Good God, i thought i was bad,, 800 dollars !
:worthless
Yeah, it was a tough justification for sure, but I looked for a while and it was one of the few jackets that fit the bill for what I wanted. I wanted something ultra-warm (as I run very cold), not that bulky and something that can withstand rain. It's actually not considered fully waterproof as it was designed for snow, but I've had it out in some pretty heavy downpours with zero issues. Like the Atom LT, I'm amazed at how well it regulates temperature. I have a giant Mountain Hardware puffy too that is all or nothing. If you have that on, it's ON when it comes to warmth. The Firebee somehow keeps you at the perfect temp despite varying outside temps (as long as they start on the colder side that is). It also has a down collar that is pure luxury when fully zipped up. Like being wrapped in a warm pillow. I also really like how subtle looking it is. You really won't know it's an Arcteryx jacket unless you're right up on it. Seemed like some of the other jackets I looked at wanted to make sure you knew what it was (and who made it) from a mile away.
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I have a third jacket from Arcteryx and it's their Theta AR shell. This was the first step off the cliff when it comes to some more serious purchases in outdoor clothing gear. This thing is a tank though. I've beaten the sh*t out of it and it still looks brand new. Had one issue with the drawstring coming apart from the jacket, but sent it back and they sorted it out real quick (and that was after having it for 8 years).
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I do feel like their overall quality has gone a bit downhill since they stopped making their stuff in Canada and switched to China. Especially noticeable in their lower-level stuff. But their top-tier is still amazing.
I used to work on low temp refrigeration systems; and for that I had a zip up hoodie by Milwaukee(heated) that uses the 12v pack to power it. It works well but another layer on top helps keep the heat on your back and chest better. It has the temp light(3settings) on the breast that I tell people is my mood display;usually on red hot
I've been eyeing a heated jacket for some time now. I bought a DeWalt one not too long ago, but returned it because the arms were too short. I'm glad I had an excuse to return it. The combo of DeWalt battery with the adapter was so bulky and they placed it in the worst spot possible on the jacket. You can use the Milwaukee slim battery with it though. Now I'm debating on getting a different jacket or get one of the heated hoodies and just use it as a layer. That way I could wear it with multiple different jackets over it. Or just on its own.
