Arc’teryx LEAF just introduced the new Alpha Gen 2 line consisting of Jacket, Pant and Pant Bib which integrate new improved features. Now, they want to give you a set.
For Alpha Gen 2 Line Arc’teryx has completely redesigned all three garments with the Jacket dropping some weight through fewer seams and narrower seam tape, glued-in zippers and lighter Gore-tex fabric in the hood of the Alpha Jacket. The Pant and Bib both feature glued pockets and waterproof side zips that route aft of the knee allowing movement with the zips open.
Sizes Small – XXLarge, offered in Black, Crocodile, Wolf and MultiCam.
The Contest
Arc’teryx LEAF and SSD want to hear your LEAF Alpha Gen 1 stories and experiences. Specifically, we’d like to know how it performed for you or helped you do your job better. Obviously, there’s no need to disclose anything sensitive, we just want you to share your cool stories. It’s ok to be generic about operational details. Pictures help. Post it somewhere online and put the link in your submission post. Don’t tell us which SSD story you like. We want to hear about how you have used the Arc’teryx LEAF Alpha. The best story will earn the writer an award consisting of an Alpha set: Alpha jacket and Alpha pant or Bib pant in either Solid or MultiCam.
How to Enter
1. In the comments section of THIS article on SSD share your story. Only entries here on SSD (not Facebook) are eligible to win. You can tell the story anywhere you want to but it won’t count unless you post it HERE.
2. Comments are open from now until 2359 Zulu on 28 February, 2014. Ready – Set – Go!
3. Use any alias you want to post but be sure to use a valid email address since that’s how we’ll contact the winners.
4. Once the contest closes, representatives from Arc’teryx LEAF and SSD will review the entries and select a winner.
5. One entry per email address. We will delete entries that violate this policy.
6. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited.
Tags: Arc'teryx LEAF, WL Gore
As a Fed with a three letter agency(redundant I know) I often find myself in gun shops doing what I do. In one particular Fayetteville, NC gun shop, which shall remain nameless, I was conducting an investigation in the back warehouse which was open to the loading dock, and the outside temps were in the single digits, so I was rocking my Atom LT under my Alpha Wolf jacket to stay warm, and i was cozy indeed. Needless to say, Fayetteville gun shops are manned almost exclusively with former members of the Ft. Bragg community who’ve been around the block. Well one of the main guys at the shop looks at me in my gucci kit and proclaims loudly for all to here that the “Government must be paying you bitches way too much if you come up in here wearing all that dead bird stuff!” I just laughed him off and kept on trucking. A couple of hours later as the mercury continued to plummet, the same manager walked by and said “I’m headin’ to lunch want anything,” and he was sporting a well worn coyote Alpha jacket. he just gave me a knowing wink and sauntered out the door. Dead Bird stuff is pricey, but it tells other people that you know the value of something simple,well built, and effective.
I live in Canada. I don’t know if that disqualifies me but it doesn’t say so. We had a pretty bad snowstorm here a few weeks back. Combined with -20 temperatures(-35 with windchill), being outside for long periods of time was difficult and hoodies and regular winter jackets don’t really keep up with the temperature.
I was on my way home from work and a car ahead of me hit some ice covered by snow and ended up skidding across the road, and ended up causing a chain reaction of about 4-5 cars behind it including my own. I ended up in a ditch but was unharmed, I grabbed my first aid kit in my trunk and started making my way down the road to each car to check if anybody needed first aid. No major injuries, just a bloody nose from hitting the steering wheel. The windchill was heavy and the snow was deep but I was able to stay warm and functional throughout due to the Alpha and an Atom LT insulating layer.
Arc’Teryx makes some of the best gear imaginable. While the up front cost is steep, few brands live up to the cost in longevity. I’d love to have a set of the new Gen 2 stuff. Especially the pants.
Go to TD and get Gen-1 Alpha jacket for $450…probably better deal than Gen-2 Alpha …not many left..so hurry up..USA buyers only! or get the parka for $499.99 http://www.tacticaldistributors.com/winter-blowout-sale/alpha-parka..I have Alpha parka and Alpha LT…I don’t mind a free Gen-2 Alpha…
My first experience with Arc’teryx was in 2010 when I bought a Combat Jacket from Grey Group Training. Even with a 20% discount I could not believe that I paid that much for a L9 replacement but my buyers remorse was dispelled when my back order was finally filled and I received the jacket.
Fast forward to 2011 my friend had suggested a three day backpacking trip in the Santa Cruz mountains during the rainy season. Still clinging tightly onto my wallet I couldn’t convince myself to find a buy a new Alpha but I lucked out and found a used Black Alpha jacket on Lightfighter.net. Rain or shine I was planning to do this.
We headed out to the Santa Cruz mountains where we were planning to hike from Castle rock state park to the coast. In those three days I had a few slips off the trail into branches and bushes while the rain continuously poured down on us but the Alpha did not rip and kept me dry. There was absolutely no wind was coming through it either. The giant hood was great in keeping water on my glasses at a minimum and allowed me to keep moving. In the afternoon of day three we reached the end of the trail at a beach and the Alpha had held up admirably to the tasks that I had put it through and looked close to new!
Sadly near the end of the year I had sold my Alpha and Combat jacket to fund an AR-15 build because I knew no one would buy my used Patagonia stuff lol. There was no remnant of the dead bird in my wardrobe (although I did have an H-150) and it wasn’t until recently that I finally decided to delve into Arc’teryx once more with a purchase of an Atom jacket. Once again I was blown away with the quality and warmth but now that I’ve been caught in the pouring rain wearing my Atom, it has made me realize how great it would be to have an Alpha jacket once again.
I live in Grand forks and work out of Theif River MN for the 34th ID. The winter this year has been unbearably cold with temperatures reaching low as -52 degrees Fahrenheit. The Arc’teryx Jacket I have provides unparalleled movement and breathability. This was extremely nice in the wind storms that rip through the region causing temperatures to plummet as low as -70 with wind chill. My only complaint would be the price, but so far I have found you get what you pay for if not slightly more. I would love to see these as a general issue item but I realize that is financially improbable.
I was on a overnight trip with a friend in the Pacific Northwest in early fall. The trip was A one day hike up to a mountain hut and then one day down the next day. The weather was clear and warm and my friend packed his equipment for That scenario. The gear head that I am, I took it as an opportunity to test out my equipment, packing as if it was a week long trip. Cooking fuel, food, extra cloths and of coarse my newly acquired Arc’teryx Jacket, Pants and Naos 70 back pack (Dry bag). I am always prepared when going into the mountains with extra gear and food etc, but this time I wanted to see how all my gear functioned and weighed for a longer trip I was planning. Low and behold after a couple of hours on the trail the weather changed and it started to rain sideways and the temperature dropped dramatically. We stopped under some trees and put on our Hard shells and were back on the trail. It was miserable conditions and we should have turned back, but after consulting my friend we decided to push on to the mountain hut and meet our objective. It was not an hour later as we were reaching a ridge line that was howling rain and wind that my friends gear started to fail and he became wet from head to toe. He is strong willed and indicated he was good to go and that once at the mountain hut he could dry out his gear etc.Fast forward a few of hours, he was starting to show signs of mild hypothermia with his teeth chattering and chivering. Every thing he had was completely soaked from his clothing to everything in his pack. The weather becomes more foul along this mountain ridge and night is approaching. The ridge line did not have any spots for putting up a tent so we backbtrack 15 minutes to a small patch of trees we passed earlier. Once we arrive at the trees, I go into survival mode to help my friend. I set up my tent and changed him into a spare set of my dry cloths and put him in my sleeping bag. 2 hours later my friend is doing better and I am still in my jacket and pants laying in the tent warm and dry. The next morning the weather is still bad but has let up a bit. We head down the trail and after a few hours the weather clears and we noticed the ridge line we were on and the mountain hut only yards away. We looked at each other and laughed about how close we had come to it. My friend was grateful that I had the right gear at the right time. I felt privalaged to have had that Arc’teryx gear and still wonder what the outcome would have been if I did not have it. The Arc’teryx gear although expensive is worth its weight in gold for performance and functionality when your ass is on the line.
Its 10° here in Michigan 30+ mph wind and -20+ wind chill! I could use some gear!!!!! :-).
Did my first Carbine Course in the rain with some arcteryx gear. I was shooting right along while everyone else was hating life.
It’s make it Easy to work outsidde that’ it’s why I Love it.
It.’s make it easy outside so I love it.
Went on a hiking trip in Yosemite and in the middle of the hike it began to rain. Pulled out my Alpha LT out of my pack and it kept me dry and warm. Love the fact that it’s lightweight and does not take up much space in my pack. Also love the fact that it’s waterproof and cuts through the wind.
Never had it. Would love it. I would give it a heck of a test and evaluation and return the results.
So my story begins approx 2 years ago when I picked up 2 sets of alpha gen1 jackets and bibs for me and my father at our local arcteryx leaf distributor in Warsaw. As we do pretty much hunting together we couldn’t wait to try those bad ass jackets and pants out. We had a chance to do so as the weekend was coming and the season for the deer was at its highest. We joined the group of hunters and they started to laugh a bit at us sayin’ “You guys joined some sort of a pension para military unit..?? Etc” i Just kept quiet as we knew that the weather would be rather unrpeductible that day. At the moment we had nice sunshine but later IT was supposed to start snowing. Temperature was around minus 15 celsjus. So anyway some of the hunters Just came by and asked about the clothes, and they All agreed that the fabric is too noisy for hunting, when we move everyone can hear us and so on. All together they said that the clothes are no good. We only listened and asked when do we start? After 45 minutes All guys were transfered at their locations and the hunting biegun. As predicted in 3 hours weather changed from sunshine to heavy snow. We were prepared as we Also had our naga hoodies and atoms lt under the alphas. Literally nothing Could move us from our positions. We stayed out in the Snow for 5 hours, turning from crocodile to white and kept absolutely dry and warm. As we returned to the hunting house in the evening IT appeared that everyone came back earlier complaining at the weather. We saw All the clothes being dried close to the fireplace, so i Just smiled and asked, okay guys, so the fabric is too noisy? The clothes are not good?? 🙂 well look, we are perfectly dry and warm, besides we got two deer Just becouse we were able to stand against the weather in our clothes. Any more questions? Within a year we had 5 more members in our ” pension para military unit ” wearing alpha sets 🙂
The spirit of the first bird
This story does not feature an alpha jacket belonging to myself, but none the less it managed to make my day a whole lot better. First a little background to set the mood; northern parts of Afghanistan, coming up on two weeks in the field, been living under a tarp, a constant supply of rain and mud.
So, with that backdrop, we set out for yet another day with patrols and “key leader engagement”. During the patrols, a small part of the unit had been providing overwatch. From a nearby ridge they used a vehicle equipped with a remote weapon station (RWS) to scan the surrounding hills. When returning from our patrols that evening, wet to the bone, I jumped in the backseat of that same vehicle to get some shelter while eating. Some friendly words were exchanged between me and the gunner, mostly relating to his relative comfort, sitting in a car all day looking at a screen. After finishing my delightful meal, he asked if I could help with some maintenance on the station. He wanted me to climb the roof and clean the optics, but after another friendly exchange of words he grabbed his jacket and lens tissue. While the gunner and his alpha jacket went head to head with Mother Nature, I kept an eye on the things from the backseat, making sure no one stole the gunner’s candy stash.
I’m not sure how much time passed, but it can’t have been too long before I noticed that the sounds from the roof had stopped. I thought that he was sitting real still while wiping the optics, but after a while I could feel the vehicle starting to rock from side to side. I jumped out, expecting a below average joke playing of some sexual theme. To my great surprise that was not the case. In his fight with the elements, the gunner and his beloved alpha jacket had rushed to finish the job on the roof. He had been in such a hurry to get back into the vehicle that he had taken the forbidden route down, not the safe passage over the hood, but instead jumped of the side. Such reckless behavior alone would be enough to justify the result, but I like to believe that it was the spirit of the first bird that wanted to teach him a lesson. It turns out that the gunner had tried to slide of the roof, but in the process he had snagged his jacket on something, resulting in him hanging helplessly from the side of the vehicle. In the pouring rain he had considered his options. He could call for help and be featured in every morning brief in the AO the next day, or he could try to escape on his own and avoid the fame. An escape however was not that easy. The jacket had snagged in the small of his back, with the seam just catching on an anchor point of some sort. This resulted in the jacket being pulled up under his armpits, leaving him rather immobile dangling of the side of the car. He had probably tried to wiggle free for some time before I felt the rocking, which was a result of his commitment to tear his jacket in order to free himself.
When I jumped out of the vehicle I just got to watch him struggle for a few seconds before the jacket gave in, but it was priceless seeing him dripping wet and eventually on his knees in the mud. I think his alpha jacket had envied its brother jackets all day, just waiting to prove itself as a premium garment. It must have been torture for a performance garment like an alpha jacket to watch inferior jackets fail in keeping their soldiers dry, while being denied the opportunity to help. I think it was an appropriate revenge to restrain its owner while at the same time expose him to the elements it was meant to protect him from. Considering that only a few stitches tore and that it caused my friend some much needed suffering, I would say it proved itself after all that day.
(Please excuse any misspellings or bad language, not my first language)
Tom
Arc’teryx. Worth the money? YES. Do I have the money for an Alpha set. NO. However I did have the money for the H150 Riggers belt, Chimera shirt, Spotter pants, chalk bag, backpack and who knows what else in the future. I get what I can when I can. Why do I say it is worth it? Fit, function, durability and support to name a few. Every one of the above items has become a favorite of mine and I find every reason to use them as often as possible. I look forward to buying and using their products in all my upcoming adventures.
Hi, nice set. Want to win it. Cris
Great gear. I have few jackets and an awesome Blade 24. What I really want is this free Alpha Gen 2 Set…
Hi everyone, (Sorry for my english, I’m french…)
I’ll try to be objective and make you feel certain things that I think are important for a quality operation like this , dear reader take the time to read and understand what happened , the context, choices, decisions that were snuff by my friends and myself, and in the use of equipment Arcteryx LEAF.
My comrades and I have received a mission order to intervene in the hills of a small village north of Afghanistan, we studied very carefully .
We arrived in a mountainous area and our DZ to 7:30 p.m. on Friday night and then we realized the thickness of snow! between 40 and 80 cm in places, our DZ was impracticable , we immediately went in search of shelter and refuge we had at this time of the evening no card or other we relied on our Gps . We would get our cards later in the evening at the ANCOP .
We leverage our DZ and rode higher in the search for our shelter, night began to fall quickly , we take the road to the village , we begin to descend and we realize with our NVG impressive snow depth places. in turn we see a small house about 50m , we stop and will make a recce , the cottage was open we pushed open the door and we set up our business for the night.
With regard to our mission because we had time from 7am to 11am we had our radio scanner to listen to an important message of the MECC . But unfortunately no scan messages. The cold was getting heavier .
We decide to go to our operation DZ Saturday morning 8hs36 all keeping radios scan message. We choose to take a small rocky path telling us that under the snow the dirt road and compaction steps in the snow on the other traces of our enemies could facilitate our progress. But before leaving a choice already was essential to our security and then on the strategic plan.
For our security against the cold and we rajoutions high additional layer ( Alpha jacket ) and low goretex (Alpha BIB) , even though we were perfectly in our tactical equipment against the cold from head to foot with a preparation of months on the equipment itself essential to take , so we start at 9:00 in Arcteryx LEAF a priority for a distance on the map of 4 km, measuring devices running we have a slow but effective progression as -15 ° temperature at night to make it harder snow, we take the footprints as a den , we realized that we were the first 900m in 32 minutes ! with backpack 21 to 25 kg without counted combat equipment , if I count my bag KG200 22 plus any equipment on my garment weighing equipment and I get to 40 kg the weight of my 90 person kg ! I weigh 130 kg ! for me this is correct because to Jailbreak it weighed more , we will retain my classmates and me a few lessons.
The climate situation will worsen at times and with overcast temperature will rise which will be to our disadvantage to progress in the snow As we advanced the snow to them time to soften so the progression and is beginning to be a bit difficult, we stop to take breaks from time to time and greater 200m after the place : the bridle , ice rain falls from time to time which does not help not compact appearance of melting snow with water and weakens the footprints , we can not go back and we still decide to follow safety traces left by our tangos to the objective, to avoid taking another path and sink further into the snow.
In the progression times we sink to above the knees! we imagine that in places there is more than 60 cm of snow , we know that the return will be a hell for us. But thanks to our Arcteryx required , do we feel any discomfort.
Around 12:15 ! about 250m from the GDL camp we come face to face with a group of 3 villagers ! finger lightly on the trigger ready to shoot, we approach each other up to 5m we look , observe an eerie silence we were on alert but we all maîtrisions I make a sign by raising my arms in front my eyes by putting a cross, that to reassure the tango opposite, they come to us arms and lowered their fingers outside the trigger, the voltage falls and everyone relaxes and there!
Friendly courteous villagers to approach me hands on his gun for safety , Kilo2 sitting and even lying in the snow behind me his handgun in the pocket of his goretex Arcteryx loaded and ready to fire in case , I m taking care of the villagers and it occupied the other two , but at this time the villagers towards me wonder what group you are ? I look at him and ask him the same question, he replied with a question “You are the reinforcement group ? ‘ what a bargain ! I turn my head to K2 with my eyes and told him , ‘Yes we are reinforcing the group . ‘ The villagers were made ??members of the ANCOP Afghan police.
The only result in our memories have knowledge.
This great story to conclude with one thing:
the success of our mission is largely thanks to a preparation for the mission , but without our equipment Arcteryx LEAF changing climatic condition would compromise our mission.
A big thank you to Arcteryx for the quality of its products that meet more than ever the expectations of members of the armed forces on the ground .
thank you
I have been following all of your articles on the Army’s camouflage program. I’m interested in the what their final decision will be. I think everyone knows UCP should have been aborted. You guys have probably given the best in depth and detailed information on the situation.
I only wear my Arc’teryx Alpha jacket on personal time but it’s one the best pieces of gear I have. It is full on sleet and hail proof. I use it for everything from backcountry skiing and hiking in the White Mountains to running dulls at the range. I just wish I had a pair of bibs to go with it.
Favorite article: Word Jail issues.
Story:
While on a work assignment (wearing my Alpha pants), a coworker was injured, (after falling on a jagged limb protruding from the ground) resulting in a puncture wound to his right torso. As we were temporarily separated from our kit at that moment (no IFAK), I cut my Alpha pants to create a field expedient 3-sided chest seal to address his pneumo. (I thought the waterproof laminate may help it to “seal” even though it’s “breathable”). The dressing worked and remained in place until being replaced by a Bolin.
So…I’d love some replacement dead bird gear! Thanks for your consideration!
My girlfriend and I have recently returned from our second trip to Japan together. I had packed what I consider the staple pieces of outerwear for any adventure – my Alpha, Atom LT and Naga. I took my Sphinx pants and Khard 30 traveling for the first time as well.
For snowboarding in Niseko, I wore the Alpha and Sphinx pants. I’m still a beginner so I did have a few tumbles and falls but as expected, both garments held up without a scratch. I love that the Alpha has a stow hood, preventing any snow from collecting up inside if it wasn’t in use. With the jacket’s many pockets, I could keep some emergency essentials with me – A first aid dressing with a pair of nitrile gloves in a ziplock bag, an emergency blanket and a map of the area. The Sphinx’s reinforced fabric at the knees were also a godsend when it came to hard ice. I stayed dry and protected from the wind throughout our 4 days in the snow. We had an awesome time and the view of Mt. Yotei (referred to as “Baby Fuji” by some people) was breathtakingly beautiful.
Our trip also took us around Kyoto where we visited the famous Kinkakuji Shrine (Golden Pavilion) on one of the days. It was snowing/raining and while the other visitors were shielding themselves with umbrellas, I had my hard shell on and my hands free to snap photos.
The point is, you get the peace of mind that every piece of your kit works, allowing yourself to focus on the task at hand or to just enjoy the moment. I never had to worry that I would be wet or freezing, or if a zipper would break.
Arc’teryx LEAF did a post on their Facebook about a year ago, asking for feedback on the Gen1 Alpha. This was my response:
The design of the Alpha is solid, just upgrade the Gore-tex to the latest top of the line membrane and in Wolf.
I knew without a doubt that they would listen to what their customers had to say, find a way to improve it and make it a reality. I was really excited when they announced the Gen2 Alpha.
Reputation is one thing but in just the couple of years of experiencing their products, Arc’teryx as a company has earned not only my support, they have also earned my TRUST.
Pictures here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153861356495557.1073741827.839360556&type=1&l=37c0f597dc
So I’m new to the Arc’teryx Leaf “experience” just having purchased an ATOM SV Hoody. I was looking for something light and flexible, but more than windbreaker protection. When you hear about a Severe Weather rating for a “jacket” it sounds like a complete contradiction or the usual far-fetched claims (8 base layers needed) so common in the tactical clothing biz . The garment performs as advertised. It’s now my EDC jacket and I’ve worn it in 6 degree cold and snowy conditions. The jacket’s performance really stands out when your gloves and pants start to fail against bad conditions. I’ve got to say, ‘I’ve been converted’ and can’t help but wonder if Arc’teryx can help me out in the gloves and pants department?
We had just finished a long ruck through some serious terrain and arrived at the ORV. Setting up a patrol base, we laid in the prone to do a listening halt. It was -30 Celsius that day and the wind was blowing hard, after only a few minutes we were half buried by the drifting snow. Looking beside me to my fire team partner, I could see he was shaking violently from the cold. When you patrol in the winter you can’t wear too many layers or you’ll sweat – and the moment you stop moving, you’ll freeze solid. Just then our Sergeant walked by, and stopped over top of us looking concerned. But it wasn’t my fire team partner he was concerned about, it was me. I was wearing a winter base layer with my alpha jacket and pants and only my CADPAT combats over top. It was all I needed, the alpha set was the ultimate barrier between me and the harshest elements. With perfect timing, I had taken my parka out of my ruck to give to buddy next to me to use as a blanket, so all my Sergeant saw when he looked at me was a snow covered troop stripping down to nothing; hypothermia. He immediately signaled for the medic and moved in close to me.
“Do you know where you are?”
I thought he was jerking around, so my response didn’t help with his assumption.
“Canada” I said, half stunned.
When I saw the medic come up with a few blankets, I put it all together and explained I was alert and oriented, and after a short but coherent conversation I was promptly tore a new one. Later that week in the mess I explained to the boys what happened, and we had a good laugh. Turns out, most of my section is now wearing alpha gear.
What’s with all the posts? They giving something away? LOL.
I’d have to say when I was working with some PJ’s out in A-stan. As an SF guy, a whole Arcteryx set wasnt an issue item to us…but those PJs were hooked up. Our Patagonia stuff was really nice and worked well out there, but you could tell the difference in the Arcteryx kit. Instead of seeming like it was mass produced as with the Patagonia, the Arcteryx was definitely superior.
Have a good one,
Josh
I use the gen 1 alpha jacket and atom sv hoody. This is one Hell of equipment. You can have icepicks on your beard and You will be still worm at -15-20 C. No twich due to cold.
Strongly recomended
Although not a Black Ops mission, I just wanted to send this as more of appreciation for the great gear the dead bird has and just one of many stories I have for my trusty Alpha Jacket…
It was a dark, cold and stormy night. No really it was, and of course it was our last night of four straight before being off for two. We were dispatched to a motor vehicle collision at 2:30 a.m. I had recently successfully been hired to the Forensic Unit, (C.S.I) and as I gathered myself for the call I grabbed my Arcteryx Alpha jacket which was my first bit of kit I had bought for my new position. Our unit was all Detectives and demanded the suit and tie, something I was, and still am not, use to. You see, some of the “Dicks” in this Unit have forgotten where they came from and tend to be soft now. I liked the road, the camaraderie, the training and I like to think I was a good boy scout and was prepared for anything. As the new guy in the Unit I knew I was going to be the one in the muck for this one. My partner was an old crusty Limey, his mind already retired and his best days of “marching up and down the square with the Sgt. Major” long behind him.
We arrived on scene and of course my partner takes out his notebook and states he’ll “do notes”, I will be photographing the scene and collecting evidence. I open the back of our truck and throw the tie and my “dress” coat off and put on the Alpha. I unfurl the hood, slide it over my noggin and get to work with the Reconstruction Unit. Who are decked out in decent kit themselves… good boy scouts that they are.
I start my investigation as my partner darts from vehicle to vehicle to get the information he needs. Of course the collision vehicle is in a ditch and I am kneeling in wet grass, puddles, mud and standing all over the road as it rains down on me. The deceased is removed and I am asked to enter the vehicle to record the condition of the interior; air-bags, seat-belts etc. I can only enter by walking in the ditch and as I get my torso into the cab of the car I am greeted with broken glass, broken plastic, metal shards and of course broken booze bottles and beer cans. I enter as best I can and of course my new Alpha jacket takes the brunt of the glass, metal and plastic. “Scraape, scraaaatch”. “Oh F#$K” I think. Of course I am going to ruin my new jacket in here and I’ll be back to wearing a sport coat for the next one I have to crawl through.
I finish up and head back to the truck where my partner is soaked and cursing as his trips from Constable’s cruiser to the Recon Sgt’s truck has him wet and miserable. I take off my Alpha and my upper body is dry and cut free. I wish I could say the same for my legs and feet. I get back to HQ and the Alpha is shaken out and there is not a cut or a hole on it. It’s still in great shape, I am so happy because I love this jacket and its quality. Perfect!
The next day I awake later than I wanted and pack up for a range day. Of course I pack before I look at the weather and it is still raining and cool. I don’t care as I have packed my Alpha. Of course when I arrive at the range it is near empty due to the weather. But I am there all afternoon with the Alpha jacket, training in the rain, being a good Boy Scout.
I would give one of my little fingers to win an original Arc’teryx set like this. Please give me the chance …. 🙂
It was last winter when I had a car crash, and drifted into a road trench.
My car stopped working in any possible way. And I started walking along the road to get to the next village, but during this evening it has been freezing cold for an european winter, around -30°C.
Unprepared how I’ve been, I only wore a thin leather jacket and jeans.
Bad Luck…but after 30 minutes of walking the road a car stopped, the only car that crossed my way this cold evening.
His driver was wearing the Arcteryx Leaf Alpha! But just until he gave his jacket to me, so I could warm up finaly, while I took the seat next to him, slowly starting to acclimatize. (The seat heating may helped a bit too…;)
It was one of the luckiest days in my life, because that man is now my boyfriend and with high chances soon my husband.
I’d love to suprise him by giving him an Alpha Gen II Set, as a useful symbol of our love, something he has clearly good use for, during deployment and training.
This story is from a quick trip I took with a friend to Grandfather Mountain out near Linville, NC. Our intent was to make our way to the top, find a good place to pitch tent, and head out in the early morning to catch the sunrise on the way down. It became immediately clear to us that our plan was unfeasible; as the upper ridge of the mountain was subjected to a vigorous gust that, combined with the perpetual moisture in the air, left our rucks soaked to their frames. We m aintained a mild pace, so I donned my Alpha jacket as we walked into the mist. My camera is listed as weather-resistant, but I was concerned that the soggy air would overwhelm it, so I draped the camera around my neck and zipped my parka up over it between shots. This might have worked a bit too well, as I’d have to wipe the fog off my viewfinder each time I pulled my camera out.
As darkness fell, we chose to head several hundred feet down the ridge; below thecloud ceiling to a patch of dirt that sheltered us from the steady draft coming from the other side of the mountain. We set up camp; I pitched my newly purchased bivy sack and my companion strung up his hammock. He had the forethought to bring a poncho with him to hang over his hammock; I was content with testing the effectiveness of my bivy. Baptism by fire, as they say. After tossing on my Atom LT and Alpha; I wrapped myself in my woobie, climbed in, and hoped for the best.
A short while into the night; I was awakened by the growing pool of water underneath me. My lower body was soaked through, but the combination of a gentle slope and my Alpha resulted in a dry upper torso. I shrugged off the discomfort and waned in and out of sleep for the remainder of the night. When the cold finally got the best of me; I called my companion from the depths of my bivy sack and convinced him we should head out early. At ~4 AM, I stumbled my way down that wretched mountain, drenched socks, bloodshot eyes, and crushed spirits.
At the time it was utter misery, but I’ve come to appreciate that trip more than any other that year. Here is a photo that was taken a short while before we found camp:
http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt275/Glin1216/2167_zps1713e92a.jpg
Unfortunately I was never afforded an opportunity to put into operation any Arc’teryx gear let alone the leaf alpha gen 1 series. Throughout my time in service my standard issue served me well. Although my mind kept constant mental notes as failures would occur. My thought process was, what is nonoperational I can dx; but what about when I get out? I will eventual clear CIF and inevitably surrender the only gear I’ve come to know. It’s not that I loved my Gore-Tex parka, bear suit or my woobie. Well, okay, I did love my wobbie. It was that for the first time since being trained to expect anything, I was not going to be prepared for anything. I managed to retire with a few un-itemized items, but nothing worth boasting about. I was left with a box full of metals and ribbons, a folded flag, my favorite boots and one hell of an ugly ACU uniform. One mission had come to a close and a new one had enveloped me. I set out to acquire the gear that I never knew I always wanted. It wasn’t going to be the most cost effective like the military has grown accustom to. It would be the most effective with no exceptions. So my diligent research began and after wading through the seemingly infinite misinformation from would be soldiers whom combat experience consisted of paintball, I found myself at soldier systems daily; Which has become quite literally my daily stop for soldier systems updates. I am not a government contractor with magic card so I save, wait, research and repeat. The essentials came first. Weapon system, medical kit, 72 hour pack, base layers then uniform etc… I have been saving up for the next much essential item since reading about it on soldier systems daily. You guessed it, the Arc’teryx alpha bib pant and jacket. Although I was pretty set on getting them in wolf for its adaptability not to mention it would draw less attention as I would be wearing this article in more than just the field. But hey beggars can’t be choosers right? But then again, why not be choosy seeing as I’m not even eligible for this contest. I can understand rewarding loyal customers but what about gaining a new loyal customer? For those of us not fortunate enough to have had the privilege of adorning ourselves in the ever so sought after Arc’teryx gear as we set out on our worldly adventures; we have no story to tell here. I could make up some awesome story that never happened about gear I never owned to compete with the other hundred or so bad mamajama operators rocking their Arc’teryx proudly. But I find being untruthful is always unfruitful. Instead my Arc’teryx story has not yet been made, but I will have one to be told. You see, no matter what, I am going to own the Arc’teryx leaf alpha bib pant and jacket. I will eventually buy it if I am not lucky enough to be awarded it. But if I were by some great miracle granted by the tacti-cool gods, outfitted with this set at no expense of my own; I could assure you that those expenses I had allotted for this set would go still go to Arc’teryx. None the less, good luck to everyone here on soldier systems.
I just finished spending what was the worst winter of my life training. I left in mid November and was lucky enough to get a few days off for the holidays, but was gone until mid February. During that time I was constantly under a heavy ruck (when we tried to do an airborne op, we had to get the rucks down to 80#, and this is with them starting at +/- 100# each), long movements, and constant exposure to sub freezing temperatures. I have never seen a winter this cold.
Everyone knows that walking in the winter is a tricky balancing act between staying dry from the rain/sleet/snow and staying dry from the sweat, then not being over heated but also warm enough that you are functional. Plus moving during daylight and setting in ambushes that go into the night where once set, there is not any real chance to “sniffle up”. Having the right jacket and pants was the ultimate game changer and life saver.
As a friend just confirmed he had frost bite on two of his toes, I am eternally thankful that I was able to stay warm. I have always enjoyed Arc’teryx gear, from civilian activities such as rock climbing and snowboarding, to the duty job, it is the best company I have purchased in the 8 years of Army-ing, and countless days spent outside.
I’m a LEO in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I can’t say that my Alpha saved my life, or that I wore it as #2 through the door at OBL’s compound.
In early June of 2013 I attended my agencies patrol rifle course, and spend a week standing on a range, in pouring/driving rain, cold, wet and miserable. I’m pretty familiar with those feelings from being in the CF and having substandard kit, and here I was again. Neither of my two agency issued hard shell jackets were anywhere close to waterproof or even water resistant.
As soon as I could I purchased an Alpha in black, had some agency flashes backed with velcro, and had myself a new duty jacket.
About a week later, my city flooded. 26 neighbourhoods were underwater, 75000 were displaced, our city core was cut off and abandoned, and it continued to rain.
Some of us worked 36 hours straight, checking homes, holding traffic points, evacuating citizens, and in the days after, patrolling abandoned neighbourhoods, keeping looters at bay, maintaining calm, keeping the peace.
My Alpha held up through it all, keeping me dry when it rained, warm when it cooled. Had I been saddled with our issued junk, my days and nights wold have been longer and less comfortable.
Here’s the thing, though, SSD and Arcteryx. My Gen 1 is still going strong and still meets my needs perfectly. So if by some chance you pick my entry as a winner, ship the set to some kid standing sentry in Afghanistan. He needs it more than I do.
So many posts… so many disqualifications!
Read the big bold instructions people.