Revamped for Spring 2020 is the Arc’teryx Nuclei FL Jacket. I’m a die-hard Atom LT hoody fan, which is a burly workhorse of a jacket. I managed to get my hands on an early sample of the Nuclei FL late last summer, so we’ve been playing together for the last 6 months. Here’s how the Arc’teryx Nuclei FL Jacket fared.
In 2015, Outdoor Research introduced the Uberlayer Hoody to its line up of puffies. To this day, it’s still one of the pieces that I reach for the most. Last spring, the Ascendant Hoody popped onto the line-up, as the Uberlayer’s lightweight little sister.
How does it compare?
When I first saw the Therm-a-Rest Honcho Poncho at Outdoor Retailer a few years ago, I wrote it off as the world’s most gimmicky item. Boy, was I wrong. So very wrong. Is it a blanket? Is it a sleeping bag? Is it a life sized slice of American cheese? Whatever it is, it’s my favorite piece of gear.
Puffies have been my friend lately. With ambitious sufferfest mountain days, I often find myself hitting the trail early in the morning and slowly trudging out late at night when the sun is long gone. For days like these, I need insulation that moves with me but also doesn’t take up much space. The Adidas Outdoor Flyloft Jacket fits that bill.
I’m the world’s laziest person ever; when it comes to the elements, I tend to baby my down jackets and prefer my stinky, synthetic insulation over the fluffy good stuff. When Outdoor Research sent over their Diode Hoody, I was a little skeptical. A down jacket to battle the elements? It didn’t seem real.