For a climbing parka and really cold dry occasions (think of missing the Tram mid winter on the Midi) my impression is you can do better for warmth and weight (short of snow cave living) by going to one of the better down jackets intended for the same use. But I find it hard to justify the price when compared to the other two. The Fission SL (fully water proof Goretex as well) is a great climbing jacket for warmth and weight. And would now just for the extra protection. Goretex was not something I bought the SV for however. Never needed Goretex frankly other than rain gear but have found the water proof layer really nice when it has been needed here. And if you don't need fully taped and water proof Goretex. Although feature to feature IMO the Kappa is a better buy if it is warm enough for you. Kappa is a taped Goretex product but not warrantied to be water "proof". If you really need a cold weather jacket the SV is worth the extra price compared to the Kappa for warmth IMO. Not seen a warmer jacket that can take a real beating (day in and day out on the ski hill or in the barn) and still do the job just as well at the end of the Season as the beginning. I now know why you see this jacket on a lot of full time ski instructors in the Rocky Mtn States. The double chest pockets are handier if required. The SV is slightly longer, sheds wind much better than the other two and because of both the length and wind resistance, it is noticeably warmer. Mind you both of those Arcteryx jackets are really good cold weather pieces! But this is an honest comparison made by wearing all three day after day of multiple sub zero weeks this winter. The Fission SL, the "go to" hard core winter climbing coat, wasn't up to the task when the wind started blowing -25F any time of day. The Kappa, a trusted friend for winter climbing in the Alps and Canada wasn't warm enough most days early and late. Going on 60 days at or below freezing now. One of the coldest winters on record here. If you're in the market for a warm, light, water-proof, do-it-all jacket.A life style new to me, but for the last 6 months I've been getting up just prior to dawn, rain, shine or snow to feed livestock for the last 6 months. I will come back and update this review when this point is tested* A little loose round the waist, the draw cords have to be pulled fully to seal it. The extra butt coverage is welcome for all my uses. I purchased a size larger than my usual, only one left on sale. *I bought this jacket for every day mountain (Himalayas, cold and dry, wet and windy!), at home use (usually not so wet here but windy and cold at times), and for belay. Like their ski specific shells are larger in volume. All Arc'teryx items have extra long arms, low volume chests and long torsos. If you aren't familiar, Arc'teryx products are designed for the athletic build, not casually cut like The North Face products. Over all, based on my previous experiences this is the usual Arc'teryx fit and quality that I've come to love over the years. add a drawcord at the neck, which I find a bit large, but my neck is on the skinny side. add one chest pocket, I find these very useful for chapstick, and other small items. Winds kickin' at 30+, nothing came through. water/wind proofness: 5 stars on both points! Fully windproof, and the gore-tex is "guaranteed to keep you dry". I recall wearing my original Fission AR into the teens if not colder, with a light 100 wt fleece p/o and mid weight base-layer. warmth: 5 of 5 stars for it's weight(very light weight), excellent level of warmth. Now on to the things that have not changed: *the older versions were sticky at first, this one is as smooth as butter water tight zipper smoother /easier to operate *this is wonderful, a welcome addition! (large enough for gloves, nalgene etc) Maybe this will be a concern for folks larger than my skinny self. My fission LT has smooth-knit cuffs which have stretched a bit, but not enough to be an issue. *according to the salesman, knit cuffs stretch over time, cuffs changed from smooth-knit to velcro I owned the first or second version that came out, back when regular gore-tex was used (as opposed to the current gore-tex pro shell) A few things have changed since I originally had this jacket back in 2002: Ok let me start out to say that I just bought the -current- version of this jacket.
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