Two Cents; Issue 6; WAD Tested; Arc'teryx Rush; Summer Review

The Ultimate Test

NOTE: Any review with 'WAD Tested' in the title means that particular piece of gear was with me for a month in the Waddington Range, a remote Canadian wilderness area. In a nutshell, this NOLS course was why gear like this was made.

It is one thing to use a piece of equipment on the weekends, and another thing to depend on it in the most trying of circumstances. Each piece of which I write in this series was put through the paces of the most extreme environment.

If you would like to read about my journey with NOLS, the full story can be found on my other blog: The Bird, The Bauer, The Bum starting under the January 2016 tab.


A Double Threat

The last article that was written was a post touching on the differences between the OR White Room and the Arc'teryx Rush jacket. Originally the White Room was going to become my winter/skiing hard shell. The Gore-Tex Pro provides extra durability to the piece but doesn't overheat when the user is moving. It is a full alpine jacket; the only tell that it is a skiing shell is the snow skirt. More on that later.


Pro's

• Durable 
• Gore-Tex Pro
• Parka Length Cut
• Snow skirt provided the extra protection that an alpine shell does not have
• Velcro was easy to use
• Full storm hood
• 3 Point Adjustable
• Easy to use pit zips
• Large zipper pulls

Con's

• Main zipper was not two ways
• Cuffs were hard to get on over my gloves

Conclusion 

One feature that was a pleasant surprise was the snow skirt. It seems like a weird thing to get excited about when one is doing an alpine expedition. However, after the skirt was snapped closed it kept moisture and wind out and warmth in. It also kept the garment from riding up under the pack's hip belt. If my jacket was on, I had the snow skirt snapped closed. This feature would have been a nuisance had there been climbing involved as the skirt would have been caught beneath the harness. That would have made life uncomfortable. Since there was no technical climbing on this course a garment riding up was not an issue.

While moving in the alpine, one is always wearing gloves, sometimes liner gloves, other times heavy winter gloves. It was easy to use this garment while wearing gloves.  The Velcro on the cuffs was sturdy and could be adjusted without taking gloves off. Arc'teryx also has sewn tails on the zippers that look and feel big when you use them without gloves, but the size is perfect when you have winter gloves on. Translation: adjusting the jacket did not require the wearer to remove his/her gloves. That makes life so much easier, drier, and warmer.

A few slight sticking points that were more of a nuisance than a problem were; cut of the cuffs, and the main zipper not being two ways. Having a two way main zipper has become more common because of the ease of use. For example, if you have to adjust something on your harness you can unzip from the bottom without having to open the shell and expose the wearer to the elements.  Two way zippers also allow the user to wear the jacket over the harness as opposed to tucking it beneath the hip belt. Arc'teryx describes this shell as a 'ski specific piece for the back country'. That said, after my layers were put on it was a struggle to slide the cuff of the jacket over the glove. However, once it was there it was snug and never came undone. Had there only been one or two layers on beneath the gloves, not four or five, it might have been easier. It just goes to prove that nothing is perfect.

Go, No Go

The Arc'teryx Rush preformed wonderfully. While it did have some small 'stylistic issues,' I absolutely will take it out again. It will perform just as well during the ski season, and in any harsh environment where snow is present. As a winter hard shell this coat passes with flying colors, receiving a 4.5 out of 5. No surprise there.

K