Hard shell

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razorsdescent

Joined
Jan 16, 2005
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Im in the market for a hardshell jacket.

Ive narrowerd it down to either a TAD Spectre or an arcteryx Theta SV


Im leaning twards the TAD spectre because i already own alot of their gear and im sure it will integrate well. Also it has a great subdued color scheme.


The deal breaker here is that TAD uses Event whereas arcteryx uses gore-tex.


Im familiar with gore-tex from high-end hiking boots and alot of military equipment.

Is eVent as good as gore-tex? does anyone have any experience. There is a 150 dollar difference and i want to know if gore-tex is superior or if i would be charged another 150 just for the arcteryx logo.

Thanks for any input.
 
I cannot speak for TAD, but arcteryx is a great company with durable and some of the best gear.
eVent is more breathable than gore-tex. Check out integral designs, they make a good eVent shell. Hope this helps.
 
Spendy but very nice stuff you're considering. eVent is excellent material and in my experience a bit better than Gore Tex. I've have both in Bivi Bags and found the eVent is lighter yet more breathable. I've ditched the Gore Tex bivi and save it for friends who do not have one and use the ID eVent Bivi exclusively now in the Pac NorthWet rain forest.

Never had an issue with it. Lightweight, quiet, and relatively breathable as any material or cloth barrier can be. To date, there is no such thing as truly breathable materials in spite of the marketing claims. If you're working your upper core it is going to generate more heat (and sweat) than any hard shell can dissipate.

The only thing I'd really emphasize is make sure your hard shell has pit zips as most dampness comes from sweat rather than from rain.
 
eVent is purportedly better than Gore Tex. However, I am a LOYAL Arc'teryx customer and LOVE their gear. You can't go wrong with either. I would say, try them both on and rock whichever fits better. I like the athletic fit of Arc'teryx but have heard great things bout TAD. Let us know which you get and what you like about it.
 
My daughters north face Boundary jacket is event. I have debated the Tadgear and like you have many others (think 5), and a set of Arcteryx alpha top/ bottom. I still have looked the tadgear, but Dont know if I really another tadgear... but does anyone know the weight of the tadgear hardshell? I want to find somthing lighter than what I already have.
 
Both have great reps. I have an Arcteryx Super Light jacket. It weighes 11 oz and rolls up to the size of a pair of gloves. I paid 1/2 price (it was new) on the bay. Friends of mine that use eVent have told me that they wish it was vented as it did not breathe as well as they thought it should. Based on their experience I would look for eVent that is vented, if it is available.
 
Gore-tex lost their patent just a few years ago so now the technology is open for alL. eVent is great stuff as is Arc'teryx. I dont think you'll be dissappointed with one or the other. With two nice products, it comes down to fit and which one gets the ladies to look a bit longer.
 
eVent has had some problems in the past, from what I have seen. It does breathe well, but it supposedly has issues when someone has acidic sweat (like me) and the sweat breaks down the waterproofing. Also, I don't know if they ever changed this, but eVent did not make their own tape before, which is kind of strange. Gore makes their own tape so that everything integrates together properly.

I don't think you could really go wrong with either though. My vote would be for the Arc'Teryx, personally. I know they have a killer warranty. What does TAD do on their clothing?
 
between Gore and Event- go event, it's not a miracle fabric as some would want to believe (much like Gore when it was first introduced), but it does breathe slightly better than Gore and that certainly is a plus

as mentioned above pit zips are a must have on any rain gear that your going to moving in

you can easily overcome Event (just like Gore) from the inside w/ too much heat, that's why I prefer a windshirt in every condition, except hard rain, as an outer layer
 
I've had the Spectre hardshell for about a month.

Good points:

• The hood is great. Built-in visor, great adjustment toggles, collar zips up to keep the hood in place and can cover your mouth. Room enough inside for two hats if you need them. Hood rolls up and is held in place as a fat collar by a velcro-attaching flap; stops the hood filling with water.
• Lots of pockets.
• Zippers are waterproof.
• Tail goes down far enough, but front is high enough to reach pockets in inner layers.
• Wrist fasteners are non-snag velcro; wrists are articulated. No leaks when fastened over gloves. Great.
• Very lightweight, completely waterproof, and I haven't had any problems with breathability, even in this 100% humidity winter weather.
• Pit zips work fine.

Bad points:

• The hand/chest pockets are really high up — at pectoral level. Damn near dislocate my shoulders if I try to put my hands in them. This is not a winter coat!
• Zippers need appropriate tension on other parts of the garment to allow zipping. Not a one-handed closure. Can't really fault this — it's a very lightweight layer with compact plastic zippers — but I'm a little concerned that I'll have to send it in for repair in the future.
• The rear glove pockets don't seem quite big enough; I've never managed to put a glove in them while wearing the shell.
• It's not windproof. It's definitely intended to keep rain and show out without sacrificing breathability, not to keep you warm. Layering is most definitely necessary. This is not a winter coat!

Sizing note: the TAD size chart is completely accurate, anticipating layers. I tried on someone's XL Spectre softshell (which I would love to pick up sometime), and it fit pretty well. Ordered the Spectre hardshell in XL, and it was like a tent. The Medium fits me (5' 11", 165lb, 40" chest) over two or three fitted layers and an ECWCS fleece. It would probably be fine over just a t-shirt in summer rains, too.
 
I have a First Ascent/Eddie Bauer shell and it is awesome, just about the most waterproof and breathable shell out there, they have the BC-200 which uses seam welding and instead of the regular thread seams. They have a 25k/25k rating which essentially means that it will keep the water out and keep you dry and breath better than most shells out there. I have many First Ascent pieces and they are all great and they are designed for the highest peaks in the world and it shows.
 
storl said:
Snip.....

I don't think you could really go wrong with either though. My vote would be for the Arc'Teryx, personally. I know they have a killer warranty. What does TAD do on their clothing?
Click to expand...

They tell you they will get back to you. It's only been about 2 or 3 years now for me.........
 
Hi,

I was in a similar position about hardshells. I have many items from TAD Gear and, in general, love their gear.

I ordered the Spectre and ended up returning it. It is made from a VERY heavy, thick, material. Think if wearing an extremely thick rubber bag. It may be very abrasion resistant, but I found it difficult to move in and uncomfortable.

I ended up getting a Arcteryx Theta AR jacket and love it.

YMMV.
 
Another thing to consider is not all Gore fabrics are the same, even if they have the same name. I have the Arc'Teryx Beta LT, which is made out of Gore Pro Shell, but one of the thinnest ones, so it is lighter in weight and thickness compared to some of their ski oriented shells. You can usually see the exact type of fabric used on the manufacturer's site. I'm assuming eVent does the same thing.
 
razorsdescent said:
Im going to go with TAD. If im unhappy or even if i am ill probably start a thread.
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Please do review, Also could I bother you for the weight of it? Thank you in advance.

storl said:
Another thing to consider is not all Gore fabrics are the same, even if they have the same name. I have the Arc'Teryx Beta LT, which is made out of Gore Pro Shell, but one of the thinnest ones, so it is lighter in weight and thickness compared to some of their ski oriented shells. You can usually see the exact type of fabric used on the manufacturer's site. I'm assuming eVent does the same thing.
Click to expand...

how do you like the beta lt? I am looking at picking one up since it lighter than my alphas.
 
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