Anybody have any information that would render the Arc'teryx Venta SV jacket inferior to the Laser? or the other way around? Thanks.

The Laser is made using Schoeller's Nanosphere Technology which is a coating that gives it a really sweet surface that sheds dirt and water far better than anything on the market. The dryskin extreme wicks exceptionally well and even though it does not say it above I believe the Laser is still made with Schoeller's WB-400 softshell which is crazy durable. The Venta uses Windstopper which will block wind a bit better but otherwise material wise the Laser wins. The Venta has pit zips, the Laser does not, although it does have two front pockets that can be used to vent (they work well for me at least) Arcteryx has cool cuts or fits to their clothing but they have fallen behind on materials (they only use polartec and goretex) Now I mainly buy packs from them when they go on sale but nothing else. As far as jackets go anything from Mammut or Westcomb, or even some Marmot stuff will be better. Westcomb and Mammut are the only two companies really pushing the limits with new textiles and fabrics (such as eVent, C-Change, etc). Hope this helped you some.

Well, Arc'teryx is mostly Chinese made now. So, paying the exorbitant prices for stuff no longer made in Canada seems ridiculous to me. Hope this helps.