Arc'teryx Kappa AR Insulated Jacket - Men's - 2008 BCS

Spring here has been jumping between 20 and 65 degrees this year unpredictably. This jacket has been awesome for it. It's warm enough for the coldest days, but breathes and vents nicely so that you aren't wearing a portable sauna as the temperatures rise. I love it!

This is a great all around jacket. Works well in rain, wind and around town. Packs great too.

Super happy

This is one of the best jackets I own, one of my favorite pieces... And I've tried them ALL. This thing weighs nothing, packs down to the size of a rain shell, totally windproof, water resistant, and extremely warm once the primaloft has expanded to full capacity. When it gets really cold, I layer my Arcteryx Hercules jacket under the Kappa Ar and it shields me down to the negatives. It has Gore windstopper shell, fits/looks like a regular soft shell jacket (quite slim), and dosn't swish and swoosh like down jackets with nylon shells. The fact that the insulation is bonded directly onto the shell means this is not quilted, so you don't have to look like the Micheline marsh mellow man. I can't say much more, this has retired many other shell/fleece combo jackets i have... What more can you ask for... an insulated gore windstopper shell that fits like a fleece jacket and weighs a little more than air. My very next jacket is going to be the Kappa SV from arcteryx.

another great jacket from arcteryx. light weight but warm. great fro the 40 to 50 F range. water resistant. wind proof. athletic to regular fit. definitely not an over sized fit. well constructed. great for weekend sport activity to the casual evening out.

I just got the Kappa AR about a month ago (March)on sale. I am 6'0" and 180. I got a black, large and it fits perfectly. I am very impressed as this is my first Arc'Teryx. It definitely won't be my last.

The fit is slim. I don't like the bulky coats. I'm looking forward to wearing it skiing next winter and experimenting with how much (read: less) I can get away with wearing underneath.

I'll report back.

Here's the list of gear I have experience with for those who like to relate:
Arcteryx Hercules, Arcteryx Easyrider, Arcteryx Kappa SV (love this one), Venta AR and of course the Kappa AR, which remains to be my favorite. I love fleece, but the Kappa AR is more comfortable and lighter than my fleeces: Patty R4 and Denali Wind pro, Windwall2.

I don't go ice climbing, so I haven't ventured into the glory of Arcteryx technical shells (alpha/beta etc.) so I can't comment on combined function with those, but the Kappa AR zips right into my TNF Mountain Light Gortex shell for really cold days. The mountain light has a lot of zippers making it pretty heavy, so the light weight Kappa AR is a welcome combo.

Compared to the Kappa SV, the only difference is Primaloft weight and hood. The gore windstopper shells on both the SV and AR are wonderfully soft, comfortable and weather resistant. Men's get shoulder reinforcements with thicker nylon.

This is a really nice jacket. The combination of built-in insulation with a Gore Windstopper shell really keeps you warm. The Windstopper is fairly water-resistant, but not completely waterproof, so it will keep you dry in snow or occasional rainshowers but not it will eventually soak through in a heavy rain. But on the plus side, it is very lightweight and flexible (as compared with a Gore-Tex shell). The fit is fairly true-to-size, so there's not much room for layering underneath it (but OTOH this jacket works great under a hard shell). It also doesn't look as puffy as other puffy jackets.

The stretch cuffs (as compared with Velcro closures) work well, and actually do a good job of keeping the heat in. I believe that the description is incorrect, because my jacket has just 2 hand pockets and one internal mesh pocket (and not a chest pocket and two mesh pockets) but this is adequate for my needs. Personally, I'm comfortable with this over a shortsleeve baselayer in 20-40 degree weather, or under a hard shell when it is bitterly cold.

Living on the west coast I don't need extreme insulation. This jacket is perfect if you want windproof water-resistance in a good fitting/looking AND light package. If you want to keep warm in a light jacket and maintain good flexiblity this is it. Highly recommended!

This jacket rocks. I can easily wear it in temps to 20 degrees or lower and not be chilled. I forgot my Arc'teryx Sidewinder hard shell on a recent ski outing and only had the Kappa. Thought I might be cold but was toasty warm all day even when the wind blew.

Don't get me wrong, this is a very nice jacket, but the fit seems weird, at least on me. The inside is insulated with sort of a "gray" color. The collar on the jacket is low, and will not keep your neck warm. Overall, it's a good jacket, that has warmth to it with primaloft. I had to return the jacket because of the sizing issue.

I am very impressed with this jacket. I live in Kentucky, so I am not exactly dealing with subzero weather every day. This week has been in the mid-20s and I have been very comfortable. At least I have not had to break out my huge North Face coat - very cool!

This jacket alone is great from 70 degrees to the high 40's. In the rain it stays warm if it gets wet and will keep you dry unless it is a downpour. In freezing temps works well with layers if you are active. It's heat levels are most similar to a fleece. It looks better, handles rain better, and is lighter than a fleece. It's not useful below 20.

I bought it as an insulation layer to put under my softshell when skiing. Most days it's great but when it gets supercold, it's like this layer isn't even there, so be aware of that. Although it is not as hot as I hoped I found myself wearing it every day walking around or driving or in the office as a sweater. It feels very comfortable even in warm temperatures.