When it involves out of doors gear, few manufacturers command as a lot respect as Arc’teryx, and the Beta SL jacket is a primary instance of their dedication to innovation and efficiency. Beforehand often called the Beta Light-weight, this up to date model retains most of the identical trusted options whereas integrating a extra sustainable design. F
eaturing a newly launched GORE-TEX ePE (expanded polyethylene) membrane that’s PFC-free and barely lighter than its predecessor, together with a Fluorocarbon-free sturdy water repellent coating (FC0 DWR) in addition to a slew of different spectacular options, the Beta SL seems, not less than on paper, to be one of many high selections for all-around out of doors jackets.
For sure, I used to be keen to check it firsthand!
Arc’teryx Beta SL At-a-Look
MSRP: $500
Weight: 12 oz Males’s / 10.6 oz Ladies’s
Use: Alpine / Hike / On a regular basis
Ladies’s Beta SL jacket right here.
Circumstances of Assessment
As a information in Maine’s Katahdin area, I spend a major period of time open air in difficult climate circumstances — superb for testing rain gear. I’ve worn this jacket on a number of day hikes and guided ascents of Katahdin, dealing with all the things from regular drizzles to driving rain and winds exceeding 30 mph.
Arc’teryx Beta SL Options
PFC-Free GORE-TEX ePE Membrane: Breathable, waterproof, and eco-friendly, laminated to bio-based nylon derived from vegetation. Finishes with an FC0 sturdy water-repellent to shed moisture.
GORE C-KNIT Backer: Light-weight, comfortable, and cozy lining.
Helmet-Appropriate StormHood: Full climate safety with out obstructing imaginative and prescient. Contains toggles and drawstrings to tailor the match, and when not carrying a helmet the additional cloth will be cinched for a comfortable match. Additionally has a stiff brim strengthened with wire to assist preserve form.
Pockets: Two hand pockets, that are positioned excessive for accessibility whereas carrying a pack or harness, and one inside chest pocket to maintain objects like a telephone protected and dry.
Pit zippers: This jacket options lengthy pit zips with waterproof, dual-pull zippers for simple air flow throughout intense exercise.
RECCO Reflector: A built-in RECCO reflector aids search and rescue operations in avalanche circumstances with a passive transponder. It’s redundant for these already carrying an avalanche beacon (as it’s best to when avalanches are attainable) and pointless for many hikers exterior avalanche zones.
Nice match: This jacket is lower in a means that gives a extra slim profile and fewer free cloth within the torso. Whereas some additional room will be good for layering, rain jackets can rapidly turn out to be very billowy they usually do a very good job of managing that with this one. The rear hem can be generously lengthy which helps forestall the garment from using up when carrying a pack.
Arc’teryx Beta SL Professionals
Options: The brand new Beta SL is jam-packed with options, as talked about above, simply as you’d count on for a super-premium product. A jacket priced at $500 had higher come out swinging, and this one knocks it out of the park, even perfecting the little issues just like the velcro wrist cuffs that maintain completely and have sufficient cloth to accommodate even the smallest wrists.
PFC-free membrane and DWR: Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have a foul repute for sticking round within the atmosphere, which is why they’re known as “ceaselessly chemical compounds.” The out of doors business has been working to part them out, beginning with long-chain PFCs and now even the shorter ones. The Beta SL’s PFC-free DWR coating and ePE membrane are huge steps ahead in making water resistant gear extra eco-friendly.
In use, I discovered this mixture labored splendidly in exhausting rain, with water beading on the floor as anticipated. Over the course of greater than 20 hours of rain-soaked mountain climbing, I skilled no seepage by way of the 3-layer shell, zippers, or taped seams.
Sturdiness: The Beta SL physique is constructed with a 3-layer system consisting of an outer materials, GORE-TEX membrane, and an inside materials (C-KNIT). Its outer materials makes use of a 40-denier x 70-denier nylon membrane, with increased denier numbers indicating elevated thickness and sturdiness. This design strategically employs 70d in high-abrasion areas such because the arms and shoulders, whereas choosing 40d in much less harassed areas alongside the torso.
3-layer jacket configuration. Picture by way of.
In comparison with light-weight rain jackets just like the 2-layer Montbell Versalite, which makes use of a 10d nylon outer materials, the Beta SL excels in sturdiness. Even in comparison with rivals like Patagonia’s 3L Torrentshell, which options as much as 50d cloth and weighs 2 ounces greater than the Beta SL, its sturdiness and efficiency are notably compelling.
Arc’teryx Beta SL Cons
PFC-free DWR: The PFC-free membrane and DWR on this jacket are each a bonus and a downside. PFC-based DWRs have lengthy been the business normal because of their superior water, oil, and stain-repellent properties. They excel at shedding water and maintaining the outer cloth dry, which helps forestall “wetting out”—when cloth turns into saturated, decreasing breathability and insulation. Nonetheless, the draw back of PFCs is their environmental impression: they don’t break down simply and have been linked to well being dangers, resulting in stricter rules aimed toward phasing them out.
In distinction, FC0 DWRs are fluorocarbon-free and extra environmentally pleasant. Being biodegradable, they don’t persist in ecosystems or bioaccumulate, making them a well-liked alternative for eco-conscious customers and out of doors manufacturers. Whereas FC0 DWRs nonetheless provide cheap water repellency, they typically fall brief in comparison with PFC-treated materials, notably in extended, heavy rain. Clothes with FC0 therapies are extra susceptible to wetting out and have a tendency to lose their water-repellent properties quicker, requiring extra frequent reapplication or care. With waterproof/breathable clothes, there’s at all times a tradeoff.
Not Ultralight: Arc’teryx makes use of the “Tremendous Mild” (SL) nomenclature to explain this jacket, however at 12oz for a Males’s Medium, it doesn’t examine to different light-weight rain jackets available on the market. The aforementioned Montbell Versalite is half the load, as is the thru-hiker favourite Lightheart Gear jacket. Heck, even the $25 Frogg Toggs jacket is almost 4oz lighter. Whereas these different jackets don’t examine when it comes to options or sturdiness, they’re extra on the mark with what hikers would contemplate “ultralight.”
Closing Ideas
The Arc’teryx Beta SL stands out as a premium, feature-rich rain jacket that delivers top-tier efficiency in a wide range of circumstances. Its PFC-free GORE-TEX ePE membrane and FC0 DWR end are vital steps towards creating extra sustainable, eco-friendly gear with out sacrificing the high-quality waterproof safety that Arc’teryx is thought for. The RECCO reflector, helmet-compatible hood, sturdy development, and well-placed pockets make it a superb alternative for hikers, climbers, and on a regular basis customers alike.
Nonetheless, like all merchandise, it has its trade-offs. The PFC-free DWR, whereas higher for the atmosphere, requires extra frequent care and reapplication to keep up its water-repellent properties, particularly in heavy rain. Moreover, whereas marketed as “tremendous gentle,” at 12 ounces, it’s not the lightest possibility available on the market for ultralight hikers, although it makes up for that with its distinctive sturdiness and full characteristic set.
Total, the Beta SL is an funding that justifies its $500 price ticket for these looking for a dependable, well-constructed jacket able to withstanding nearly all climate circumstances. Its environmental focus is commendable, however it’s best to contemplate the necessity for extra upkeep and the load issue in opposition to your supposed use earlier than shopping for.
When you’re an ultralight thru-hiker who wants solely minimal safety and sturdiness, there are higher selections. However when you’re in search of a sturdy, feature-packed rain jacket that performs effectively within the backcountry and presents cutting-edge sustainable know-how, the Arc’teryx Beta SL is a high contender.
Store the Males’s Arc’teryx Beta SL Rain Jacket
Store the Ladies’s Arc’teryx Beta SL Rain Jacket
Comparable Rain Shells
Patagonia Torrentshell (Males’s / Ladies’s)
MSRP: $179
Weight: 14.1 oz
Materials: 3-layer H2No
Outside Analysis Helium (Males’s / Ladies’s)
MSRP: $170
Weight: 6.3 ounces
Materials: 2.5-layer Pertex Defend Diamond Fuse
Learn our overview of the Helium Rain Jacket and Pants right here.
Black Diamond Treeline (Males’s / Ladies’s)
MSRP: $140
Weight: 9 oz
Materials: 2.5-layer BD.dry
The Arc’teryx Beta SL Rain Jacket was donated for the aim of overview.
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