Arc'teryx Alpha FL

I do hit the notification button all that jazz, but this one i've already done a review on, which is the iterax delta lt, releasing it's a wonderful p...

I took my 2020 Alpha FL on a winter hike and camp this weekend in temps 12-25F and want to share some observations on the jacket. It is much lighter (duh) than my Alpha SV. I noticed it was way more breathable and I didn't sweat out the jacket even when shoveling out my campsite.

I currently use an Alpha FL but am beginning to hate the massive helmet compatible hood. It’s just way too big and impossible to work with in strong wind and heavy rain.

It's more slim than most other arc'teryx jacket I felt. Some other companies do 1 layer jacket but more rugged. Columbia has 2 models, but never saw them in a shop. I have an Alpha FL and I do sometimes use it in summer, but really only because I have it and don't hike enough in rain to get something else.

Fast forward a couple years though and I'm finding almost every outing I would prefer to have the Alpha FL, and with them being restocked in the outlet (and seemingly out of production to buy new) I decided to pull the trigger and purchased one. I will say it exactly met my expectations for an Arc'teryx piece, superb feel, finish, and craftsmanship and the fit is about perfect, certainly better than the AR which, in my usual size of medium, the fit seems far more generous than would be necessary for any layering situation I could imagine. I mean, if I need that many layers on at once then it is more than likely so cold I don't need a hard shell. With the FL I am still able to fit a Phase AR zip neck, Fortrez, Proton LT, and Gamma LT underneath and the jacket still fits comfortably, snug but not too tight and almost perfectly tailored to this layering case.

I don't think they ever did a more breathable GoreTex jacket, but the price for that was a very thin nylon fabric, so apparently it ripped fairly easily and was replaced by the Alpha AR. 375 g in Large rivals the weight of the Alpha FL, but you got pitzips on the LT. RT 25 backpack - Ridiculously heavy at 1.3 kg for a 21 litre pack, but I really liked the shape of it for climbing. I wish they could redo it as a lightweight pack with more modern fabrics.