{"id":9252,"date":"2016-09-07T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2016-09-07T15:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=9252"},"modified":"2018-11-11T21:53:58","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T05:53:58","slug":"gear-review-womens-arcteryx-alpha-sv-jacket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/gear-review-womens-arcteryx-alpha-sv-jacket","title":{"rendered":"Gear Review: Women&#8217;s Arc&#8217;teryx Alpha SV Jacket"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"cb-itemprop\" itemprop=\"reviewBody\"><p>As a former Cascades mountaineering guide, I\u2019m used to coping with wet conditions in the mountains. Over time, I\u2019ve come to believe that there\u2019s no such thing as the perfect hard-shell jacket for every possible scenario\u2014some shells may be extremely light and packable, but not as protective and durable over time. Others, more protective and long-lasting, but not as light.<\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" lang=\"en\" data-widget-id=\"Fxc7LPoFIOjrjh6CqKMRgpbYQ5Sx6dPB\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"true\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\" data-custom-css-url-override=\"\" data-custom-js-url-override=\"\" data-widget-version=\"v1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d28m5bx785ox17.cloudfront.net\/v1\/img\/ItJNGHgYgu34UfqG8xw8LUdiVXZwWQa8Fdi04fNgX7o=\/d\/l\"\/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" async=\"\" defer=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/d30bopbxapq94k.cloudfront.net\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Photo by\u00a0Caitlin Brown.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re out consistently in harsh, wet conditions you want a hard shell that will stay with you for the long haul. The Arc\u2019teryx Alpha SV jacket will do just that, and is a hard shell particularly suited for alpine climbing, mountaineering and skiing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" lang=\"en\" data-widget-id=\"6zPPpWJKsn9xXgaFlR8Ixn8ZLefU5IWL\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"true\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\" data-custom-css-url-override=\"\" data-custom-js-url-override=\"\" data-widget-version=\"v1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d28m5bx785ox17.cloudfront.net\/v1\/img\/uda0jD1RXCaYIxjw8j5odtfcJyQRB0pI18m91xIilCI=\/d\/l\"\/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" async=\"\" defer=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/d30bopbxapq94k.cloudfront.net\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Photo by\u00a0Caitlin Brown.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Right out of the box, I could tell this jacket was built with alpine climbers in mind. The hood is large enough to accommodate a climbing or ski helmet, and is highly adjustable with cinch cords at the back of your head and on either side level with your collarbone.<\/p>\n<p>The pockets sit up high so that they\u2019re easy to access when you have a harness on. It also has a water-bottle pocket on the inside, which I consider essential for climbing cold mountains like Denali, in order to keep your water from freezing.<\/p>\n<p>The jacket runs large enough to accommodate additional layers underneath, a huge plus for cold or changeable conditions, and the long cut makes it easily fit under a harness.<\/p>\n<p>I found the jacket to be extremely weatherproof while testing it on a peak-bagging trip in the California Sierra. During a sudden rainstorm at Burro Lake, the jacket\u2019s waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex\u00ae Pro fabric and waterproof zippers kept me toasty and dry, and the firm brim of the hood kept the rain from getting in my eyes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" lang=\"en\" data-widget-id=\"4zV9lFOqLwJIGlJqjwgFFkA9gaB8dufi\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"true\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\" data-custom-css-url-override=\"\" data-custom-js-url-override=\"\" data-widget-version=\"v1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d28m5bx785ox17.cloudfront.net\/v1\/img\/uYh3N7cwbPEjj9dJLJaF8VJvQn4jTaK8E15bAG5xhE4=\/d\/l\"\/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" async=\"\" defer=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/d30bopbxapq94k.cloudfront.net\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Photo by\u00a0Caitlin Brown.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The jacket stood up to the wear-and-tear of scraping against rocks on a series of third-class rock scrambles, also did a great job of blocking the wind as I traversed the alpine ridge leading to the summit of Madera Peak. As conditions went from rainy and gusty to warm and sunny, I appreciated that I could just open up the large pit zips and continue on, rather than having to stop and take off the jacket altogether.<\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" lang=\"en\" data-widget-id=\"DkKFVq3bXXqauY6OlMqYyFphcSIh7AMy\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"true\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\" data-custom-css-url-override=\"\" data-custom-js-url-override=\"\" data-widget-version=\"v1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d28m5bx785ox17.cloudfront.net\/v1\/img\/EWHsVC6BbeLKSEa8q-q1lt5ihFZHZa7Y3z2jPnfuYHY=\/d\/l\"\/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" async=\"\" defer=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/d30bopbxapq94k.cloudfront.net\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Photo by\u00a0Caitlin Brown.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>One possible problem area I noticed for long-term alpine use: the Velcro\u00ae wrist straps that you tighten to block out wind and water. In my experience, Velcro is mediocre in the rain and performs terribly in the snow, as the divots in the Velcro fill with moisture and it gets less and less grippy over time. In the future, Arc\u2019teryx might consider old-school buttons or elastic cuffs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"curalate-widget\" style=\"margin: 0 auto !important; position: relative !important; max-width: 1080px !important;\" lang=\"en\" data-widget-id=\"1JZ8XpWqMBXisT5StdUEKcrjsOhHsjBW\" data-active-product-icon=\"tag\" data-stretch-to-fit=\"true\" data-shop-button-text=\"SHOP\" data-auto-show-products=\"true\" data-replace-tabs=\"false\" data-custom-css-url-override=\"\" data-custom-js-url-override=\"\" data-widget-version=\"v1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"curalate-widget-image\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/d28m5bx785ox17.cloudfront.net\/v1\/img\/z52QEWPB3dIJ8kRfeD8UUCNSiI_x-IUu2usIdTtuJ3w=\/d\/l\"\/><script class=\"curalate-widget-script\" async=\"\" defer=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/d30bopbxapq94k.cloudfront.net\/js\/curalate-widget-client-all.prod.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Photo by\u00a0Caitlin Brown.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The biggest downside of this jacket is its list price: It\u2019s two to three times the price of the rain jackets of many competitors. Because of the cost and the weight (several ounces more than competitors\u2019 jackets), the Alpha SV would not be my pick as a back-up layer for climbing in Red Rock Canyon or for a weekend hike with a chance of rain. But it is the jacket I would choose to keep me dry throughout a season of ice climbing or for an ascent of Denali, where you one hundred percent need to depend on your gear and don\u2019t mind trading a few ounces (or a few dollars) for peace of mind.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Shop the Arc&#8217;teryx Alpha SV jacket in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/product\/104837\/arcteryx-alpha-sv-jacket-womens\" target=\"_blank\">women&#8217;s<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/product\/102818\/arcteryx-alpha-sv-jacket-mens\" target=\"_blank\">men&#8217;s<\/a> at REI.com.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Disclosure: I received payment from REI to complete this review.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a former Cascades mountaineering guide, I\u2019m used to coping with wet conditions in the mountains. Over time, I\u2019ve come to believe that there\u2019s no such thing as the perfect hard-shell jacket for every possible scenario\u2014some shells may be extremely light and packable, but not as protective and durable over time. Others, more protective and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":9256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[168,352,277,651],"internal-tag":[1674,531],"class_list":["post-9252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climb","tag-arcteryx","tag-climb","tag-gear-review","tag-women","internal-tag-pre-redirect-climb","internal-tag-shelby-carpenter"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/climb\/gear-review-womens-arcteryx-alpha-sv-jacket","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Gear Review: Women&#8217;s Arc&#8217;teryx Alpha SV Jacket","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/gear-review-womens-arcteryx-alpha-sv-jacket","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/gear-review-womens-arcteryx-alpha-sv-jacket"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/08\/Arcteryx-Photo-15-Brown.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/08\/Arcteryx-Photo-15-Brown.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125"},"articleSection":"Climb","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Crampton"}],"creator":["Angela Crampton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["arc'teryx","climb","gear reviews","women"],"dateCreated":"2016-09-07T15:00:37Z","datePublished":"2016-09-07T15:00:37Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T05:53:58Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Gear Review: Women&#8217;s Arc&#8217;teryx Alpha SV Jacket\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/climb\\\/gear-review-womens-arcteryx-alpha-sv-jacket\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/climb\\\/gear-review-womens-arcteryx-alpha-sv-jacket\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2016\\\/08\\\/Arcteryx-Photo-15-Brown.jpg?resize=150%2C150\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rei.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2016\\\/08\\\/Arcteryx-Photo-15-Brown.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125\"},\"articleSection\":\"Climb\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Angela Crampton\"}],\"creator\":[\"Angela Crampton\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Uncommon Path \\u2013 An REI Co-op Publication\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[\"arc'teryx\",\"climb\",\"gear reviews\",\"women\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2016-09-07T15:00:37Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-09-07T15:00:37Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-11-12T05:53:58Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/rei.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/08\/Arcteryx-Photo-15-Brown.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9252"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9369,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9252\/revisions\/9369"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9252"},{"taxonomy":"internal-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-tag?post=9252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}