arcteryx stingray pant, and others...

i just got a pair of the arcteryx pants... stingray, as a gift. They seem ok, nothing really that fancy, but they do fit. although the color is a little meh...(rhino blue)

Im used to a bib pant, my old foursquare expedition style snowboard pants have carried me through 5+ seasons and the zippers are going to hell and they look and smell like dog poop.

Can anyone suggest some great pants? Anyone have firsthand knowledge regarding the arcteryx stingray ? they seem very very thin, although they are goretex.

Those who know please chime in. I want a warm pant that will take abuse.

Arc teryx stuff is BOMB PROOF and extremely technical gear... They are however just a shell and so don't offer much for warmth, they are all about layering for warmth etc... I use the sidewinder jacket and minuteman bib and they are awesome... fhey fend off bad weather like nothing i've seen... As well their clothing breathes really well and so is really comfortable. Anyway, I'd try 'em out and you'll probably find you likw 'em a lot. Arc teryx in my opinion makes some of the best and most technical clothing...

i think arcteryx is fashionable crap. I KNOW it's well made, but it's not worth the cost.

i think Solstice is the most underpriced and overlooked company out there. those monster bibs they sell will take you to hell and back. and they are really affordable for how much they offer. the knees are thick fitted Cordura (or whatever it's called) and the ankles are even thicker. everywhere else is burly too. they are simple, but very well made. I had the older model and I never got wet or cold or anything. I never managed to rip them either. HOWEVER, and here is what they really need to address: they will not make your ass look nice like those arcteryx.

north of the boarder, look at taiga. they have a bomber pair or gore-tex semi-bibs. never seen them, but very highly regarded as durable, simple and affordable, for how sweet they are. If i could get any pair of pants, i would get these.

navigate to mens hardshells: Vertical bibs.
http://www.solsticegear.com/index1.asp
scroll all the way down:
http://www.taigaworks.ca/goretex/index.html

of course, if you want to drop some coin, look at Patagoinia.

EDIT: looking at the rating of the Nylon used by each, the Taigas have tougher material. i cannot believe it. my bibs were bullet proof.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ncsears

i think arcteryx is fashionable crap. I KNOW it's well made, but it's not worth the cost.

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Any reason?

^^

yes: it's expensive (very) and made from the same plastic that other quality gear is made from. I feel the same way about that crap that I feel about expensive jeans. you get the idea...

this will illustrate my point:

If i was going to drop serious dough on gear, i'd go with Outdoor Research... IMO, it's form follows funtion with that stuff. It's too bad they don't make any expedition grade pants. The best piece of equipment i ever owned was this jacket:

http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/01571.html

Funcitonal Cut, A hood that fits your head like a hat (literally) and rotates on the neck like a gun turret (you can rotate the hood 360 degrees, so you never lose vision out of an eye when turning your head). The hood is downright revolutionary, and it works in 60mph winds. A few simple zippers transform the jacket, as they mention in the link...

check out OR's website.. their stuff is much lower priced than arcteryx. Now, if THEY make stuff for under 200 clams, Arteryx is WAY WAY too much cash.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ncsears

http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/01571.html

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That jacket retails for $330, $400 if you want a hood and the hood won't fit over a helmet.

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Originally Posted by iceman

That jacket retails for $330, $400 if you want a hood and the hood won't fit over a helmet.

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you are wrong. thats quoted retail... I got it for about 200... and second, the hood fits a helmet. they tested the other hood. thrid, the ceck the prices on OR stuff on the website, and last the jacket is far better engineered than arcteryx.

look this is my opinion. I think Arcteryx is for two types of people: 1 - those who have got the cash and think is must be the best cause looks cool and costs a lot. 2 - those who get it for free or cheap.

there is gear that is just as good to be had for a fraction of the cost. Anyway to each their own. See you up there!

Hey I just quoted the article.

Arc'teryx is geared towards CLIMBERS, and then expanded to include ski/snowsports. The sidewinde sv IS a great jacket.
As for keeping you warm, gore-tex doesn't do that, just keeps the wind and the melted snow wet off.
I say try ebay, and look at marmot and north face for used bibs.
they have 2ply and 3ply gore-tex and you will definately get your money's worth.
Patagonia stuff right now is kinda limiited (IMHO) but I have some pants that are awesome.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ncsears

i think arcteryx is fashionable crap. I KNOW it's well made, but it's not worth the cost.

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Whether it is worth the cost I suppose is for everyone to decide. When it comes to quality I do disagree. It is the best designed shells I've come across. I think their gear is very minimalistic; no unnecessary junk. And everything is functional. Details such as multiple adjustments on hood, adjustment of waist width from inside pockets, and just generally a snug fit, makes it better than the competition (at least the competition I've seen). It's light as well.

I agree that it costs a lot. However, many top brands are priced similarly (at least over here in Norway). There still are brands that I think is better value for money. But to say the product is crap just because it is expensive is a little bit strange.

i don't wan't to be misunderstood. I Arcteryx is good stuff, certainly top knotch... but i still think the average person is largely buying into a coolness factor. every front runner out there wants to get arteryx. does every upstart want Marmot... or Couldveil... etc? if ou give a kid 400 bucks to go buy gear he's gonna come backwith arcteryx. and it's not because it's the best, it because it's the coolest. Just kind of presses a nerve for me, i guess. anyway, like i said. to each their own. see you up there.

and i am mostly just being pissy and i kind of dug my self into a hole. my original suggestions still stand thought. Check out Taiga and Solstice.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CANADASTEEP

Arc'teryx is geared towards CLIMBERS, and then expanded to include ski/snowsports. The sidewinde sv IS a great jacket.
As for keeping you warm, gore-tex doesn't do that, just keeps the wind and the melted snow wet off.
I say try ebay, and look at marmot and north face for used bibs.
they have 2ply and 3ply gore-tex and you will definately get your money's worth.
Patagonia stuff right now is kinda limiited (IMHO) but I have some pants that are awesome.

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yea. that what i was saying their (Pat) pants are reall y nice. i was looking at a pair the other day.

Don't get me wrong arc'teryx is bombproof. I use a fullline of their gear. the only drawback is that they don't do a very good job at standing by their product when it does happen to fail. so in the odd chance that you do intend on getting another 5 years out of your gear. i would recommend spending the same amount of money on patagonia. they stand by their product without question. but if arcteryx gear was given to you. use it! 95% of the time it will last just as long if not longer as anything else out there.

I had to return my Arcteryx jacket for repair on what I believed was a defect and it took 8 weeks and cost me $40, where I could have walked into a patagucci store and had a new jacket for free in 5 minutes.

Evil, I just scored some Cloudveil RPK3 pants for my birthday and have about 10 days on 'em. They're sweet, very comfy, bombproof. They only come in Black which may not appeal to your fashion sense, but I sucked it up and I'm glad I did. I wish they had a thigh/cargo pocket, but other than that they're $$$.

Patagonia Chute to Thrill ($285). Stupid name, great pants. Relatively light pants but reinforced in all the right places. Huge upgrade in breathability and waterproofness vs the drop seat pants I had for 12 years.

Patagonia stands by their stuff. Those drop seats lasted 12 years before leaking profusely in the seat, then they replaced them no questions asked asking only for a minor upgrade charge ($35)

After my TNF shell got stolen this summer after 8 years of wear I looked around and tried on a bunch of jackets. The jacket that fit me the best and which had the most features I wanted and which seemed the most well-made and (yes) seemed the most stylee to me, in other words the jacket I liked the most, was an Arc'teryx Sidewinder SV. I spent a lot of money on it because I wanted it.

Does that make me a bad person?

I bought my wife Arc'teryx stuff because she looks pretty hot in it and I found it friggin cheap...

...touch me :) ...