Jim in Idaho

Nice looking jacket, warm and fully featured. The one thing I don't like about all Arcteryx jackets and zip pullovers is the neck. Seems to me they are always much larger than they need to be and much larger than the other brands. Arcteryx needs to either change the tailoring in the neck or provide a neck drawcord. Although not quite as good looking, the Patagonia R2 is a trimmer fit and the neck closure is much tighter giving a better seal when fully zipped. Overall, I'd spend my money on Patagonia if I had it to do all over again.

I find the pants to be very breathable for me and a good fit, however there are a number of improvements that Patagonia should make: (1) Get rid of the drawstring with the cord lock. The pants do not stay up on me when I am wearing a pack, and the cord lock slips. (2) Put deeper pockets in the thighs so that you can get your hands in them and things don't fall out when unzipped. Both of these features are found in the Guide Pants which I rate much superior and of heavier material making them better for cooler weather use.

I admit, I was concerned about this pack's ability to carry a load comfortably after reading another review and from talking to another vendor. I used the on-line chat help and was assured from their customer feedback that this pack was "bomb-proof". I purchased the pack and have since used it numerous times hiking and snowshoeing on steep, rough trails with loads of 12-20 pounds, often with snowshoes strapped to the sides. The pack carries the load extremely well, the packstraps and waistbelt are very comfortable, workmanship is excellent, and I love everything about the pack, although I have not used the hydration sleeve. The toughness of the materials used allow me to crawl over, through and under windfall without any worry of pack failure. I would definitely recommend this pack.