ARC TERYX Archaeopteryx Outdoor 2016 New Gamma LT Hoody Review & Wear Experience

For outdoor sports, from entry to advanced, the equipment trend will be upgraded toward the direction of lightweight and versatile for their favorite outdoor sports.

As far as dress is concerned, the traditional principle of outdoor dress is generally “functional underwear + middle layer + protective outer layer”. Functional underwear is mainly fast-drying, perspiration, and warm; the middle layer is also warm; the outer layer is mainly wind and rain.

This three-tiered dress code may seem to increase or decrease, and it has a lot of maneuvering flexibility. However, for some outdoor sports such as fast-moving rhythms or large body extremities, it is tedious and bloated. Therefore, I think that transitioning the subdivision of clothing functions to lightweight all-roundness is a very good solution, that is, combining the functionality of the middle layer with the outer layer, and exerting a greater sense of sportswear on the characteristics of the fabric. .

For me personally, my favorite outdoor sports are cross-country running, hiking, and camping. Therefore, the outer layer of dress needs, the first consideration is the comfort and functionality of sports, especially the comfort of wearing sports.

The upper body feeling is not comfortable will reduce the pleasure brought by the exercise; not breathable will sweat clothes easy to catch colds and colds; not elastic fit for sports cutting, for fast rhythms or larger body movements will give people a certain sense of restraint . Functionality is aimed at the sport that you like, and it is better that the sports I like can basically be worn. Therefore, lightweight all-rounder is the current upgrade direction of my outdoor clothing.

ARC TERYX Archaeopteryx Gamma LT Hoody Reviews

Occasionally, there was a chance to evaluate Archaeopteryx's lightweight all-around soft shell Gamma LT Hoody. In the past month or so, I wore it trail running, hiking, camping, traveling, and daily commuting.

Design & Work

?Exterior
At first glance, Gamma LT Hoody looks more three-dimensional, and the movement is more tailored to the body. I was 1.75 meters tall and weighed 75 kilograms. Wearing a functional underwear in the M code was just right. This Gamma LT Hoody is an Adriatic blue, bright and pure color, more prominent in the outdoor environment, but also easier to find by his peers.

The hem and sleeves of the clothes are relatively long, and the movement of the limbs is made more natural without affecting the comfort of the sports. Even if the outdoor sports with a very large body movement range, it can also play a good protective role.

Hood design
The hood of the Gamma LT Hoody is very large, compatible with helmets, and can protect the head in the presence of strong winds or rain and snow. In actual use, I didn't wear a helmet. Because it is more comfortable to wear in three-dimensional cutting, even if you pull on the rope, you will not feel oppressed on the head.

Windbreak skirt design
Gamma LT Hoody is an outer protective clothing. Wind resistance is an important factor in the functional index. Therefore, the front resin zip layer adds a windproof skirt to prevent most of the wind from entering the interior of the garment from the front of the zipper. .

A very nice little detail was designed on the top of the zipper's skirt: In order to prevent the windproof skirt from touching the chin and lips directly, the fabric at the top of the windbreak skirt was replaced with a more delicate suede. Improved wearing comfort.

There are adjustable drawstrings on both sides of the hem of the drawstring. When the drawstring is tight, the hem fits the buttocks even more. Even if the body movement is large, the wind will not be directly poured into the clothes from the hem. Fasteners are fixed directly at the hem, are of a moderate size and are flexible to use.

The hood design of the hood is more interesting. The fasteners are exposed on the clothes surface and the head is hidden inside the clothes. When tightening the hood, it is necessary to pull the rope tightly from the inside. This design allows the rope of the drawstring not to be thrown on the outside during a slightly stronger exercise.

?pocket design
There are three pockets in the Gamma LT Hoody. The first is a pair of hand pockets on both sides. The pocket is slightly higher and the waist is located.

The size of the hand-inserted pocket is large enough to put down two 6SPs. No problems. Using a single bag in an outdoor environment can easily put in a pair of gloves and a headlight.

The third is the built-in chest pocket, which can hold some important items such as cash, ID cards, and wallets.

The inner sides of the two pockets use a large mesh surface, and the main function is to effectively separate the pockets from the more functional functional underwear to achieve better breathability and breathability.

• Cuff design The cuffs use elastic panels, which are easier to wear than conventional velcros. The cuffs are even softer, and there is no need to worry about the problem that Velcro sticking hair is difficult to clean.

Fabric
The main fabric of Gamma LT Hoody is Wee BurlyTM double-layered fabric with 56% nylon, 34% polyester, and 10% spandex. After DWR water repellent treatment, the fabric has strong water repellency on both sides. This functional fabric combines the wear-resistance of nylon, the water-repellent permeability of polyester fibers, and the elasticity of spandex, making it perfect for outdoor sportswear.

The weight of my Gamma LT Hoody is M code, weighs 505g, equivalent to the weight of a bottle of 500ml mineral water. After folding, it can be stored in the hood, which is relatively small,
About 505g weight is very good on the upper body, compared to the ordinary soft shell motionless for the weight of 890 grams, Gamma LT Hoody wear a more light sense; even when the rhythm is relatively fast, relatively large movement of sports wear, There is no feeling of pressure or restraint on the trunk and shoulders.

Details of the work outside the pockets of the external alignment pins are more delicate and uniform, the overall look is smooth.

The hem of the resin fiber fabric fits evenly.

The logo of the bird's embroidery is concise and eye-catching. There is no drawing and exposure, and the look and feel is very domineering.

The only place where work is to be done is the hood. The drawdown at the drawstring is more uniform, but the top is a repetitive and uneven track, not too smooth and smooth.

Cross-country running experience The first weekend of receiving clothes, I went to Jiuxi trail running. The temperature in Hangzhou in March was still relatively low, only around 10°C with small winds. I wore a compression garment inside and I wore Gamma LT Hoody outside. It was a bit cool at first, but it was much warmer after I got up.
The cross-country route is 4 kilometers long. It is a relatively varied route in Jiuxi. There are asphalt roads, forests, trails, dry riverbanks, and some mountainous road sections. The medium-intensity strength is more testable for the comfort and functionality of clothing.
The windproofness of Gamma LT Hoody is very good, and the wind is a bit large when passing the beach and over the mountains. With the upper body wearing Gamma LT Hoody, the lower body is only compression pants and sports shorts; therefore when the wind hits, it can obviously feel the lower body cool, and the upper body is still warm.
Due to the complicated road conditions on the mountainous road sections, in order to find the balance point when running, the movement of the trunk is larger than the smooth road surface. Gamma LT Hoody's sports experience is very good, whether it is the trunk or arms, waist, shoulders and other parts are free to move freely.
The four kilometers of Jiuxi ran down and Gamma LT Hoody left me with the most impressive impression of wearing comfort: the upper body is lighter, there is no sense of restraint during exercise, and the breathability is strong (the compression garment inside is still dry) .

The hiking experience wearing the hiking is a hiking route in Longjing Village of Xihu. The route is relatively gentle but the mountain road takes more than half. Still in March in Hangzhou, temperatures around 10 degrees Celsius, the mountain was still raining the day before the trekking; I was wearing a wicking underwear inside and wearing Gamma LT Hoody on the outside. Although light and thin, Gamma LT Hoody is worthy of recognition.
Hiking in the mountains, some sections of the slope is relatively large, the road conditions are complex and bad, leg spans are sometimes very large, and sometimes need to use hands and feet, body movement is greater. But wearing the Gamma LT Hoody was sporty and comfortable, without any hindrance.

In the camping experience, we found a secluded grove camping weekend at an average temperature of 15°C. From time to time, there was a small river that bled in the breeze. In the afternoon, the temperature dropped and gradually became windy. Due to the humidity on the river, the wind was a bit cool and a headache. However, wearing a hooded jacket made it feel much more comfortable.
Hooded pockets are large in size because they are compatible with climbing helmets, but they are excellent in cutting patterns. Even if they are not worn tightly, they are more stylish. I personally like the hats of the hoods. The inner polyester fabrics and the drawstrings are fixed so that the hats have a certain degree of support. I believe they can play a role in sheltering in light rain.

The evening wind was even greater, and the flames of the wood stove could be seen as being blown directly. The humidity was high along the river and the temperature was low. Because the lower body is wearing a light and breathable trousers, it feels conceivable. In contrast, the combination of upper body thermal underwear + Gamma LT Hoody is warmer, and it makes me not hide in the tent. It can be under a starry sky on a quiet evening. Hair daze.

Commuting & Traveling Experience

For daily commuting, a lightweight soft shell is also a good choice.

In early April, Vietnam went to Vietnam. Since Vietnam's annual average temperature is 26°C, there is no need to carry heavy clothes. However, from Hangzhou, the average temperature is 15°C. An outer jacket is still necessary. From my current clothes, Gamma LT Hoody may be the best choice for travel convenience: lightweight, compact, portable, warm, and windproof to cope with light rain.
Although the average temperature in Vietnam is 26°C, in the city of Daxie, which is 1,500 meters above sea level, the temperature in the morning and evening is still relatively low, which is similar to the temperature in Hangzhou. Fortunately, with Gamma LT Hoody, its warmth kept me from going out to buy fresh flowers and breakfast in the morning without worrying about catching cold.

For the past month or so, I wore Gamma LT Hoody trail running, hiking, camping, traveling and daily commuting. I personally think that: It may be one of the most versatile and versatile lightweight sports soft shells on the market; It is also the most comfortable soft shell I have ever used - light weight, no sense of movement during exercise, and no sultry sweat when worn.
For an outdoor enthusiast, there are many factors to consider when upgrading a dress code. If you don't have a solution, try Gamma LT Hoody.