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Has anybody had experience with Arcteryx's millitary line of clothing? If so, how does it compare with the regular stuff?
Bit of conflicting info online, and it would be nice to know how it fares in NZ conditions.
https://leaf.arcteryx.com/home.aspx?...ca&language=en
Thanks.
Nothing insightful to add but Honestly don't know how jackets can be work so much? Do the wash and dry your undies or something too?
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What undies can't afford them after buying that jacket :D :D :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Wildman
Looks good but not cheap... (2K for a down jacket :wtfsmilie: and that's canadian)
I'd be checking out Kuiu and sitka latest offerings Thu seem to have been getting a good reputation over here, I'm really happy with their stuff I've got
With Arcteryx you're paying quite a bit for R&D. They've got most other manufacturers by the horns as far as innovation goes. I agree that it's expensive.
Yeah, I had a chuckle at the price of the down jacket too - but it looks solid. More suited to extremely cold but dry conditions (i.e the Arctic) than NZ's fluctuating conditions.
I'm not too interested in Kuiu, but I have thought about Sitka. I've just become a bit wary of the camo/hunting brands ever since buying a few of the Kiwi brands and being sorely disappointed.
Up until now I've been running Farmlands gear. Durable and reliable, albeit heavy and bulky. Now I'm looking at some light weight but bomb proof gear.
@223nut - What sort of environments have you used your Sitka stuff in?
I would recommend Firstlite. It's has been tried and tested in of a variety NZ hunting conditions. Have a chat to Cam from Points South.
The cost of the gear in the OP is crazy, you can source gear of equivalent quality for far cheaper in my opinion.
The other option for high quality gear is Earth Sea Sky, all NZ made. They source the best fabrics from around the world, reasonably priced and great service. I have other options & experience in this area, PM if interested.
Stoney creek puffa jackets seemed popular with farmers around waimate and kurow over the winter if thats any help. This soft north islander definitly could have done with one a couple of nights spotlighting till 1am.
Wear on Earth do custom down wear that has a great rep. Cactus down jackets are built like all cactus gear..
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Cactus are Wear on Earth;)
Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll look them up. I'm familiar with Cactus.
Have personal experience with Arcteryx gear. Incredibly well made and disappears when you wear it leaving you to get on with the job. You need to talk to the bank manager to get a piece but they occasionally come on sale at Bivouac or troll online shops.
Warning rant follows. And it’s Long but I think outstanding service should be acknowledged and commended.
I might sound like I’m sponsored but I’m not. Only have a few of their pieces but have them for years and they are my go to or daily wear.
The warranty is also incredible. Had a jacket for 15 years approximately. Daily wear. Still looked sharp but some of the laminating was coming undone. I knew it would not be under warranty but contacted them for information and advice on how to repair it. FAST responses with a customer service personal who introduced and named himself(this part is important later). A couple of questions later and photos exchanged and they said it was their workmanship and would send a new one. Pick a colour and size! At this stage I was shocked and asked how much. Under warranty. Jacket was no longer made or in stock (it was that old) so they suggested a replacement that was at least a hundred dollars more! After confirmation of colour and size they DHLed the jacket to me and I got it in two days. Unbelievable.
But wait there’s more. All they asked was I destroy the existing jacket and send photos. When I told them it was still in good wearable nick they said send it to them. Tell them how much the courier cost and they will reimburse in goods, and repair the old one to donate to SAR or outdoor gear for at risk youth to get outdoors... what a company.
For this experience I would shout out to Arc’teryx for being an incredible company to deal with. Again I state I am not sponsored. Every item I own I bought with many hours of labour [emoji28]
And there’s more!!
This is in stark contrast with some gear I have made by American companies. One pack and one blade. Problems with materials. When contacted their immediate response was we have never heard of this problem before so it must be neglect, misuse or abuse. And no amount of reasoning will get them to look or even take it into consideration that it could be their shoddy product.
They absolutely would not say who I was dealing with, just an unknown customer service person. No care or responsibility.
And my main intention was to bring it to their attention. So they can fix the problem.
In my opinion Made in America is what Made in China used to be. I rather buy Made in China at the moment. I was that disgusted by the produce but more so by the arrogance.
Sorry for the Long rant but this experience got my gall up. If you get to this I would give a thumbs up to Arcteryx ( and Cactus from NZ btw) and a double thumbs down to the American manufacturers.
I was wondering about naming and shaming but what were people’s opinion to this?
If you’re talking about a particular experience you’ve had with a particular manufacturer name away by all means. Not much point telling the story otherwise if you ask me. :)
On a side note. Arc’teryx is a Canadian company. Not American.
What are other people’s experience with feedback or warranties with other gear manufacturers?
I have been looking for this Brand via my contacts in East Europe (for Frodo) I have found it - but some items state "Made in China" and other saying Made in Canada.Quote:
Originally Posted by Damnitchy
Is it the same product or a replica coming out of China - China - if strict manufacturer quality controls etc etc are followed can and do produce top quality workmanship and product.
There does seem to be a price difference between the two options
@Sarvo, Arcteryx is a Canadian company, but in 2001 they were bought out by the Adidas owned Salomon group, expanded their product line, and began outsourcing their mountaineering/outdoor line of clothing to China, Bangladesh and Vietnam (and Greece, I think). Going by reviews, the quality hasn't taken a hit - it had more to do with efficiency of manufacture and scale.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarvo
The LEAF (Law Enforcement & Armed Forces) line of clothing on the other hand is still made in Canada.
The only tangible difference between the two clothing lines is that the LEAF stuff is built to withstan higher degrees of abrasion and harsher chemicals, sweat etc, and they come in more subdued colours. They also have a slightly looser, less athletic fit than the outdoor line. Probably because of how many doughnuts your typical CIA operative eats on a daily basis.:thumbsup: It is however priced similarily to the mountaineering/outdoor clothing.
B)
@Damnitchy - thanks for all the info mate. I've been reading similar accounts from other people, where they've sent in garments up to a decade later and recieved brilliant customer service. For a company as large as Arcteryx, that's quite impressive! Kinda makes the upfront costs seem a little easier to swallow.
I've seen the Arc'teryx LEAF stuff through work, looks great. Half of the reason I went out and bought a normal Arc'teryx jacket for personal wear.
Can I ask what exact model you boughtQuote:
Originally Posted by Sonicjoe
Bloody @Frodo got me hooked on this stuff and doing a bit of research and sorties on it
@Sarvo either the Beta or Zeta - cannot remember off the top of my head sorry.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarvo
I've got quite a bit of Arc'teryx stuff, mostly the LEAF. IMO, the are the best outdoor clothing company. Being a bit Canadian, I may be biased though.
Haven't seen any real difference in the quality between LEAF and non-LEAF. The real difference between the two is the functional design and of course, colors. Unless a piece has a design feature that you need/want, you can't go wrong with the standard stuff.
Keep an eye out for US retailers sales, you can often get them half price or so. You will need to use a freight forwarder to get around the shipping restrictions Arc'teryx imposes.
I picked up a couple of their jackets when I was living in the UK its great stuff but I'm not sure I could afford it now, importing/ buying in NZ.
I'm comparing an Earth Sea Sky jacket and an Arcteryx Alpha AR today. I have a feeling I'm going to go with the Earth Sea Sky, though. Amazing hood design, supposed to be really hard wearing. Good NZ company.
Tried the Arcteryx Alpha AR, the Earth Sea Sky Zeal and the Earth Sea Sky Hydrophobia yesterday. Arcteryx is very light and packs down small but also relatively close fitting - not a huge amount of room underneath for layering. The Zeal is great, more roomy but heavier. More traditional with storm flaps to cover zips. Both of these jackets are quite short. And then I tried the Hydrophobia - a lot cheaper and a lot more traditional with a long cut to mid thigh. Your classic tramping style coat as opposed to alpine style for the other two. All these coats are good fabric and really well made.
I have the Hydrophobia, great jacket. Very high end material + workmanship. It would make a great jacket for Westcoast.