Reviewed by: Skyislander(Unregistered User)
,
Backpacker
, from Tucson, AZ
Price Paid:
$259.00
at Sierra Trading Post Summary:
I saw two of these, sized large, XCR goretex, sitting on a rack at Sierra Trading Post Outlet and nailed one of them at a great price. Would I have paid full price for this? Hmmmm....Maybe.
This jacket is designed for downhill sports, with re-inforcements along the back, sides, and arms. It's part of Arcteryx's "descent" line-up. I found it to be really light and efficient.
I used it-- so far-- for snowboarding near Lake Tahoe. The snow was great, the weather miserable-- cold, driving ice-rain/snow, but the jacket was awesome, breathed well and kept me dry.
The hood folds into a stand-up collar; it is interesting because it has one integrated drawcord at the back that was fairly easy to negotiate even with gloves on. Arcteryx jackets always seem to have great hoods that move when you turn your head. This design, while more ecomomic, seems to move a tad less, but it's still good.
The jacket has no storm flap over the main front zipper-- it didn't need one. It has a "water-tight" front zipper, and it worked... it was... well...water-tight.
The Minuteman doesn't come with a powder-skirt-- try another "descent" model if you want one of these-- but it has two nifty cinches at the waist that you just pull down on to tighten and squeeze the plastic pulls inside the hem to release. Very techy. It kept the snow out.
There is an inside pocket that is great for a wallet, and a pocket on the arm that fits a small device such as a cell/radio phone, small GPS or disposable camera.
The reinforced fabric on the jacket would, I think, stand up well for day-hiking through brushy areas. The jacket also makes for a low-key "around town" rain jacket.
The cut of the jacket allowed for a thick fleece jacket underneath, and still permitted fine mobility of the arms with full range of motion.
The bottom line: Arcteryx makes great jackets, and they are really well-designed for their specialized use and amazingly well-crafted. If you want a light, efficient, down-hill jacket for snow-sports and hiking, this is a good bet. If you need/want something for heavy pack-use, consider another Arcteryx "ascent" model jacket with reinforced shoulders. I might rank this as my favorite rain parka/jacket, because:
* It's light-weight
* I don't get caught in the rain, much, while back-packing, so I don't really need reinforced shoulders for packs;
* it works great for down-hill snow sports and for any activity that uses fanny packs as opposed to heavy pack use;
* it looks "casual" and is more subtle for around-town rain-wear
* it lives up to Arcteryx's reputation for design, tailoring, and durability.
Arcteryx makes amazing gore-tex jackets, and I'm not so sure they are priced that much more expensive than anybody else's; It's just a lot harder to find them on sale. Customer Service:
Sierra Trading Post has great customer service and wonderful warranties. I had another Arcteryx product that I tried to get help with directly from Arcteryx. I tried contacting them on their website and never got a response; I tried getting another store to get some joy from their field rep, but they both blew me off (the other store was a local high-end gear store). Sierra Trading Post, on the other hand, gives me a high level of confidence that if something goes wrong, they will do everything they can to make it right. Similar Products Used:
other back-packing parkas including Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, Moonstone, and Arcteryx.
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