The Alpinist Mountain Standards reviews apply Alpinist's tradition of excellence and authenticity to gear reviews by providing unbiased, candid feedback and anecdotal commentary to equipment tested (hard) in the field. Our panel is comprised of climbers who use the gear every day as part of their work and play. Only the gear they would actually buy themselves, at retail price, qualifies for the Alpinist Mountain Standards award. The five-star rating system is as follows: One Star = Piece of junk. Two Stars = Has one or more significant flaws, with some redeeming qualities. Three Stars = Average. This solid piece of gear is middle-of-the-road on the current market. Four Stars = Better than most comparable gear on the market. It has one or two drawbacks, but still 90% positive. Five Stars = Is there such thing as perfection? An Alpinist Mountain Standards award-winner. Review Panel Adam George Caroline George Larry Goldie Blake Herrington John Race Bert Severin Jed Workman The rest of the MS Team |
 Arc'teryx Gamma MX HoodyPosted on: July 30, 2005 
MSRP:$350 It hurts to take off the Arc'teryx Gamma MX Hoody as the temperatures rise here in the Tetons and hardshells become the jacket du jour. I have become so attached to this jacket that I can't wait for the winter months to arrive so I can put it back into the rotation. The Gamma MX Hoody has an awesome technical fit and the Polartec PowerShield fabric performs well when things begin to drip. The generous arm length and shoulder construction makes it easy to swing ice tools overhead. Arc'teryx nails it once again with one of the best designed helmet compatible hoods that does a great job of keeping the spindrift from running down your neck and the wind off you face. This piece has plenty of well placed pockets to stuff supplies for the whole day. I find it best to wear with a simple wicking T-shirt and bring along an insulating layer for when the tempo slows down or the weather kicks up. I always forget to take the lip balm out of the stash pocket before washing though...negative style points. |
