Price of shell jackets - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by segbrown 

 

You don't really know if they ski only at that hill, though, do you? Or use the jackets only while skiing? there are also many other activities in which one can use a high-end shell, most of which do stress a jacket more than skiing does, that's true. But if you only have one jacket, might as well do everything in it. Including ski at a small hill.

True enough. I always found it trickier to dress for XC in near-wilderness areas than for riding the lifts close to home. Layering, with a good shell on top, is golden for self-propelled work back in the boonies, even if the shell is stuffed in a backpack much of the time on milder days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vladiator 

Hi Snala

 

Thanks for the information.  I think layering may indeed be the way to go.  Do you know if Bivouac gives any discounts at the moment, i.e. any "store discount letters floating around" that may not be widely publicised?

If you are buying a $900 Arcteryx jacket from Bivouac you can pretty much expect some sort of discount just by asking as I doubt they move them very frequently in NZ. That's what I did. Worse case you can trade them off against Kathmandu's advertised prices as well as their top of the line Goretex Proshell jacket (Alopex V2) is the same price as an Arc Alpha SV but with the Summit club discount right now it gets it down to $539 so Bivouac should try to compete with that. If you want the Kathmandu discount letter which will save you even more PM me your email address and i'll send it to you.

It's interesting if you have the time to look at both jackets though as it's pretty clear which one is constructed better and uses more hard wearing materials. As I said above Arcteryx is expensive but over the life of the garment it starts making sense if it lasts longer and performs well which mine has. Still there are a lot of other Gore tex jackets even in the Kathmandu range so you may get by with one of the cheaper ones there too or another brand like Outdoor research, Marmot or North face at Bivouac too.

Forgot to say Macpac is worth a look also if you want to go Event as a material as they have a range of options too. They do a lightweight down liner as well.

There is a good article here on pros and cons of the different outer materials if you are interested.

http://blistergearreview.com/articles/outerwear-101

You have recieved some great replies here so hope this hits the mark.I ski north of the border,Canada most of the time and must say at 50 it takes something special to get me out at -25 c.That said when this happens i prefere the insulated jackets.I have a Phenix that retails at $1299.00 and a Descante that sells for a grand.These jackets are the dogs bollocks using advanced materials and it shows in the MSRP.Never repeat never pay those prices.When it comes to shells bar none Cloudviel RPK puts everyone to shame.Half the price of the others and twice the quillity.I own some Artereyx and TNF and seeing like items togeather is night and day.Cloudveil.com you will be very happy,bullet- proof gear for real mountain people

Theta is a slightly longer jacket than the Alpha, especially at the front and has a slight collar as well as the hood that does up to your chin. The Theta AR is still made of 3L Pro shell though. Some of it is actually made from the same as the Alpha SV face fabric material but some parts use a lighter weight fabric. Still, it has reinforced shoulders, arms etc though so you should be fine. 

Which is better?, the will both work fine, you just need to decide what shape jacket you prefer.

They only have the Alpha SV in black online by the looks left. The Theta AR in a few more colour options though.

I'm in Australia so am similarly held to ransom when buying ski gear. Both Sierra Trading Post and Level Nine have many options although Sierra recently upped their shipping fees considerably and in my view unfairly.

Level Nine have some great prices on cloudveil gear and reasonable shipping especially for larger orders.

I bought a Marker Helios shell jacket from Sierra last year for about $200 incl shipping to AU. Goretex, recco bar, removable powder skirt and hood, fully taped etc etc. Same model sells locally for over $500.

I ski in arcteryx alpha LT. Put around 200 days on it by now. Still looks brand new. I ski mostly interior BC and spend lots of in the trees. Broke off lots of branches, zero damage to the jacket. Also keep in mind that I broke 2 bindings, 1 boot and shredded a pair of pants this year, so I'm not exactly light on my gear. Pretty shocked at how indestructible the LT is. I guess it makes sense since it's made to hold up against rocks, which tend to be pretty abrasive. 

It's obviously super light and isn't very warm. A good laying system is key. I use a wool base layer medium thickness on most days. Ultralight down jacket on cold days. Thought I would miss not having a powder skirt but that's not a problem. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by vladiator 

Again, thanks for comments everyone.

 

Just an update.  Having read comments here and on trading sites such as Backcountry.com and SierraTP, I got a bit facinated by Arcteryx.  In NZ I could only try Alpha LT/SV and Theta LT/AR versions.  I would not want to buy them here, however, because they cost on average more than US$600.

 

Then, browsing Amazon, I saw Theta SV being discounted to US$300.  I jumped at the opportunity and bought one.  Even if I am required to pay NZ customs tax and duties, it should still be about 40% savings.

 

Now I am both excited and slightly worried.  Excited about actually receiving the jacket.  Worried about the sizing.  I am 5"10, 41" chest, 38" waist, and 40" hips and when I was trying on various Arcteryx models in NZ, the best fit was Medium Theta AR - with an insulation layer it was not tight, but at the same time I was not sure if I would be able to fit an additional layer (which would unlikely be required in NZ anyway).  I have read that Theta SV fit is substantially looser.  I purchased a medium size (just like I tested with AR version), but now I am worried that I might find myself looking like wearing a plastic bag.  However, the idea of purchasing a Small size, which i never wear, seemed preposterous! :)

Better thing to do now is to wait for the jacket... don`t worry about it before you have a chance to try it! Worst case scenario you go to ebay and make some money selling it :-)