Sleek, flattering and tough enough to accompany you on all your adventures - The recently revised Arcteryx Thorium AR Hood is best described as a versatile and lightweight, yet durable, do-it-all down insulated jacket. The clue’s in the name, Arcteryx use the suffice AR to describe their range of All-Round products. So, this big, toasty jacket is perfect for just about any outdoor activity where you need reliable warmth and protection from nasty winter conditions.
The Thorium AR Hood is designed to work as an insulating layer as part of your overall layering system in extreme cold, or you can use it as a standalone jacket for cool dry conditions. How you wear it will depend on what you’re doing, how much effort you’re putting in and of course what the weather conditions are. If you need more detailed information about layering check our video here
What is the Thorium AR Hood made from?
The outer fabric of the Thorium AR Hood is made using the new Arato 30 Nylon that has a durable and subtly textured, non-shiny finish, is abrasion resistant and can be packed down nice and easily. The outside of this new fabric is treated with a DWR (Durable Water Repellant) to help repel light rain and snow, but please note that the Thorium AR Hood is NOT waterproof so layer it up under a waterproof shell if, and when, it starts raining hard.
I described the Thorium AR as a down jacket earlier, but to be totally accurate it’s filled with natural down and synthetic Coreloft insulation. Arcteryx call this process “Down Composite Mapping” and it places each type of insulation where it works best. 105g of 750-fill power European Goose Down (about the best there is) is used in the sleeves and around the core, and Coreloft is used in the hood, cuffs and under the arms, areas that get exposed to the most moisture and need to dry quicker.
OK, let’s get technical for a moment. The effectiveness of down insulation is measured using fill power, in this case 750. This is a recognised measurement of how “fluffy” the insulation is, or how well it lofts. The “fluffier” down is the more space it can occupy and the more warm air it can trap. So, the Fill Power describes the amount of space one ounce of down will occupy in cubic inches when allowed to reach its maximum loft.
What are the main features
One of the most important features of the Thorium AR is its fantastic cut and fit, the jacket just feels so good when you’ve got it on and the fact that it’s weather resistant, breathable, lightweight, compressible and wind resistant makes it perfect for all cold weather activities.
But back to more tangible features, let’s start at the top with the hood. Arcteryx call the design a “StormHood”, this means that it provides full face protection in stormy weather and it can be used over a helmet for those freezing belays or winter mountaineering.
Storage wise, you get two zipped hand pockets and an internal zipped pocket to keep essentials like phones and GPS safely tucked away; the hand pockets are big enough to easily swallow hats and gloves. Articulated sleeves are finished off with a neat elasticated trim to seal out the cold and the hem is dropped at the back for added protection and can be sealed off with an adjustable drawcord.
How does the Thorium AR Hood Fit?
As an insulating piece it’s designed to fit pretty closely to maximise the insulation. The last thing you want is a big baggy jacket as you’ll waste energy warming up all that dead air space, and conversely you don’t want it too tight either as that’ll hinder the downs ability to fully loft. With the Arcteryx Regular Fit there’s enough room for lightweight layers yet it still fits closely to ensure maximum performance.
The arms are nice and long and don’t restrict your movement if you have to reach when climbing or scrambling.
Where does the Thorium AR Hood fit in the layering system?
The Thorium AR is a mid-weight, breathable and packable down jacket making it perfect as a hugely versatile and very warm insulating layer depending on your activity level and the weather conditions. It also works perfectly well as a stand-alone jacket on those crisp, dry, freezing days or as a warm everyday jacket. Layering is not a precise science and there is no one perfect system that will suit every person, situation or the weather conditions. Some of us feel the cold, others, like me, get hot very quickly, but for more advice on using layers please check out this video
Summary
So that’s it, the revised Arcteryx Thorium AR Hood, an All-Round performer for cold conditions that fits superbly, is beautifully made and uses clever Composite Mapping to optimise a mixture of natural and synthetic insulation.
-
105g 750 fill power European Grey Goose Down
-
Coreloft 140 gsm insulation
-
Coreloft 80 gsm insulation
-
Arato 30 - Moisture-resistant outer face fabric
-
Breathable
-
Insulated
-
Lightweight
-
Compressible and packable
-
Wind resistant
-
DWR finish (Durable Water Repellent) helps bead water from fabric surface
-
Down Composite Mapping strategically places Coreloft synthetic insulation in areas where moisture may build up.
-
Corded zipper-pulls reduce noise and are easy to grab
-
Full front zip
-
Low profile insulated StormHood
-
Elastic cuffs
-
Adjustable hem drawcord
-
Two hand pockets with zippers
-
Includes stuff sack in the internal zipped pocket
-
Longer cut