Arc'teryx Alpha LT Jacket - Men's

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.