Review: Arcteryx Cerium SV Hoody

- product provided for the purpose of review, thanks to Arcteryx -

Winter has really kicked in over the past couple of weeks in the UK, the cold and dry conditions call for a down jacket which can push out some serious warmth and insulation. The Cerium SV is designed for these cold, harsh conditions - although other manufacturers have pushed for treated down, Arcteryx have remained true to the conditions down became popular in and created a jacket designed for cold, dry weather. 

Arcteryx are really pushing this jacket towards the high end of the market, coming in with an RRP of £400, it's a technical jacket with no bells or whistles, it's designed purely for keeping you warm when mother nature is doing her best to freeze you. Let's start off with the jacket's features before we look at how it performs when the temperature drops.

The jacket:

• Cerium - Streamlined, lightweight goosedown filled jackets made of a composite construction to provide warmth where it is needed most. Highest warmth-to-weight ratio. 
• SV - Severe weather, employs the most durable materials for prolonged use and provides the most weather protection in the harshest conditions.
• RRP - £400

Features: 

• Moisture-resistant, DWR treated outer fabric
• Breathable 
• Insulated
• Great warmth-to-weight ratio 
• Lightweight
• Compressible and packable
• Wind resistant
• Down Composite Mapping
• Adjustable, insulated hood with single pull adjuster
• Full front zip with with chin guard
• Elastic cuffs
• Adjustable hem drawcord
• 1 internal, zipped pocket and 2 external hand-warmer zipped pockets.
• Includes stuff-sack

Let's breakdown the long list of features provided by Arcteryx and try to get to the heart of this jacket. It's designed to be the ultimate mix of warmth and packability, while being lightweight, durable and water resistant, it's also designed to be comfortable and easily adjusted for everyone's unique fit. The fabric they've used is Airetica, a 100% nylon fabric which is tightly constructed, high tenacity ripstop nylon with a smooth finish, which is then treated with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) coating.

The insulation is mainly 850 goose down, but there's also 100 and 140 Coreloft synthetic insulation. The Down Composite Mapping explains the mix of insulation types - areas which are prone to moisture use synthetic insulation over down as it performs better when wet. Goose down is still the best warmth-to-weight ratio insulator used in technical jackets and this is why it's the primary insulation. 

All the drawcords are easily adjustable to bring the jacket in close and stop the wind from getting in, the hood has the most technical drawcord construction which really helps the hood come close in around your face. Although they don't seem like a major part of the jacket they can easily bring down the temperature within and make a jacket redundant. It's great to see Arcteryx making an effort with every aspect of the Cerium SV to really provide an excellent experience in the cold.

Field testing:

This jacket demanded some serious cold and the timing couldn't have been more perfect, an unusual patch of seriously cold and snowy weather hit Devon while the Cerium SV was on test meaning I got to wander around with a big grin on my face analysing a toasty down jacket. The lowest wind chill temperature I experienced while wearing the Cerium SV was around -4°C.  

Putting the Cerium SV jacket on is like wrapping a duvet around you, the warmth is immediate and the fit of the jacket means the down is tight around your body in all locations, perfect when the winds start blowing. I was shocked at how quickly the jacket began to warm me up, instantly radiating warmth back into my body. After some activity in a down jacket the feathers will normally begin to move or pickup moisture and coldspots will begin to form, thanks to the DCM this didn't happen, the jacket becomes warm and stays warm over the duration of wear. 

The basics of the jacket are all done well. Multiple pockets help keep everything organised on the move while the stuff-sack keeps pack management easy. Elastic cuffs and the hemcord provide protection against wind by moving with you at all this times - this keeps the jacket right next to a baselayer or your skin and stops any wind from getting in. This is also the time to compliment the cut and fit of the jacket, it really is perfectly done - it's slightly longer in the back just to cover the top of my bum, while the sleeves are the perfect length. Arcteryx have really thought about how perfect this jacket needs to be for the pricetag and all these design features are helping make this jacket a real standout piece.

One of the things I love about this jacket is the hood construction and thought behind the drawcord, the way it tightens is different to other jackets and brings the hood completely around your face. Great thinking from Arcteryx, there's no way the wind can catch the hood and it's noticeable - warmth around my head was far superior than my Rab Summit down jacket which uses a classic drawcord system around the top of the skull.

Long-term use:

As time goes on I have noticed that the jacket does like to shed feathers, I think this is due to the tightness of the baffles. All down jackets lose feathers as time goes on but it does seem like an above average amount. I've spoken to other owners of the Cerium SV and they've noticed the same thing - perhaps something Arcteryx needs to take a look at before the fall product range is launched?

In summary, the Cerium SV has become my go to jacket for cold, crisp and dry days where staying warm is a priority. It's well made, well thought out and can definitely provide warmth when it's needed. My only slight grievance with the jacket is the price point, £400 is a lot of money for a jacket but if you're heading off to a place where only the best will do then I highly recommend the Cerium SV. 

4.5/5

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Thanks for checking out my review of the Cerium SV Hoody by Arcteryx, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank them for providing the jacket to test. If you'd like anymore information about the jacket then please click this link to go to the Arcteryx website.

Review: Buffalo Special 6 Shirt

- Product provided by outdoorkit.co.uk for the purpose of review -

Time for a review... The Buffalo Special 6 Shirt, an insulated, waterproof and windproof jacket loved by the military and outdoor professionals all over the world.

Weighing in at 675g, this jacket packs a huge amount of features: Pertex 6 shell, large front map pocket, extra long cut on the back to allow for rain run-off, handwarmer pocket and 8 ventilation controls including 2 way side zips. Available in black, green and red in 8 different sizes. 

Love this label, Sheffield rocks :)

I've been getting into the woods more and more over the course of 2014, I've got plenty of technical jackets but when it comes to bushcraft and playing in the trees you need something a little tougher. I saw a Buffalo jacket a couple of years ago on a course and it's been in the back of my mind ever since, designed for military and police users, I knew a jacket like that would be able to handle a bit of Devon woodland. A rainy summer has allowed me to put the Buffalo through some tests and I'm pleased to say it's performed very well!

Dry after 30 minutes, not bad for a jacket with plenty of exposed furry goodness.

 This jacket has been thought through, plenty of features help make it a go to jacket for cold and wet conditions. For me, it was far too warm to be worn throughout a day like a technical mountain jacket but when conditions worsened it was a godsend, the insulation and liner immediately improve body temperature and the Pertex shell keeps the rain off.

Plenty of liner and insulation right up the wrist.

Soft liner helps with comfort and warmth.

Walking through the woods with this jacket on is like wearing body armour, the shell feels solid enough to handle scrapes and bumps and rain beads very well. The longer cut at the back was appreciated, rain normally works it's way down my overtrousers but the lip meant it continued down to the floor.

Beading on the sleeve.

The large front pocket is handy for phones, keys and wallet too. It kept most of the rain out but after a while it developed that damp feel. Not a big issue but a liner included in the pocket may have kept it 100% dry. 

Large map pocket with zip flap.

After some time in the rain my hands were beginning to cool down, a perfect opportunity to test a pocket designed to warm up hands! Very comfy pocket with the same liner in half of it, unfortunately the other half has the reverse side of the internal liner, not too uncomfortable but having the liner all the way round would increase that pocket's comfort and warmth. My hands were warmed up quickly, the insulation is warm but when your heart's pumping this jacket really kicks out some heat, I struggled to keep cool even with the side zips fully open. 

Handwarmer pocket, no special zips or fuss just a standard pocket.

Reverse of the liner in the handwarmer pocket.

Side ventilation.

I've had a few cold nights this summer, with the temperature dropping to near 0°. I've had to keep the zips open partially to stop from overheating, this jacket has got some serious oomph when it comes to keeping you warm.. Temperatures in Devon rarely go below freezing so it was hard to see how much cold this jacket could handle. 

Velcro tab over the side ventilation, helps keep the wind and rain out.

Overall I've been really impressed with the Buffalo Special 6 Shirt, it's kept me ferociously warm, very dry and cosy too. There's one or two bits which could do with a small change but that's just me nitpicking, I'm really glad this jacket is made in Sheffield with such a high standard of workmanship - no stereotypical British manufacturing here, just a solid jacket. I look forward to many more years of wearing the Buffalo in the woods. 

Positive points:

• Tough outer shell which beads water and stops wind brilliantly. 
• Soft and cosy liner which helps this jacket double up as a pillow.
• Immediate warmth when you wear the jacket, no waiting for it to warm up.
• Long cut at the back to help the rain run off.
• Great build quality and workmanship.
• Made in Sheffield, that's got to be worth a few review points!

Not-so-positive points:

• Reverse of the liner within the handwarmer pocket is a little bit annoying.
• No hood, this didn't effect me much but something to remember.
• Not a 100% waterproof front pocket.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the review :)

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Thanks again to OutdoorKit for providing the Buffalo Special 6 Shirt for review. Please check out their social media pages... Facebook and Twitter.

Kit review - Arcteryx Atom LT Jacket

Review time! This week it's the Arcteryx Atom LT Jacket, this is a lightweight insulated jacket manufactured in Canada by Arcteryx.

RRP - £160
Weight - 336g

Arcteryx description - "Insulated, mid-layer jacket with wind and moisture resistant outer face fabric; Ideal as a layering piece for cold weather activities."

Initial thoughts 

This is a seriously light jacket, I was shocked at how light the box was when it arrived and on pulling it out you can see why it's light - it's a very thin jacket compared to some of the down insulated jackets available. I wondered how warm something that light could keep you so braving the weather I chucked the jacket on with only a t-shirt underneath and it definitely kept me warm, the weather was hovering around 2°C with wind chill involved the weather was probably 0°C, as the description said this jacket is designed as a mid-layer so I was waiting for some serious cold weather before I could actually test the jacket! 

As with all Arcteryx products you can immediately tell this is a well made piece of kit, the fit is perfect for walking and climbing, it doesn't ride up and get stuck above trousers so no chilly belly button. The elastic cuffs keep the jacket nice and tight to the wrist so wind can't get up there and also just helps with the general comfyness level. 

Field Testing

As I mentioned before I'd managed to get this jacket out in weather around the 0°C but I was sure this jacket could handle scarier weather than that! 

Luckily a climbing trip was scheduled and with the weather looking cold and dry I grabbed the Atom LT for some serious testing! Up on Dartmoor with the thermometer reading -3°C and with some harsh winds blowing through the Tors this jacket was tested and I may have got a bit chilly! In all fairness I was wearing a t-shirt and baselayer under the jacket with no hard shell so not exactly what this jacket was designed for but I did have higher hopes for it as a stand alone jacket. 

I've been out in this jacket and caught in showers a few times and the rain beads up and falls off very well, some of the heavier showers have caused a bit of dampness but I've still been warm. This is where synthetic insulation jackets are superior to down, the quick dry time and other benefits of synthetic keep you warm through the rains where a down jacket would turn into a soggy pillow. 

I've now owned the Atom LT for around 8 months - it's currently got 1 strip of tape on it over a small tear and a few tufts where the material has taken a hit - It's been a pretty solid jacket, reliable in the cold weather we receive in England, for the price I struggle to think of a similar jacket in terms of the quality of workmanship and fit. The DWR coating is still very good and water continues to bead on the jacket, I'm interested to see how long this lasts and whether the jacket this has some usefulness when water can easily access the insulation. 

Positive points! 

Lightweight jacket
Stuffs down very small
Great fit
Elasticated wrists 
Very well made

Not-so-positive points!

Outer fabric strength

Summary

This is a solid insulated jacket for when the weather is around 0°C anything colder than this and I'd want something a bit more solid. A really well put together jacket, one of the things that upset me was the tear in the fabric - this may have been me going through brambles and branches a bit too aggressively but I can't remember where it took place - I like to be able to rely on equipment and this took some of my confidence in the jacket away. For the weight of the jacket the outer fabric is never going to be bullet proof and as it's designed to be a midlayer I can't really put too much of the blame on the jacket. A really comfy and cosy jacket which fits well and should last a long time.

When it comes down to it this jacket is a beauty and I'd happily recommend it to a friend.