As an outdoor equipment enthusiast, let me talk about my feelings about Archaeopteryx.

Bird is a top outdoor brand. There is no doubt about this. There are many outdoor brands, which can be considered top-notch. Except for some small factories, there are basically only a few big ones. Among them, birds are outstanding.

When many people talk about birds, they will talk about craftsmanship, such as narrow strip gluing, 13-needle stitching, etc. In fact, everyone knows craftsmanship, because now the big outdoor brands basically adopt the asset-light OEM model. Bird is no exception. In addition to having its own small production base in Vancouver (actually called a workshop, it is basically manual production, and the products are mainly trial products or limited editions), it is basically produced in China and Vietnam. OEM Bird also OEM Pata and other brands. So you don’t have to worry too much about craftsmanship. Of course, the quality control of birds is strict, the requirements are high, and the cost is also high.

What really stands out about Bird is its design and R&D capabilities. Arc'teryx is headquartered in Vancouver, which is an outdoor paradise with everything from mountain climbing, sailing, skiing and rafting. Bird's designers are all senior outdoor players and excellent design talents. Only those who meet these two requirements can work as a designer there. Bird initially started out as a mountaineering harness, and later expanded to backpacks, then clothing, and now also outdoor shoes. From this product context, we can see that Niao is taking a technical route. In the field of backpacks, Bird is the first to use fully waterproof materials and adhesives on large-scale finished products, making a fully waterproof backpack that can even cross rivers. There is also a 3D waist belt, which allows the backpack to fit the belt in various postures of the body. In terms of clothing, the alpha series is synonymous with jackets. Especially sv. The height of the front collar, hem length, and sleeve length are all just right. The hood just fits the helmet. The two large breast pockets have pleats. When filled with gloves, water bottles, and food, they protrude outwards without squeezing the body. The fabric is extremely wear-resistant and sits well on the shoulders. Rugged against belts and rocks with a lap belt.

The prices of bird products, especially clothing, are generally on the high side. Now an SV costs 800 yuan, and the domestic price is 9,000 yuan. Whether it's worth the price depends on the usage environment. Most of Bird's products (except for a few leisure series and business series) are designed for harsh outdoor environments, where product quality means life safety. So it’s expensive for a reason. But now many people buy them just for daily and leisure use, so the money is wasted.

Arc'teryx, a Canadian outdoor clothing brand, nicknamed: ARCTERYX, was founded in Vancouver, Canada in 1989. Due to its almost crazy pursuit of new craftsmanship and new technologies, it has grown into a leading outdoor brand in North America and even the world. The brand is also recognized as a top luxury product.

Mainly involved projects:

Mainly hiking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, ice and snow sports; supplemented by running and leisure;

Mainly included product types:

Clothing, backpacks, footwear, climbing equipment and some accessories, etc.

Design and production location:

The company’s headquarters, design room and main production workshop are in Vancouver. Currently, the production of some ancillary products of the web game has been moved to New Zealand, Vietnam and China. .

Brand Background

Arc'teryx, formerly known as Rock Solid, was born in the basement of founder Dave Lane's home in 1989 (American basements are really a treasure trove that changed the world).

Dave Lane

Dave Lane is keen on extreme climbing and knows a lot about rock climbing equipment. Arc'teryx's first product is also related to climbing, it is a safety belt. In 1989, Arc'teryx's safety belt participated in the German Outdoor Products Exhibition and became an instant hit and became popular in Europe. Why? At that time, the webbing of seat belts used warp and weft knitting technology. The nylon fibers in the transverse direction are warp threads, and the longitudinal threads are weft threads, which are cut in a criss-cross direction. It sounds very reliable, but there is a problem with this technology. When encountering a strong impact, the longitude and latitude lines cut each other, and the stress intensity is reduced.

And what did Archaeopteryx do? Remove the warp and leave the weft, that is to say, there are only weft lines but no longitude lines. In this way, the weft threads are not cut and the entire harness is lighter. After reading this, if you are smart, you will definitely ask, how can we fix it if there are only weft lines but no dimension lines? In order to solve this problem, Arc'teryx uses a new lamination technology to fix the weft with thermal bonding. Arc'teryx is the first company in the world to apply lamination technology to outdoor products. They even modified the factory's production machinery to make the fit stronger. At this point, it is not difficult to understand why Archaeopteryx became an instant hit.

In 1991, Arc'teryx was renamed from the original Rock Solid to the current Arc'teryx. Arc'teryx is the abbreviation of Archaeopteryx Lithographica. Arc'teryx's name and trademark come from the earliest known bird creature, Archaeopteryx.

Archaeopteryx fossils

Historical development

Nowadays, Archaeopteryx is praised by the majority of outdoor sports enthusiasts. The most typical representative is its jacket. So how did Archeopteryx evolve from a A company that makes seat belts, why not start making jackets? As we said before, the founder is a crazy enthusiast. Once, he went skiing in the mountains near Vancouver wearing the best jacket he could buy on the market. After the trip, his review of the best jacket was terrible! Well, since the best products look like this, we might as well make better products ourselves.

BETA AR JACKET

Starting with the simplest zipper treatment, before Arc’teryx’s innovation, zippers were not waterproof. In order to solve this problem, jackets will have a curtain outside the zipper to protect the non-waterproof zipper. But one more piece of material means more weight. And it’s not very pretty either. If the zipper could be waterproof, then there would be no need for this door curtain. Therefore, Arc'teryx cooperated with YKK, the world's largest zipper manufacturer, to design a waterproof zipper. A layer of glue was pressed on the zipper to make the zipper waterproof. This is another innovation that pushes the market forward. However, where there are creators, there are imitators. Gradually, many other companies began to use this glue method to make zippers waterproof. Arc'teryx has developed something called a "double-density water-repellent zipper." It is also waterproof without the lamination film.

ALPHA SV WATERTIGHT Zipper

Since then, Arc’teryx’s various innovative solutions have not only improved the quality of its own brand, but also promoted the development of products in the entire outdoor industry, such as “Thermoplastic 3D Design” "Lamination technology" and so on.

It is not only technological innovation, but also the control of technical standards. For example, the industry standard for rubber strips is 22mm, but Arc'teryx insists on 14mm.

BETA SL Lamination

It is worth mentioning that Arc'teryx was acquired by Adidas-Salomon Group in 2002, and subsequently, in 2005, Salomon was split from A-S Group and sold to Finland's AmerSports Group, now Arc'teryx is a subsidiary of Amer's Salomon Group

Gore-tex fabric

All outdoor enthusiasts must know about Gore-tex fabric. We know that it is the best outdoor fabric and the best balance of waterproof and breathable fabric at present.

In 1996, Arc'teryx obtained the authorization from WLGore to use GORE-TEX fabrics and began producing its new series of outdoor technical clothing. The combination with Gore-tex later gave birth to the most extreme outdoor clothing, Arc'teryx hardshell (Hardshell) and softshell (Softshell) series. Now the product fabrics are upgraded to GORE-TEX Pro and Paclite technology with better performance.

Innovation and Leadership

Arc'teryx is proficient in the application of new technologies and has many firsts to become a leader in the outdoor industry.

The first brand to use GORE-TEXXCR fabrics

The first to develop and use waterproof zippers

The first innovative design - waterproof zipper compartment

The first to use a fine sewing method of 16 stitches per inch

The first to use narrow waterproof tape and joint cutting technology

The first Features heat-bonded Velcro

First cheek protector to feature adhesive technology at collar area

First to feature heat-bonded pockets

The first to use adhesive technology on the hem of clothing

Product code and usage details

SV – Severe Use Wizard Level:

For the worst Designed for extreme environments, the most durable materials are used, and a hood design is added to provide the most complete protection in order to cope with severe weather. It is suitable for three-pole expeditions (the North and South Poles and the highest peak). It can provide users with the most all-weather protection for a long time, but it will bring an increase in weight, so unless you want to go to those places that are really cold and dangerous, Quite biased. Otherwise, there is no need to buy this level for general adventure use, unless of course you have money to spend on equipment.

ALPHA SV Jacket

AR – All-Round Use Multifunctional level:

Emphasizes a series of functions, uses medium thickness material, and can handle most of the future Environmental use, with the most complete covering and tailoring design. Made of durable materials, although a little heavier, the price/performance ratio is very high. It is very durable and can cope with all domestic terrains and climates, such as Beta AR Jacket and Gamma AR Jacket. If this model appears in bottom-layer sweat-wicking clothing or mid-layer thermal clothing, it is (relatively) positioned more suitable for autumn and winter use, such as: Rho AR Zip Top and Delta AR Zip Top series.

ALPHA AR Jacket

MX – Mixed Use Mixed Weather Use Level:

For use in changing weather conditions and diverse activities and changing terrain environments, Wear-resistant, breathable, sweat-wicking, high-mobility fabrics will be used wherever possible. This positioning design often only appears in soft shell clothing. If the activity area has four distinct seasons and large altitude changes, this type of clothing is usually suitable.

GAMMA MX Hoody

LT – Light Lightweight level:

Using lightweight materials, the design pursues simplicity and reduces unnecessary parts. For wind and raincoats, most of them reduce the wear resistance of the material to achieve lightweight; for thermal clothing or sweat-wicking clothing, thinner fabrics are used to achieve three-season use.

CERIUM LT Hoody

SL – Super Light Ultra-lightweight level:

Using the lightest fabric, but with reduced durability. Obviously, Gore-tex's Paclite has the most advantage when it comes to wind and raincoats, and other styles will also use the lightest materials. In terms of ultra-lightweight design, Paclite must be used for wind and raincoats at present. The base layer will use the four-way elasticity of the fabric to reduce too much tailoring, such as Rho SL Crew. In addition, some details of the design will be reduced, or different ideas will be used to design.

CERIUM SL JACKET

SK – Ski Specialized:

Winter design that combines skiing and snow climbing.

Generous connection, extra spatial layering, plus larger trouser leg openings to adapt to snow sports.

SHUKSAN Ski Jacket

LS (Long Sleeve) It is long-sleeved, SS (Short Sleeve) is short-sleeved, RT (Rolltop) is rolled and waterproof, and M (Mountain) is used for mountaineering.

Arc'teryx product series and naming scheme

Outdoor sports Product technology has developed rapidly in the past hundred years, and each major brand manufacturer has its own innovation and development. Arc'teryx continues to develop and innovate in the fields it involves, and strives to make its products the best.

Although when we choose outdoor equipment, the ultimate may not necessarily be the most suitable, but Arc’teryx’s pursuit of perfection is worth learning from all brands. Arc’teryx has also promoted the innovation and advancement of outdoor sports product technology.

Arc’teryx only started out as a safety belt, but its pursuit of the ultimate spirit has led it to its position as a top outdoor brand today. In recent years, with the strong development of outdoor sports in China, domestic brands have shown their talents, but they are completely lost in the vast market. They blindly cater to the market but are irresponsible for the products they produce, which is simply a waste of human life. I also hope that Chinese brands can seriously build brands and products, so that domestic brands can rise in the world.

I used to like bird things and bought theta ar, atom sv, gamma mx and some small items. Now I prefer the appearance of Mammoth

The workmanship of Bird is top-notch, and the design, cut and color are very good. It is an excellent outdoor clothing. But the performance of outdoor clothing is largely determined by the fabric. Especially products using Gore fabrics. Gore is a very powerful company, and all jackets using gore-tex must use its equipment and accessories in accordance with its standards. This ensures the quality of various brands of goretex jackets. The high consistency of product quality makes the gore brand a world-leading fabric even though it is not as good as its competitors in terms of breathability. There is not much difference in performance between Jackets made of the same proshell fabric, whether Bird, Elephant, or domestically produced Kele Stone and Ozark. It’s just that Bird’s workmanship is better, more refined and more handsome (after all, outdoor clothing is also clothing, and the decorative function is equally important). To sum up, if you compare the prices from overseas purchases, Bird’s jacket is the best.

But Bird’s other products may not be the best. After Bird switched to using self-produced fabrics for its soft shells, everyone basically agreed that the windproof performance of its products had declined compared to when Polartec was used, and its self-produced cotton clothing and fleece fabrics did not show better performance than Polartec.

In terms of backpacks, Bora is great. For other models, especially small backpacks, if it is not to recharge your faith, you should choose Osprey or GG and other brands with their own characteristics. For backpacks of 65 liters and above, I still prefer the GG backpack, especially the p80, which can really be used to pack a water tank and carry it around.

Niao’s gloves are good, and they have their own merits compared to brands such as OR and BD. For seat belts, it is better to buy BD or petzl and get a set bonus.

There is no technical content in this powder bag, so you have to believe in it.

In fact, there is no essential difference between the major brands of down jackets. Marmot, TNF, and MHW compete fiercely in the 8,000-meter level.

As for outdoor shoes, the low-tops of Birds are actually not expensive. I personally don’t like the shape. I don’t quite understand the design idea of ??the high-top double-layer design. Bird shoes have not been on the market for a long time, so its performance remains to be seen. A bunch of old brands in Europe have been tested.

Finally, I emphasize that outdoor clothing, no matter what brand, can only be the icing on the cake. The core is your own ability, will and preparation before travel. Mythical equipment or a certain brand is not advisable.

At the same time, we cannot deny the significance of excellent equipment. Preventing equipment from becoming a shortcoming in travel is the easiest goal for us to achieve. After all, we only need to spend money

I think arc’s hard-shell jackets have always been the best in workmanship and tailoring. Much like a piece of art! For soft shells, I still recommend Mammoth! Every brand has its own special series! Show off your harvested birds

Archa’teryx is the Hermès of the outdoor world

Friends, Arc’teryx sportswear is great and very comfortable to wear. This Arc’teryx sportswear has good thermal insulation properties. Well, they are especially good for skiing in winter. This kind of clothing is very light and comfortable to wear. This kind of clothing is also very wear-resistant and strong. This type of clothing can also be worn in summer. It is especially comfortable to wear when riding cross-country in summer. It feels very cool in summer when the sun is not shining through. Many of my friends own this kind of sportswear, and they all say that Arc’teryx brand sportswear is great!

How strong is it? I have no idea! I only know that it is a first-line brand and expensive! It is an indisputable fact that when it comes to outdoor products, you get what you pay for! Expensive, it definitely makes sense. However, as a general outdoor person, I will not buy it. The reason is very simple-it is too expensive! Like many people, it’s not that I can’t afford it! I don’t think it’s necessary! How many times a year can I wear a jacket that costs several thousand yuan? How many times can I wear it in 10 years? Nowadays, there are many outdoor products and there is a lot of choice, so it is most important to buy the one that suits you!

Just for commuting to and from get off work, the craftsmanship and tailoring are all top-notch

A bit expensive!