We’ve tested a lot of jackets over the years and with over 20 years of freeriding in the Alps we know what to look for in a jacket. We were pretty stoked to test the Rush LT Jacket from Arc’teryx. The brand has a great name in skiing and snowboarding. Great quality, great fit and trusted by professionals all over the globe. We took the jacket on one of our trips chasing powder in the Alps. We ended up in Ischgl, Austria. The conditions were great. Bluebird and great snow, but also low temperatures and snowfall. Great conditions to ride and great conditions to test!
First impressions
Our first impression was clear. ‘This jacket is light!’ As in, really light. So light that you don’t even feel it when you wear it. The weight is only 445 grams, which is pretty amazing for such a technical jacket. The design looks and feels minimalistic. Not an excessive amount of pockets you’ll never use and it has an amazing fit. Because of its weight it’s also perfect for ski touring. You simply put in your bag when skinning up.
The weather
We’ve tested the jacket both during snowfall and bluebird conditions. The jacket has a GORE-TEX Pro membrane. Snow and water stay out during snowfall, while the jacket remains extremely breathable. Please note the jackets comes with two types of GORE-TEX Pro. N40p-x GORE-TEX Pro is used in the body for durably waterproof, windproof protection while N80p-x GORE-TEX Pro reinforces high wear areas. It saves weight, but it obviously doesn’t come with a loss of water- and windproofness. As you would expect is the level of finishing amazing: WaterTight™ Vislon front zip, RS™ pocket zipper sliders and angled WaterTight™ pit zippers for easy access while wearing a pack.
The fit
This is the part where the Rush LT Jacket really stands out from the crowd. The fit is amazing. You actually don’t feel that you’re wearing the jacket. That’s obviously because it’s really light, but also because the fit is perfect. It never restricts you in your movement, which is quite important for freeriders. The only thing we found missing was a powder skirt, which is quite handy on deep powder days. You could connect the jacket to a pair of Arc’teryx pants, but not to every other pair of pants.
The details
The Arc’teryx Rush LT Jacket is minimalistic, light and durable. The good thing is that all the features on the jacket actually come in handy. Two hand pockets, a sleeve pocket for your lift pass and internal zippered phone and mesh dump pockets. Perfect for your goggle or skins. When you want to adjust the hood or the hem it’s doable without taking your gloves off. It’s one of the things that makes it a perfect jacket.
The price
The only thing that freeriders that are on a budget won’t like is the price. Simply because quality comes with a price. The jacket costs € 650,00. Is it worth every penny? Yes, it is. But please, use the jacket what it’s designed for. Head out in the backcountry, push yourself in the terrain and skin up that remote mountain. This jacket won’t let you down.
You’ll find more information about the Arc’teryx Rush LT Jacket here.