Well, my Alpkit jacket is going straight back. Leaked like a sieve from the word go!
A shame, I really like what Alpkit are trying to do (lower cost, decent gear).
Try a half price GTX off Sportspursuit...
Well, my Alpkit jacket is going straight back. Leaked like a sieve from the word go!
Hmm. I was so looking forward to your feedback. Thanks for the quick update though. It'll be interesting to see what Alpkit have to say about it.
Parts of it weren't beading very well so maybe the DWR wasn't properly applied. If that's the case I can't say it fills me with confidence if it's that dependent on the DWR.
We had that with a Montane Event jacket the wife bought, brand new and wet out completely within minutes on it's first outing.
Just buy Arteryx or similar half price on Sports Pursuit. It’s pretty much all the same stuff.
Longtime Arcteryx user here, but also another vote for Norrona.
Whilst I agree that the gore-tex material itself is probably made in the same factory, the design, cut and seam taping etc of a jacket, all have huge impact on its usefulness and longevity - and really we should want to be buying a jacket that allows for multiple activities and lasts for years, so things like pocket placement & accessibility (for when worn with backpack); high-wear areas like shoulders, chest and waist; length of cut, body geometry etc all may effect a decision on which brand jacket to buy.
Arcteryx Alpha SV are still made in Canada. It's their flagship product. Some of the discounted stuff that appears on Sports Pursuit are 'samples' and often differ from the final product that appears in the high street. this may or may not be an issue for you (I've picked up some real 'bargains' from Sports Pursuits over the years).
Norrona stuff seems to be very well thought out indeed but so much depends on body shape. If you are looking for a quality jacket that is going to last for years then I would say fit & functionality is very important.
Never seen anyone wear Jottnar
A Snowboarding friend of mine wears it for snowboarding, mountaineering, walking etc - but then he's a Royal Marine and I think the guys that setup Jottnar are also RMs. Either way he really rates it. I reckon their business model fits into the premium brand, low volume, high unit price model, similar to Norrona (who appear to be fiercely intent on remaining family owned, rather than allowing a Private Equity Company to be involved).
Incidently - you can get Norrona bargains if you join their loyalty program and look out for their 'Online Outlet' sales. Some of the colours may result in you looking like an opal fruit/starburst though! 🙂
Some of the discounted stuff that appears on Sports Pursuit are ‘samples’ and often differ from the final product that appears in the high street. this may or may not be an issue for you (I’ve picked up some real ‘bargains’ from Sports Pursuits over the years).
I suspect the 'Samples' thing is a way of not breaking sales contracts as technically they're not flogging off the same stuff at knock down prices as their retailers. I've had a SP sample and the genuine thing in each hand and there was absolutely no difference between them bar the label and the shade of purple being very slightly different (and £250 price delta). Not surprisingly I returned the full price one and we kept the £250 cheaper one!