What's up with Arc'teryx???

[deadheadskier]

I had never heard of their products until getting into the whole steep and cheap thing. The cost of their clothing is OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive. I mean I kind of find it hard to believe that their $550 ski jacket is going to THAT much better than something from Columbia for $150ish.

Something like Bogner I get as you are paying for the 'stylist' Is Arc'teryx sort of the same deal?

[tcharron]

Hence the reason why there is overstock.

Personally, I perfectly happy with 686 gear. I actually prefer it..

[thetrailboss]

Way too expensive. I see very little of it...don't know much about it...

[severine]

I believe quite a few of the Ski Divas are huge fans. But all I know is they tend to size small and theirs is supposed to be high quality stuff. What that translates to exactly I don't know... I don't spend big bucks like that on ski clothes. My last ski jacket was around $100 on clearance (North Face) and my softshell was under $40 from SAC.

[deadheadskier]

I paid $120 for my Columbia before the start of the 03-04 season. Still going strong and never felt the need for anything more 'core' than it.

I have splurged this summer on 3 pairs of fancy smartwool socks, an Ice Breaker base layer and Patagonia mid layer, the latter two from SAC for around 60% off.

....just need new pants and gloves and I'm fully re-stocked on soft goods and probably won't buy any new stuff in that catagory for a couple of years.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

They are really nice jackets and look to be just about 100% waterproof and breathable. The most I ever paid for a ski jacket is my current Oakley which is $240...paying $500+ for a jacket seems a little overboard. In Jackson Wyoming they have a Cloudveil store and that's what most of the locals use out there. I'd pick up a Cloudveil shell or fleece if they were on sale..

[madskier6]

Originally Posted by GrilledSteezeSandwich

They are really nice jackets and look to be just about 100% waterproof and breathable. The most I ever paid for a ski jacket is my current Oakley which is $240...paying $500+ for a jacket seems a little overboard. In Jackson Wyoming they have a Cloudveil store and that's what most of the locals use out there. I'd pick up a Cloudveil shell or fleece if they were on sale..

I really like the Cloudveil stuff but there is no way in HELL I would pay full price for it. I have a great Cloudveil soft shell that I ski in most days & I really like it. I got it on sale at a pre-season tent sale for $100 whereas the list price was something like $300 +. Ridiculous prices.

I think it's the same thing with Arc'teryx. High quality stuff but way overpriced.

[tjf67]

There stuff is very good. I use some of it. My marmot jacket cost 400 or so buck back in 2000. Still going strong other than the broken zipper which is guaranteed forever. I have to send it in.

Its made in BC. Its really cool looking as well. Very popular up here in LP

[drjeff]

Basically, Arc'teryx as I'm told, was founded by a couple of ice climbers who wanted some REALLY technical gear to keep them warm and dry in just about any condition that mother nature could throw at them.

They developed a small following at first, and then some of their gear's popularity first spread to the back country crowd and now more mainstream. From what one of the shop owners at Mount Snow told me, is similair to other high end super technical gear companies(Cloudveil, Marmot, Mountain Hardware), they don't cut ANY corners in the design and construction of their clothing. It's not for everyone, but for those that have it, it's apparently great stuff.

I'd bet that the owners real dream would be for their popularity to explode one day, and then they could do what Spyder + The Northface has done over the last 20 years or so, which is start off as a clothing company that makes exclusively really good, technical stuff and then go mainstream and make, ALOT of "okay" stuff and only a small amount of really good technical stuff, but make a bunch of $$ by branching out a selling their "okay" stuff at big box sporting goods stores.

[drjeff]

Originally Posted by tjf67

There stuff is very good. I use some of it. My marmot jacket cost 400 or so buck back in 2000. Still going strong other than the broken zipper which is guaranteed forever. I have to send it in.

Would you ever go back to a "lesser" coat now that you've had a high end one?? I know I wouldn't. You just don't realize how much of a difference the really good wind/water proof fabrics actually make for your comfort until you've been able to ski/ride in a coat made with them on days like they were designed for.