arcteryx - Pack & Trail

One Tiny Ski Pack: Arcteryx Silo 18 Review

Ross Collicutt — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:00:33 +0000

You can’t get much smaller than the Arcteryx Silo 18 for a ski pack. The pack is 18 litres from bow to stern. That means you can’t bring the kitchen sink with this little guy.This was the first pack I got for skiing but I had actually bought it for a different purpose. I had it in mind to use as a slightly larger bag when I was running in the summer and then a skiing bag in the winter. I can’t say that it’s good for that purpose but it’s certainly a rockin’ little ski bag.

It’s got a hydration pouch inside, a small zippered pouch on the top and a webbing waist strap. One of the reasons it wasn’t great for running was that the waist strap didn’t hold it down very well. It’s not meant for that though. It’s like running in hiking boots. That’s not what they’re meant for.

On the back of the bag there are thermo-formed pads that form to your back a bid and make it very comfortable to snowboard or ski with.

Around the sides and the back are 2 straps that you can attach your skis or snowboard to it with. I found I had to have the bag quite tight against me and full of gear a board or skis to stay on well. If the bag wasn’t full or not tight against me, it would flop around a bit. Not the best setup. I prefer a larger bag for carrying something as big as skis or a snowboard.

The material on the outside is pretty bomber. I’ve scraped it against things every time I use it and it’s a little dirty but no holes or serious wear on the outside.If you’re looking for a small ski bag to carry a board or skis sometimes and a few things when you hit the slopes, you can definitely count on the Arcteryx Silo 18 to get the job done.

Check out the Silo 18 on Amazon.

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Skiing on an Angle: A Review of Sidewinder SV Jacket from Arc’teryx

Ross Collicutt — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:00:27 +0000

** This review covers the 2009 version of the Arc’teryx Sidewinder.

A couple years ago I had the amazing chance to get into a Sidewinder SV jacket and pants from Arcteryx for cheaper than I had ever seen them. Needless to say I jumped on the chance.

After a couple of seasons snowboarding, skiing and dirtbiking in them, I have to say the whole setup is pretty bomber. I’ll save the in depth review of the pants for a future post so for now here’s my thoughts on the Arcteryx Sidewinder SV jacket.

Keep in mind this is the version of the jacket from a couple seasons ago. I haven’t had a chance to see the brand new copies although I’d assume they’re quite similar.

Mine is just plain black. They have some sick colours from this year and last if you’re into the bright stuff but the only choice I had was black. I didn’t mind, black goes with everything. Now that I’ve got too many jackets, all for different purposes, and they’re all black, I’ll be looking for something with a bit of colour in my next shell.

Arc’teryx describes the jacket as the ticket for gnarly backcountry skiing. I’d say they would be on the mark. It’s got a RECCO avalanche reflector, a clear pocket on the arm for your ski pass, a snow skirt, nice arm cuffs and a good long length to it so you get less of that snow up your shirt next time you do a header into the powder. The hood is helmet compatible so you can keep your brain bucket on even when it’s snowing cats and dogs. The face fabric on it is thicker than most jackets to withstand extra gnarly weather. After running through numerous branches and other rough objects skiing and dirtbiking, I’d say it’s pretty tough. Knock on wood, no holes to speak of.

The biggest different between the Sidewinder and other jackets is how they’ve built the zipper into the jacket. It’s the standard waterproof zipper from Arc’teryx but it curves to the right at the top.

2019 version of the Sidewinder

This helps prevent the 5-zipper pileup right in front of your face when you’ve got a bunch of layers on that all have zippers in the center. It works as promised giving you that little extra breathing room instead of a mouthful of zippers. Therein lies the problem though.

I thought the idea of moving the zipper to the side would be great. I found it ok and nothing to write home about. It does move it away from you face but that moves the stiffness of the zipper to the side and leaves a piece of limp fabric in front of your face. Some people don’t mind but I found the lack of symmetry odd. The thing that I like on other jackets that have the zipper up the center is there is usually a bit of a fuzzy cover for the zipper to go into. When it rubs on your face it’s fleece or something softer than the face fabric. The other complaint I had, not technical in any way, was that if you have it unzipped at all, you have a big flap on one side and no flap on the other. If it’s windy or your moving quickly this moves around quite a bit and so I ended up having it zipped up all the time to keep the flap from beating me in the face.

Aside from the interesting zipper, the rest of the jacket is killer and built with the typical Arc’teryx attention to detail. Gore Pro Shell keeps you super dry and the under-arm vents cool if you need it. 2 side pockets and a chest pouch keep your goodies organized. One of the best parts of jacket is the ergonomic cuts and velcro straps around the hands. They fit so much better than the standard straight cut. They cost more but it’s worth it.

I don’t tend to use the snow skirt much as it rides up a bit and I still get snow places I don’t want it. Bib pants are the next piece of ski gear I’m getting which prevent that.

If you’re looking for a killer Gore jacket to withstand an artillery barrage of weather, then this might be the ticket. It’s not for the ultralight crew though. That extra length and thick face fabric definitely add some weight.

If you’ve got a Sidewinder SV or are looking to buy one and have questions, throw a comment below.

The post Skiing on an Angle: A Review of Sidewinder SV Jacket from Arc’teryx first appeared on Pack & Trail.

The Season Ep 15 – It’s Time

Ross Collicutt — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:50:41 +0000

It’s alive! Finally it’s time for Matt to test out the Anti-Cam. Is it going to work? Is it going to be a complete failure? Matt has to put his body on the line to test out his new invention and it may not go exactly as planned.

The Season Episode 15 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

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The Season Ep 13 – Where is Jonaven

Ross Collicutt — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 23:18:21 +0000

Often when you’re stuck, you need a major change in your life to shake things up. This lets you work things back into the place the way you want them to be instead of how they were before. Sounds like Jonaven’s doing just that re-arranging his life to about what he wants to be and not everyone else.

The Season Episode 13 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.Make sure you are up to date. Watch The Season Episode 12 – Washed Away

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The Season Ep 12 – Washed Away

Ross Collicutt — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:29:55 +0000

Shit hits the fan. It’s the middle of the night and there is water everywhere. What went wrong? They were all ready to charge in and tame the mighty waters that are the Butze Rapids and now they’re barely hanging on. What will happen?

The Season Episode 12 from Duct Tape Then Beer on Vimeo.

The Season Episode 12 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.Missed the last one? Check out Episode 11 – Half way through.

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The Season Ep 11 Half Way Through

Ross Collicutt — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 01:58:38 +0000

The Season Episode 11 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.Didn’t see the last one? Take a peak at Episode 10 Jonaven Gets After It

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The Season Ep 10 Jonaven Gets After It

Ross Collicutt — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:07:20 +0000

After the avalanche, everything changed for Jonaven. Things move a little slower, things mean a little more, things are more Jonaven’s way. He’s taking things back to how he wants to do them. I think we all need to do this a little more with everything we do. Out with the old greedy, fast-paced sponsors and in with the new cool ones that are looking for value.

The Season Episode 10 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.Check out the previous episode: Ep 9 Will It Go?You can watch the next one already! Ep 11 Halfway Through

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