Sudden_Death

I'd search eBay for a Nike Juniper and spend the extra $250 or more on something else.

Lamps

I havea hover jacket and will buy another one if mine ever wears out.

mtw

What is the difference between the AK 3L Freebird and Hover?

KnoxBoarderX

A major difference is the fabric of the shell. The Freebird is a ripstop fabric, it makes it lighter. I personally like the fabric on the Hover better.

mtw

Yep, that's one of the problems with searching through all these. Comparing for example the two Arcteryx jackets I mentioned before (Theta SV and Sabre), you come across similar spec'd jackets and the only thing seemingly differentiating them is the code of the Gore-tex. But googling hasn't really gotten me anywhere in finding out the differences between the Gore-tex codes.

I do really like the Burton AK 3L Hover though...

Lamps

The goretex website describes the various fabrics.

mtw

At the basic level; i.e. Active, Basic and Pro. I was more wondering about the specifications, for example the Theta SV jacket is listed as N150p GORE-TEX Pro. That falls under the Pro category obviously, but what does N150p mean?

It's probably irrelevant for me anyway (way more detail than I probably need to know), was just curious.

I'm leaning more and more towards the Burton AK 3L Hover jacket.

EDIT: Now the fun part of finding someone that has stock of the jacket and isn't way overpriced

hktrdr

Erm, no. There are countless reviews, tests, and studies that clearly highlight that Gore-Tex is not the top performing fabric/membrane in the market - not even close.
What it is however, is a perfectly good product that still exceeds most people's requirement and that, decades after its introduction, still has a leading market position due to its first mover advantage/headstart and excellent work by the Gore marketing machine.

Have to agree with nivek, Gore-tex is pointless for the vast majority of riders - even 20/20 is more than most people need. And for the people who could benefit from Gore-Tex and similar, there are materials that perform much better at lower prices - but sadly not really for Snowboarding, as this is really market with relatively unsophisticated buyer and the segment with real high-end needs is too small to serve profitably for most suppliers.

Lamps

[QUOTE=hktrdr;535384]

Have to agree with nivek, Gore-tex is pointless for the vast majority of riders - even 20/20 is more than most people need. E]

I disagree with this, last year my wife bought some non goretex pants, maybe in the realm of burton poacher. These were only workable in cold dry conditions. First warm damp day and the pants were heavy and soaked. Goretex bought, problem solved. Even intermediate riders in the east will still have days where they will benefit. Plus I think you benefit on all days due to the breathability.

If you are still growing or really hard on your stuff and budget is an issue there are reasons to spend less but for her she will get years of use from a goretex outfit.

Sassicaia

mmm..well I cant find a single (not one) review which says the goretex membrane isnt an industry leader at water proofing and breathability. I guess people will decide for themselves. In my 34 years of being on the mountains and living in a city that is classified a temperate rainforest its my experience that nothing beats goretex. There are, however, some membrane brands that come close or are just as good i.e. Gelenots comes to mind, but they are available in much fewer brands and styles. One complaint I would have about goretex is that they literally own the high end market, and probably make it hard for others to compete or enter.

Most 20k/20k substitutes are good enough from my experience, but goretex is simply better IMO. I notice a change in breathability at anything below 15k, and I personally wouldnt bother with water proofing below 20k if I expected to ever be in the wet.

To each there own i guess.