Arcteryx vs. Peak Performance vs. Westcomb

[schindlerpiste]

I consider the above to be the three best quality manufacturers of ski clothing. I like both eVent and Gore-tex Pro shell. Some people don't like the cut (fit) of certain brands, or that fact that some manufacturers have sent their materials overseas. I'm concerned about wearability and quality (i.e. stitching, tape, longevity). What do you guys think? Any good (or bad) experiences with any of these companies.

Tons in search on Arcteryx and Westcomb...not too much on Peak. Maybe, the euros can chime in.?.

Right now www.backcountry.com has a few killer deals on Peak.

[whyturn]

I prefer Westcomb over Arcteryx for numerous reasons. Peak stuff seemed like they were not using top grade materials. Themolite vs primaloft or down. Also price is astronomical even on sale.

for the weight/breathable and money event is the best

[Meathelmet]

Aa fuck,lost the first reply... a short recap..

Stopped using arcteryx 4 years ago or so, design went american (read:more baggy fit) and I had problems with the laminates,had
to return 2 jackets & pants because of the gore peeling of the fabric etc..
Still have some older arctryx stuff, GammaSV,AtomLT & some fleeces. Work well and holds up to abuse very well,no complaints.

Peak´s stuff is generally well made. I have some technical wear and a pair of Blacklight series primaloft pants,wich by the way,are about the "gayest" piece of outwear I have ever seen or worn....
Well made,good fabrics,neat details and works well.
I am not that much into the peaks design in general,some quite "intresting" stuff there...this coming from a guy wearing norrøna...

[dHills]

Don't have much experience with either Arcteryx or Peak... but Norrøna def gets my vote as well ! Have the Lofoten Pro Shell and pants and love em. Durable, light, and they move well. Only issue is finding their stuff cheaper... usually doesn't happen.

[Ted Striker]

...arcteryx 4 years ago or so, design went american (read:more baggy fit) ...

QFT. I went from a large to a medium in most Arc tops, yet AFAIK, I didn't shrink.

Westcomb is excellent, if you can get a good fit.

[atroan]

Apart from Arcteryx being ridiculously overpriced i love their cut. It seems very technical and doesn't have excess clothing in places it shouldn't. Don't know about the other two. And out of curiosity, why not mountain hardwear or Northface?

[pfluffenmeister]

i've had good experience with arcteryx, but none with westcomb or peak.

i did recently find an awesome shell: Montane's (euro mountaineering stuff, so missing some ski wizbangs) Superfly XT eVent .

size down if you're getting an XT (i'm a solid medium and a small fit me perfectly).

oh, and eVent is a must.

[skifishbum]

I dig arc fits me well
IDK if theyll give me the westcomb prodeal codes for those eligable in wasangles and last season unless you were 5ft2 or a squatch the codes were worthless I couldnt even get myself anything but thanks for the I need to email or call reminder. The mrs. luvs their stuff
No idea about peak Ive had some good eider stuff and some meh and their us cust serv didnt blow me away.
I wore a lot of pantaguchi and flylow last season and while lacking some of the high$$ tech stuff
their gear workds for me at a skibum price

[stalefish3169]

My opinion might seem biased, but trust me I speak the truth when I say that the Eddie Bauer First Ascent gear is top shelf. It's easily as good or better than Arc'Teryx. Have never had PP or Westcomb, so I can't speak on their goods.

The SEABA heli-guide jacket and bibs are hands down the best ski gear I've ever worn. Same thing on the Peak XV puffy. Can't wait to try out the new Bombshelter Jacket this winter. Saw some prototypes last year and it is savage!

http://www.eddiebauer.com/catalog/pr...LAID=956855803



http://www.eddiebauer.com/catalog/pr...LAID=953033297

[bean]

Apart from Arcteryx being ridiculously overpriced i love their cut. It seems very technical and doesn't have excess clothing in places it shouldn't. Don't know about the other two. And out of curiosity, why not mountain hardwear or Northface?

I'm 5'11", 160-165 and wear a medium Gamma MX and small Gamma SK, and wish they fit slimmer. Great stuff but definitely not the slim fit arc'teryx is known for. At least it's better than Patagonia, their stuff seems to be made for the fattest of the fat.

[schindlerpiste]

My experience:
Arc= nice fabric. Good zips. Questionable tape. Mostly bland colors. Wierd hood
Westcomb= The real deal. Everything good, except skid pad at inner pant near ankle rips and is too small.
Peak= All my euro friends love it. Tell me that Peak and Schoeffel are the shit.
Patagucci= I never understood H2No.
I think that I need either Goretex or eVent.

[ola]

Patagonia is using Gore-tex again.

[gisforgaper]

I've had a bunch of Arc gear over the last few years. My Stinger jacket is fantastic - it's tough, fits well, and very dry. On the down side the ankle protection seems a little weak; my wife and I have gone through 3 pairs of pants between us. For what it's worth, my H2No Patagonia Primo pants are dryer/warmer than either pair of Arcteryx Goretex pants I've had. They're also super tough and look brand new after 2 seasons.

[skifishbum]

I've had a bunch of Arc gear over the last few years. The ankle protection seems a little weak; my wife and I have gone through 3 pairs of pants between us (then again we're gapers). For what it's worth, my H2No Patagonia Primo pants are dryer/warmer than either pair of Arcteryx Goretex pants I've had. They're also super tough and look brand new after 2 seasons.

Ditto if its dumpin or Im liftservin it Im in the gucchis

[mtngirl79]

off topic, sort of, but I LOVE first accent socks. better than smart wool.

[Kim Jong-un]

My experience:
Arc= nice fabric. Good zips. Questionable tape. Mostly bland colors. Wierd hood
Westcomb= The real deal. Everything good, except skid pad at inner pant near ankle rips and is too small.
Peak= All my euro friends love it. Tell me that Peak and Schoeffel are the shit.
Patagucci= I never understood H2No.
I think that I need either Goretex or eVent.

I can't comment on the other brands, but I sucked it up and bought the Westcomb Vapor FX jacket and pants at the beginning of last season. When you saw me last March I was wearing it.

After 40-ish days I gotta say I really think the eVent fabric they use is top notch--water really beads up on that fabric and it resists stains and scuffing very well--everything looks brand new...still. The colors are a bit bland, but the fabric has a unique texture, kinda denim-like that makes it look unique and high quality. Plus, the logos are very understated which I like.

Agreed on the scuff patch on the pants. Its too small. But I really like how the waist of the pant and back of the pant fits.

That said, the fit may not be for everyone...the Vapor FX runs large so you may want to size down, especially on the jacket. I don't mind though because I'm usually putting a down sweater under it here on the EC. The hood is proper and fits over a helmet well, but is not detachable.

C/s at Westcomb is great--if a bit slow to the US likely due to the USPS handoff at the border---but a mouse ate through one of my zipper pulls this summer and Westcomb just sent me a bunch of new ones.

[Arno]

I have some Peak Heli 3l pants (goretex pro-shell). I think they are excellent. They have done me for about 20 days' so far and are not really showing signs of wear. However, the fabric feels quite soft and is very flexible and not crinkly at all. In all I am really pleased with them and would certainly buy them again. Not sure I'd pay full price though because there is no doubt they are spenny
By way of comparison, I have has some Noronna and Patagucci pants in the past and, while they were decent, neither has worn as well or been as comfortable at the Peak ones.
Peak probably fit slightly smaller than Pata and Noronna and miles smaller than Arcteryx (I am 6'2 and 210lbs and can get into a size S Arc jacket without too much difficulty!)

[TahoeJ]

Same here for their Snowshot pants, even though they aren't as warm as the primo I guess (never seemed to be a problem for me).

For what it's worth, my H2No Patagonia Primo pants are dryer/warmer than either pair of Arcteryx Goretex pants I've had. They're also super tough and look brand new after 2 seasons.

[wren]

I can't comment on any of the Gore-Tex Arc'Teryx stuff or any of the Westcomb stuff but I absolutely love my Peak Performance stuff. I have both the Heli 3L proshell pants (2 seasons) and jacket (1 season). They perform exceptionally well in my opinion and I think they are very well designed. I love the high back and suspender setup on the pants, as well as the full zips down the sides. The snap in function between pants/jacket works well too. The Jacket fits very well but the hood is quite small. It fits over a helmet, but only if you unzip the neck to put it on and then zip it up again. And then it is very restrictive on your movement. The main zipper on the pants is a little tricky and the iPod pocket is a little small for an iPhone, but I'm nitpicking now.

I'm 5'9", 175lbs and like my stuff a little baggy so I wear larges in both (I also wear crash pads under the pants so the large was necessary there). I could easily wear the mediums otherwise. I know Robnow has the Peak Heli 2L softshell stuff and likes it a lot too. The PP stuff is spendy but worth it. I was lucky to the get pants 40% in a end of season sale but was so happy with the performance of it that I spent full pop on the jacket. Still worth it.

[sidewall]

Westcomb, I really like the fact they make their stuff in Canada. Charging what Arcteryx does for a Chinese made jacket is horrible.

[neufox47]

Like my Arctyrex, their jackets and pants are very durable from my experience. They take new DWR very well too. I ski through really tough sharp brush and pines (lots of EC trees - Spruces and Pines) and never had a rip, tear or pull.

I bought a Eddie Bauer FA BC100 jacket to use as a vapor barrier / rain jacket and am thoroughly impressed. The hood is awesome, the face cuff?, comes right up to the bottom of my goggles and stays there when turning my head. If I didn't have it last year I am pretty sure I would have gotten frost bite on my face on a couple of 0 degree w/ 50mph wind on MTW. Cut is euro, zippers are water proof, and the jacket has all the really cool little well thought out bells and whistles that are effective, and not frivolous. By design, t isn't tough enough for a every day ski jacket though.

When I get a new every day ski shell I will seriously consider getting one of their jackets.

[auvgeek]

I have the AR Sidewinder jacket and Alpha SV bibs, as well as the Westcomb Skeena hoody and Phantom bib. The Arc'Teryx stuff stays in the closet. I can't speak highly enough of the Skeena - it's really a hybrid hard/softshell jacket, and I use it everyday skiing in the PNW. If I absolutely need a hardshell for hard rain, I'll take my Sidewinder, but I usually end up feeling damp/clammy anyway because it breathes poorly. I've been meaning to get a lightweight hardshell for some time now (something I can throw in my pack and forget about). When that happens, I'll relegate my Arc'Teryx to a backup lift-served jacket and around-town wear.

I've heard good things about the EB First Ascent line, too, as well as Norrøna. Never heard of Peak Performance. But I'd take eVent over Gore-Tex everytime. And, frankly, I'd take a hybrid hard/softshell over a hardshell (including eVent). I've never once been wearing my Skeena and wished I'd brought a hardshell, even for lift-served in wet PWN snow (but I do tend to leave it at home if I suspect anything harder than a light rain). I know that Mammut had some interesting offerings of hybrid jackets - I'd take a look at those as well.

[le dog]

i have tons if Arcteryx stuff, bought first Beta I think in '98. I have stopped using it though. It is great stuff, very well made, durable and fits me very well but in my opinion a little overpriced (same price as before even though is made in china).
Peak costs a lot also, I have one jacket and it is extremely well made, with great attention to details. my buddy has a lot of Peak's stuff and I have to say that its quality is impressive.
I don't have any of Westcomb but i have seen some products around and seems quality stuff (very artcteryx-like).
I have Norrona too (cool stuff) but my favorite piece of gear from the last seasons are my my pants from Sweet Protection (from Norway). Fit and quality are really really impressive.
they look really cool too. My favorite pants for sure.

[auvgeek]

le dog: What's your go-to jacket?

[iscariot]

Anyone care to describe the fit of Westcomb?

I have wide child-berthin hip bones, so brands like pataguchi don't fit; I need a more square cut like Flylow. Is Westcomb more eurofit like patagonia, or more squarefit like Flylow?