The North Face Leonidas Jacket - Men's - 2011 BCS

http://i.imgur.com/FnfWb.gif
size L
thx

Chest 112-120, sleeve length 80, drop 70

Yes it does have a 2 way zipper. I am looking at it on the picture and looking at it on the Leonidas jacket I am wearing right now.

No

Size up, it's a fitted jacket. It's meant to be a light rain jacket, not a winter shell.

I would consider trying it on in a store first. I personally have a hard time fitting anything but a light weight base layer under this jacket because of the "athletic fit". For a person who is my size (5'8" 175lbs) the arm holes are a bit snug if I try and layer too much. Great jacket for what it is though.

Should be a good combo

Yes, but only for a friendly one

i was joking. it just looks extra long.

It's a mountaineering jacket. It zips up high to protect from the elements.

Your LT may be more breathable, but this might be more comfortable because of the stretch nylon.

I hope I'm not too late to be helpful, but there is absolutely no way that this even comes close to comparing to your Alpha LT or any other Goretex Pro Shell in breathability or any other function. All of the other design and material aspects set aside the reasons this will not be as breathable is because this HyVent 2.5 has 300,000-500,000 pores per square inch whereas Goretex like on your Alpha has over nine billion per square inch. You're right in that hard shells are only SO breathable - this is where construction comes in. Eventually sweat condenses since even the most breathable waterproof material is still a modified plastic bag, the question then is what happens with that condensed sweat. In theory a material like HyVent 2.5 is more breathable than a three layer material because the moisture vapor goes straight through the waterproof breathable material without having to go through something else, but it's still going to condense. With a three layer Goretex Pro Shell like your Alpha this condensation can be wicked through the membrane by the third layer, but this jacket, lacking the third layer, will instead let that condensation continue to condense and drip down your back, impacting breathability and reducing comfort.
I hope this answers your question about breathability - if you have any other questions please let me know.

I don't know anything about the jacket you have other than what you could read in whatever description on whatever website.

Having said that, this is the most comfortable jacket I've ever tried on. The fit is slim/athletic and is stretchy. The hood, it's a dream and fits like a glove. If you have a large head, I'd be skeptical on getting a helmet underneath it.

I had the hardest time deciding between this and the Blue Ridge Paclite jacket. The only reason I went with the Blue Ridge is because of the rip stop material. Truthfully, I'll probably eventually purchase this one as well, I really can't get it out of my head how comfortable it is and it meets my windproof/waterproof requirements.

cph,

This jacket is going to be pretty much the same as your Arc'Teryx Alpha LT, just with slightly different fit. Since you want something as a summer, alpine piece, try a softshell that suits your needs (with or without hood, insulation, etc). Softshells are much better at keeping you cool during aerobic activity without losing much waterproofing (though they rarely perform as well against downpours as a good hardshell like your Alpha)

For example: http://www.backcountry.com/arcteryx-gamma-ar-softshell-jacket-womens

Or: http://www.backcountry.com/arcteryx-gamma-mx-hooded-softshell-jacket-womens

Happy trails!

yes, the hyvent shells blocks wind as well as water.

hope this helps...