.


http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2011/01/your-crampon-fit.html

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.

Great morning turns bad. . .

Just got back from climbing Willard Waterfall with Phil and my father-in-law.  It was my father-in-law's first time ice climbing and he did very well.  The waterfall has melted out quite a bit over the last couple weeks and there are now some small sections of mixed climbing to make things slightly more interesting.  The temps were pretty warm which made for plastic ice and warm bodies.  Quite an enjoyable morning, until. . .


When I got home, I ate some breakfast and got on the computer to read some of the climbing blogs I frequent.  I first went to Cold Thistle (www.coldthistle.blogspot.com), one of my favorite blogs.  I read the title of the post: "Bjorn-Eivind Artun and Stein-Evar Gravdal RIP," and my heart sunk.  I have often read about these two climbers and some of the incredible routes they have done.  They truly were some of the greatest alpine and ice climbers of our day.  I pray for the friends and family of these two climbers that they may feel comfort during this difficult time.  They will be missed.


For more information about these two climbers and the routes they have climbed, Dane at Cold Thistle has posted some good links.

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2012/02/bjrn-eivind-artun-and-stein-ivar.html

Also, a cool, short video and pictures of these two climbers in Norway climbing some massive ice routes:

http://ut.no/artikkel/1.7477846


It is sometimes difficult to accept the fact that mountain sports, especially at such a high level of ability and commitment as these climbers,  are dangerous.  Each time one heads into the mountains, that person willfully increases the risk to themselves.  I have heard many stories recently of skiers and climbers killed in avalanches, falls off of ice, etc.  Even a good friend of mine just got back after a somewhat close call on the Grand Teton.  It is sobering.  And when others ask me why I or anybody else would be crazy enough to ice climb or backcountry ski, sometimes I struggle to find an adequate answer.


But the fact is, many of the very richest and most rewarding experiences I have ever had have been in the mountains.  Life, to me, wouldn't be worth living without experiencing moments like that every now and then.  So I am grateful to people like Bjorn-Eivind and Stein-Evar (and many others) who have lived their lives in a way that has inspired me to seek out such rewarding experiences for myself.  It is unfortunate that their lives have ended, but I am convinced they have even greater experiences awaiting them.

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