Gamma MX

[divnamite]

the goretex vs softshell opionion must be based off personal experience of severe downfalls of said material. you should really try the new proshell if you get a chance, it really makes up for the pitfalls that brought about the softshell revolution.

Wait till you try an eVent jacket. Rab makes the best. Westcomb blows goats.

 

I bet Westcomb puts the zippers on the correct side.

 

 

Marmot did the same thing. According to Marmot, only one company makes those light weight water proof zipper and the company only makes the wrong side zipper.

[RafalA]

Perhaps this will help, as I've an 'older' MX (2007 model vintage) and have been looking for a good deal to stock up on another one in case this one ever wears out. The below notes concern the hoody only, haven't looked at the non-hooded version.

 

Last year (2009, so 2010 model) I noticed the MX became super-thin to the point where I wondered if it was the same jacket. It had the same cut, same pockets (although one of the chest pockets now had an off-color flash on the edge) but the material was much thinner. It was still PowerShield, but it had to be lighter weight as it was nowhere near as thick or burly as mine.

 

This year (so 2011 model) the jacket is back to using thicker material and feeling more substantial, much like my older piece.

 

Perhaps what you saw was the 2010 model - one that I would definitely reconsider using in winter. Maybe an e-mail to Arcteryx will clear things up?

[Nitrox]

 

Marmot did the same thing. According to Marmot, only one company makes those light weight water proof zipper and the company only makes the wrong side zipper.

 

I have one of THESE and every time I put it on I'm reminded how irritating it is to have one single jacket (out of a dozen) with the zipper on the opposite side.

 

As far as the softshells go, I bought two of the OR Alibi jackets last year and really like them (sold one recently). The jacket has a laminated waterproof hood and top of arms, wind proof front torso, and a highly breathable back and pits (three different types of fabrics used). I don't own a Gamma MX so I can't compare the two directly but I have climbed in the Alibi jacket and it works very well.

 

 

 

 

[bearbreeder]

As far as the softshells go, I bought two of the OR Alibi jackets last year and really like them (sold one recently). The jacket has a laminated waterproof hood and top of arms, wind proof front torso, and a highly breathable back and pits (three different types of fabrics used). I don't own a Gamma MX so I can't compare the two directly but I have climbed in the Alibi jacket and it works very well.

 

 

 

 

the alibi looked sweet .... i already have a gamma sv so i couldnt justify buying another softshell .... pit zips, waterproof top, thumb loop sleeves .. etc .... 260$ regular price ... saw it on sale for 150$

 

i bought my Gamma SV for 250$ at on sale .. regular 350 ... lol

 

if i didnt already have the SV at the time i saw the OR .. sigh

 

the SV is nice but nothing special IMO and certainly not worth the extra 2 cams i could buy with the difference

 

 

 

[layton]

Perhaps this will help, as I've an 'older' MX (2007 model vintage) and have been looking for a good deal to stock up on another one in case this one ever wears out. The below notes concern the hoody only, haven't looked at the non-hooded version.

 

Last year (2009, so 2010 model) I noticed the MX became super-thin to the point where I wondered if it was the same jacket. It had the same cut, same pockets (although one of the chest pockets now had an off-color flash on the edge) but the material was much thinner. It was still PowerShield, but it had to be lighter weight as it was nowhere near as thick or burly as mine.

 

This year (so 2011 model) the jacket is back to using thicker material and feeling more substantial, much like my older piece.

 

Perhaps what you saw was the 2010 model - one that I would definitely reconsider using in winter. Maybe an e-mail to Arcteryx will clear things up?

 

That must be the deal! Im glad someone else thought that jacket was to thin for winter

 

[tomtom]

The cut of the OR jacket blows goats.

[trainwreck]

What exactly wore out on your friends' jacket?

 

The membrane or the face fabric?

 

He wore a hole in the side of the face fabric from harness rub. The worst part was that Westcomb wouldn't warranty it, they fixed it 'for a price.' The jacket was about two months old.

 

He then punctured straight through climbing a chimney, something that pretty much wouldn`t happen with softshell. He ended up replacing it with a hardshell from MEC.

 

I put so many holes in my eVent pants that within a season of light use they were functionally useless. I blame the fact that they were made by Lowe Alpine, but it soured me on the efficacy of the fabric.

 

Perhaps things are different on the coast, but in the Canadian rockies softshell still rules.

 

[Hugh Conway]

He wore a hole in the side of the face fabric from harness rub. The worst part was that Westcomb wouldn't warranty it, they fixed it 'for a price.' The jacket was about two months old.

 

He then punctured straight through climbing a chimney, something that pretty much wouldn`t happen with softshell. He ended up replacing it with a hardshell from MEC.

 

I put so many holes in my eVent pants that within a season of light use they were functionally useless. I blame the fact that they were made by Lowe Alpine, but it soured me on the efficacy of the fabric.

 

Perhaps things are different on the coast, but in the Canadian rockies softshell still rules.

 

wow, shit breaks when you abuse it. And when you pay for a small company with decent products, they don't have the huge margins of a heartless multi-national corporation to replace them on a whim.

 

Oh, what a cruel world.

 

[Doug Shepherd]

He wore a hole in the side of the face fabric from harness rub. The worst part was that Westcomb wouldn't warranty it, they fixed it 'for a price.' The jacket was about two months old.

 

He then punctured straight through climbing a chimney, something that pretty much wouldn`t happen with softshell. He ended up replacing it with a hardshell from MEC.

 

I put so many holes in my eVent pants that within a season of light use they were functionally useless. I blame the fact that they were made by Lowe Alpine, but it soured me on the efficacy of the fabric.

 

Perhaps things are different on the coast, but in the Canadian rockies softshell still rules.

The face fabric is the choice of the company who constructed the jacket. You can bond eVent (just like Goretex) to any number of different styles of face fabric.

 

I put a bunch of holes in my eVent jacket chimney climbing as well. It sucks but that isn't eVent's fault. It's my fault for taking an extremely lightweight hard shell up a chimney.

 

You're right to blame the manufacturer (in your specific examples, Westcomb and Lowe Alpine) for the face fabric choice, not eVent.

[bearbreeder]

you dont chimney in a rain shell and expect it to last ... sorry ... even my goretex pro shell would shred in that case ... its the same as taking yr jacket and rubbing it against sandpaper

 

westcomb does make jackets that are part event and part softshell ... other gear makers such as OR have seam sealed softshells

 

use gear as its meant to be used ... for chimneys schoeller soft shells are probably the most abrasion resistant

 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2010 by bearbreeder

[G-spotter]

you dont chimney in a rain shell and expect it to last ...

 

Been doing it a lot over the last 10 yrs in my 1999 Alpha SV, which is suffering a little bit from DWR related issues but otherwise in one piece and still waterproof

 

It was a factory second too, but I did pick through a box of 50 to find the best one out of those seconds.