Made for the steeps and deeps

By J. Troxell Ranked #79 - Men's Ski Jackets March 17, 2009

Put this jacket on and it is clear that it was designed for some serious skiing in serious conditions. The high neck, a massive hood, long length and roomy cut all say that this jacket was meant to be out where the powder is deep and the weather is tough. Putting this jacket on out east almost made me feel obligated to jump on a plane for Utah or Colorado to use this jacket in its natural environment. The jacket has an almost baggy cut – it is clearly roomier than either of the Sidewinder jackets. It might not enhance your figure, but you could get a lot of layers on underneath this shell when necessary. If you are hitting the backcountry, this is the jacket for you.

Pros: internal cinch on the neck allows you to take out the gaps that typically form between the jacket collar and your neck. I really wish that Arcteryx put this on more of their jackets. The collar is high enough that you can easily tuck your nose behind it if you need/want to. Again great for deep snow and windy days. The hood stows easily in the collar; this hood is easily capable of going over a climbing or skiing helmet and it has plenty of adjustments to make it fit right. This shell is also surprisingly light I really can't figure out how this shell has so much more material at the collar, hood, overall length of the shell and the spacious cut, and yet on my scales this shell weighs less than the Sidewinder AR. Pretty neat trick! This jacket has a very ski-specific design to provide maximum with a great compromise between durability and weight.

Cons: the single-minded design of this jacket might make it a little less popular for most people: the high collar isn't going to work for everyone.

View Details: Arc'teryx Stinger Jacket - Men's DO NOT USE

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