Your Ideal Ski Jacket Shell

[dl]

I'm using the First Ascent jacket which is a new, technical line from Eddie Bauer. Not the first place you'd think of for a ski jacket but I found the jacket to fit well, handle all types of weather well and look great. If you go to the Warren Miller movie, they usually offer discount coupons on First Ascent as they were a sponsor of the movie.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I've wanted to try a soft-shell, but I fear that I'll be cold. Do people wear these even if it's 17 to 25 degrees out?

I have WAY too many Jackets... :lol: Mainly Patagonia, LL Bean, and Black Diamond (VT).

Fashionista alert!!

 

[darent]

I have a marmot, cloudveil and a columbia. marmot has a great fit and style, the cloudveil has closer fit, thus you can'y layer much underneath, I only use a patagonia puff, worksmost of the time. I use the marmot and columbia when it is really cold,the columbia has some insulation built in,has the most pockets that are accessable with a pack on.

 

[darent]

Looking for a new shell this year. Preferably, something just the shell, insulation is a non-issue as I will layer a thermal + midweight if necessary. Looking for something a bit more form fitting, my current eight year old north face fits me like a parachute. Was going to get something last year but ended up getting new pants and boots instead, so this year my purchase will be a nice new jacket

What do you guys like? I know I've seen stuff here for Patagonia, Cloudveil ..... I'm not tied to North face but I've always liked the fit of their clothes. Arctery'x is another brand out there but they are a bit more pricey (some are upwards of $5 bills!) but if it's a good jacket that will last me several years then I'm likely OK with it.

Wants:
-Good fit
-Waterproof
-Shell only, no insulation
-Pit zips
-Front pockets
-Probably some form of tightener at the waist, doesn't necessarily need to be a powder skirt but some cinch
-Hood and tall neck zip to keep my chin warm

nick-- the clymb is having a sale on Outdoor Research now. some nice jackets at a good price--Access jacket

 

[Nick]

Thanks for the heads up!!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[gottabelight]

Looking for a new shell this year. Preferably, something just the shell, insulation is a non-issue as I will layer a thermal + midweight if necessary. Looking for something a bit more form fitting, my current eight year old north face fits me like a parachute. Was going to get something last year but ended up getting new pants and boots instead, so this year my purchase will be a nice new jacket

What do you guys like? I know I've seen stuff here for Patagonia, Cloudveil ..... I'm not tied to North face but I've always liked the fit of their clothes. Arctery'x is another brand out there but they are a bit more pricey (some are upwards of $5 bills!) but if it's a good jacket that will last me several years then I'm likely OK with it.

Wants:
-Good fit
-Waterproof
-Shell only, no insulation
-Pit zips
-Front pockets
-Probably some form of tightener at the waist, doesn't necessarily need to be a powder skirt but some cinch
-Hood and tall neck zip to keep my chin warm

What you asked for in your requirements is essentially a description of the jacket I use, the Kuiu chugach shell. It is completely waterproof (with it on I can hold my arm under the tap and nothing gets through), it is made with 4 way stretch material, it is form fitted, it has pit zips, front pockets, it has a bad weather hood that completely seals you up, its waterproof and breathability rating is 20,000 mm / 20,000 MPV, wind proof, Bemis seam tape. Its an amazing jacket, breathes so well and keeps you bone dry. You can only find it online, they sell at wholesale prices. Cut out the middle man (no retail markup), get a better product for a lower price. Their stuff comes in solid colors as well as camo. Although this is a hunting website, it is for backpack hunters going into extreme conditions and they focus on high quality and light weight. Hope this helps with your search for a good shell!

 

[wa-loaf]

Steep and Cheap is doing just jackets tomorrow.

 

[Nick]

^Thanks for the heads up!

 

[ScottySkis]

^Thanks for the heads up!

http://l.mail-steepandcheap.com/YesConnect/HtmlMessagePreview?a=OBwox-qyU1nD94GtmQFJed only certain hours today fyi.

 

[Skimaine]

I have an ancient Obermeyer Jacket that has vents on the fore arm running up just above the elbow. These vents work great for me when I start to overheat. Much better than pit zips. However, I can not find a new jacket with this feature. Obermeyer no longer includes this feature. Any of the jacket junkies seen this feature of late?

 

[Nick]

What are your guys thoughts on insulation vs. no insulation?

I've found a good deal on some Arctery'x jackets.... they have so many friggen models and it doesn't help that I'm sort of in between sizes.

This is the Stingray:


Beta AR:


Theta SV:


Crossbow:


Sabre:


Sidewinder:


What I've noticed: The Theta, Beta are marketed as "all around" jackets, not ski specific. They are shells in the purest sense of the word, the Beta packs into a pouch the size of a water bottle.

From the videos I like the trimmer look of the Stingray and the Beta AR. The Sabre looks to bulky, as does the Theta.

I'm struggling here :lol:

 

[gmcunni]

uninsulated shell (mine is from TNF) with proper layers underneath is fine as low as 20. could possibly go lower depending on the type of weather. i like the lighter shell, feels less bulky. size up slightly and you can fit a warm fleece under and be really warm

 

[Nick]

I think I'm gonna go with the Stingray. Its very lightly insulated. It ends up being that or the Beta AR which I could use year round as a rain jacket as well. The stingray has more ski features though.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[gmcunni]

there is no shame in having a jacket quiver

 

[o3jeff]

Since I'm usually always cold I have both a Marker insulated for the real cold days and also a Marker shell on top of a few soft shell jackets too.... like gmcunni said, nothing wrong with jacket quiver!

 

[Nick]

yeah the budget this year will only allow for one jacket though

 

[ski stef]

there is no shame in having a jacket quiver

Phew. Can you tell this to my boyfriend?

 

[vdk03]

Phew. Can you tell this to my boyfriend?

Is there a difference between a jacket quiver and an obsession/collection.:lol:

Uninsulated is the way to go imo, you can always add layers underneath. The beta (the one that folds into a tiny pouch) I dont think will make a very good everyday ski jacket. To light and not good enough water proofing, it would be saturated in an hour. I think that the ideal everyday ski jacket is a rugged shell with pit zips, and most importantly a well designed hood and collar for optimum face/neck protection.

 

[darent]

:beer:

Phew. Can you tell this to my boyfriend?

I bet that ole snowboarder has as many jackets as you have shoes !!

 

[abovetreeline]

yeah the budget this year will only allow for one jacket though

especially if you are looking at getting Arc' Teryx gear! That stuff is expensive... from people who have had Arc' Teryx gear, do you think it is worth the extra money?