Well to be honest, I was afraid to wear this jacket after spending so much money on it and realizing how light it is. That being said, this jacket is pretty damn durable despite it's ridiculously low weight. It is as waterproof as can be and while i haven't used it that much yet (I will definitly update my review if anything goes wrong with it) the new gore-tex pro shell seems amazing. I was trying to chose between this jacket and the Alpha SL (which is half the cost) and made with the Pac-lite rather than the pro-shell, which after a bunch of research, I found is not as durable over the long term but it depends on your use. I decided to go with this jacket because I want something that was light and that I can beat up and I plan on using it for mountaineering as well as a light, packable rain jacket. The SL is a great jacket, my roomate has one, but consider your uses before you buy. The only thing you need to be careful about both the alpha's is they are cut short in the front. I am a tall skinny guy and the a L is a little too short for me in the front but I'm keeping it anyway because it will still do the job. Oh yeah, best hood design ever on this jacket. Fits your head snugly yet can fit a helmet, amazing.

I walked around shirtless with just this jacket on in the cold, driving rain. 100% waterproof? Check. 100% windproof? Check. Hood works like a dream and is cleverly constructed to fit your head tightly either with or without a helmet. The style is great too. I don't know what the puffy pads at the bottom rim of the jacket do.

You get what you pay for with this jacket. It is scary light, completely waterproof, and crafted very well. When it rains I like to walk around outside and appreciate how dry I am. In fact, I'm so confident in this jacket that I'll walk around outside next time it acid rains. Think about that.

As I said the jacket is very lightweight, waterproof, but it is also very breathable. I wore some capilene underneath it while skiing in Grand Targhee and was very impressed. It stood up to the variable conditions that I experienced. I'll be taking it to the Boundary Waters next week and am completely confident in it.

The zippers could move with a little more ease, but I think that is the price we pay for watertight zippers.

Great jacket, but it does not have a double slider zipper on the front. they got them on the armpits, but not the front.

Extremely breathable and ultra-light. This shell eats thunderstorms for dinner, and by that I mean it keeps you dry-as-a-bone. Alas, it is one of the declining number of Arc'teryx products still being made in the land of the mounties. I'll be eating pine cones and moss on the trail to balance out the cost though. I look forward to testing it further in the next few months.

I hadn't originally had this shell in mind thinking it'd be too light & fragile or not weatherproof enough, one of the staff talked me into it and the shell's amazing. I'm mostly a backcountry skiier, and most of my time is in NW Montana / British Colombia so fairly cold and very wet, the shell keeps my dry, it's super light & breathable, very compact and fits incredibly well, I'm 5'6" and stalky, the shell goes just below my waist, the arms are the perfect length, and it fits whether over a base layer or a down jacket, the zippers and velcro tabs and drawcords are simple, slim, & durable. The hood is a little roomy, I don't wear a helmet and it's intended for that, but it keeps my dry and mostly stays out of the way when necessary. I'd reccomend this for anything alpine.

Spilled a bottle of gatorade in a pocket, and all of the liquid stayed in the pocked. Didn't soak in or out.

You get what you pay for with this jacket. It is scary light, completely waterproof, and crafted very well. When it rains I like to walk around outside and appreciate how dry I am. In fact, I'm so confident in this jacket that I'll walk around outside next time it acid rains. Think about that.

As I said the jacket is very lightweight, waterproof, but it is also very breathable. I wore some capilene underneath it while skiing in Grand Targhee and was very impressed. It stood up to the variable conditions that I experienced. I'll be taking it to the Boundary Waters next week and am completely confident in it.

The zippers could move with a little more ease, but I think that is the price we pay for watertight zippers.

This is a cracking touring jacket. It is as light as air, inpenetrable to wind and water, breathable with pitzips that are accessible when wearing a rucksack, a decent hood for the cold days and rigid enough not to feel like paper (or an old school cagoule).
I was very impressed by its durability.
One and only gripe is that the main zip is not welded like the other ones, but this is a very minor gripe.

Although I did not buy this jacket from backcountry I thought I would give it a review here since this is the most comprehensive review site. I have had mine for about 2 months and have primarily used it as a skiing shell in the washington cascades. It gets a little stuffier than I would have expected (doesn't breathe as well) when I'm working really hard on challenging ski runs but overall is fairly breathable for being totally waterproof. I used it on a really wet snow day recently and I stayed bone dry after 3 hours and probably 20 or so laps. I also can confirm that the pockets are super waterproof. It's a little bit larger cut than I thought but it doesn't get in the way and I could definitely wear a heavy fleece or synthetic puffy jacket underneath. I am 5'5" and 135# and got a small. Mine is made in Canada. Also, the hemlocks (mentioned on arcteryx site) are basically foam cylinders/tubes in the bottom seam of the jacket (running around your waist) and prevent the bottom of the jacket from riding up and out of a climbing harness. It's pretty cool and totally removable.

Arguably the best combination of waterproof/breathable/durable/lightweight/technical/stylish. It is almost as light as paclite yet more durable and breathable. All the technical features are perfect. I use it mostly for winter hiking but i think it would work for just about any condition that warrants a hardshell. I used it a few weeks ago for a few high peaks where we where on a ridgeline for about 6miles. Heavy wind, blowing snow, and thick spruce trees didn't touch me and i dried out quickly after each ascent witout losing any warmth. I am 220 6ft and large fits great with just about any combinations of layers underneath.

Yes, this jacket is pricey, but you will NOT regret the purchase. I'd say Arc'teryx Alpha LT (fall 2007 model) is the best Gore-Tex jacket currently on the market, wonderfully lightweight yet with all the details you need it to have. Hats off to this one.

Just back from my first real test of the jacket - 10 hours hunting grouse above the treeline in strong winds and sleet. Completely dry under the jacket, everything else soaked to the skin. Very pleased, and it weighs next to nothing.