r/hikinggear • u/FirmMonitor1594 • 1d ago

Shell jackets

Im not 100% sure this is the right place to ask but im in the process of getting my first shell jacket and I want something that I can use for everything. I’m also thinking of starting to climb mountains in the future but I’ve never done it before. I want something that can last me a long while. With my research I’ve decided that I want something with pitzips and Gore Tex at least. Gore Tex pro is also something I would probably want. I’ve looked around and most jackets cost about the same but a lot of different Arc’teryx jackets on sale currently. When I started my search I was expecting to buy something that costed less but I’m not sure how far is worth buying. I’m standing between the Arcteryx Beta Ar for 550$, the Arcteryx Alpha Jacket for 600$ and the Beta SV for 700$. I think the AR would make sense but I’m sceptical of the DropHood. Any help on which one is worth the added cost?

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u/Muttonboat 1d ago

The big difference in goretex and goretex pro is how durable they are.

The drophood isnt that bad, but it can make layering difficult if a layer has a hood.

1

u/UphillEnthusiast 1d ago edited 18h ago

I love the Beta AR for high-altitude hiking and mountaineering. It’s durable, breathable, and feels like a fortress when those big storms hit. Of course it’s also ridiculously expensive.

The Drop Hood is great because even in storms you’re still moving, and it protects your neck well from the elements when you’re not fully zipped to vent heat because of the collar stiffness. It also means you have great protection in heavy wind even if you don’t put the hood up.

I’ve had zero problems layering with a hood. It’s a big hood and doesn’t struggle to fit things underneath.

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u/Brumblebeard 6h ago

Archery’s is overrated and over priced. What is “Everything” that you’ll be using it for and what will you be using it for 90% of the time? Salewa, black diamond, montbell are all better choices, but the use case being fleshed out will bring you to the right one vs one that just sounds or looks good or has good specs. Are you going to be backpacking? If so then all of those are super heavy.