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Otte Gear vs Arc Teryx

30calDeath

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Minuteman
Aug 23, 2010
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North Idaho
Looking at a few different multi cam jackets for fall hunting use but can also be used in general cold weather, I would like to buy once and forget about it for a long time. Looking at OTTE GEAR | ... and Arc'teryx LEAF Alpha Jacket Multicam - Tactical Distributors- Tactical Gear. I already have the Otte Gear HT insulated Parka and think it is a really nice jacket but their customer service sucks the big one not sure if I really want to use them again but will if it is the right piece of gear to buy.

What are your guys thoughts? Pros and Cons of each?
 
Looking at a few different multi cam jackets for fall hunting use but can also be used in general cold weather, I would like to buy once and forget about it for a long time. Looking at OTTE GEAR | ... and Arc'teryx LEAF Alpha Jacket Multicam - Tactical Distributors- Tactical Gear. I already have the Otte Gear HT insulated Parka and think it is a really nice jacket but their customer service sucks the big one not sure if I really want to use them again but will if it is the right piece of gear to buy.

What are your guys thoughts? Pros and Cons of each?

The OTTE is eVent fabric and in my testing a much superior fabric over the Gore used in the dead bird. While I am not a fan of waterproof breathable fabrics, eVent has the highest performance of them all and is far superior to Gore in the breathable side.

I hate to change your mind but Military/Law Enforcement is what I would buy and never look at the other two again. WT is far superior in every category. WT CS is far superior to dead bird, at the time, when you called someone in their factory who was stitching kit answered the phone but they have grown quite a bit. Titoune / Maria the owner does have a little French attitude still.

Another is Tactical Parka | FELLFAB Military and Sympatex is superior to Gore but not eVent but is very close. Evan at ID is the symbol for CS if you can get past his heavy South African ascent.

Why the need for a hard shell?

Why does OTTE CS suck?

good luck
 
Agree with all that 45.308 said above (listen to this guy, he knows his gear). Here's how I'd rank the three manufacturer's mentioned in this thread: Wild Things > OTTE Gear (very close) > Dead Bird, (MHO, of course) FWIW: I've had excellent experiences with OTTE Gear customer service. I ordered the wrong size Hybrid Softshell and they handled the exchange quickly and painlessly even though I was a bit slow getting it back to them. One additional item of note: I believe Marie has officially left Wild Things, for whatever that is worth.
 
I have had the opportunity to work with folks from both companies. I'm in the functional apparel industry and I somewhat agree with what 45.308 said regarding the vapor permeability of the fabrics. I think ArcTeryx's LEAF construction details and ergonomics are superior to Otte. I was just at a meeting with a Nordic Country's SF group and reviewed their winter and foul weather gear and apparel. They use ArcTeryx LEAF for part of their kit, including shells and they have held up well and performed as promised. I also own an Otte hard shell. I've put it to the test in several multiple-day, wet and winter sniper matches - it has held up well.
I'm surprised about your Otte CS experience and would suggest that you give them another try.
 
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Why the need for a hard shell?

Why does OTTE CS suck?

good luck

I guess I am not sure if I do need a hard shell or not...guess if I was paying top dollar I wanted the best? If not a hard shell then a soft shell?

Otte CS sucked when I used them because I had a hell of a time trying to send back a jacket that was too big and I emailed and called them multiple, multiple, multiple times and when I finally got ahold of them the lady I was dealing with really didnt give a flying F about me it seemed.
 

That was an ad for Gore Industries and Dead Bird which I have sat through weekend long seminars and its still the same, Gore Gore Gore, they have the money to persuade the industry into believing their hype. Have to use their machines, their testing, their this and that while high end companies like WT use eVent and crush Gore in the real world bad environments but Gore money and paid endorsement continue to tell the world Gore is the best. Using infirior e/Vent fabric, would WT put their reputation on inferior fabric!! I was in the industry for quite a few years and talked to many inside reps that tell the same story.

eVent does not last as long as Gore, what a lie. A lot of Gore dollar information.

WB fabrics work by pressure difference between inside the garment and the weather. The warmer and more humidity in air the less Gore will transfer water vapor. In cold dry air, Gore works the best but the closer to freezing the less it works and once reaching mild temps and high humidity like wearing Gore in a rain at 45f, it fails due to little pressure difference. Now slog up hill wearing a 60# pack and the core reaches saturation due to Gore not being able to transfer vapor. DWR OK yes I understand it sat through it, talked about it.

The best WB fabric known was Lowe Alpine ceramic but Gore crushed them.

Chimney effect will vent off more body vapor than Gore ever will yet allow the body to stay dry from rain and snow. Yvon perfected this theory with some of the best designed shells ever made but the almighty Gore ad dollar required him to change his shells. And I can guarantee Yvon shells wore like iron and took just as much abuse as Gore if not more.

WB and WP all can lead to flash off that can make a trip miserable to deadly. Back years ago first wearing Gore I could not understand the phenomenon that was happening so, asking around the industry, flash off. I asked the Gore head shed about this and got a blank look.

The fact is, for real hard, long wearing, dirty, clean, core controlling clothing in the worst environments possible, Schoeller with Dynamic has no real equal. Of course standing on a river bank fishing in the rain its not designed for but for athletic movement in all climates, but then why is a $500 Gore dead bird needed for fishing either, nothing works like a soft shell.

I spent weeks in the Alaska Range, Chugach Range, Torrs. Brookes and Wrangells, alps wearing Gore, Yvons and Schoeller with soft shell out performing, not even close. Yvons was a distant #2 and Gore was last.

I know what a half half is to test fabrics.

Fit is #1, hood #2 and then pockets are very important when deciding on a purchase, more so than Gore or the fabric. Marmot in Durango CO had he best designed hoods for years, Lowe Alpine took over and ID / WT are superior now. Marmot was the first company to bring Gore to the outdoors market, wow they made some superior sleeping bags, jackets and tents but sold out.

Wrapping a Gore jacket around your sleeping bag to keep it dry...WOW! Just the opposite, more fabric means more pressure required to push vapor through the sleeping bag so you sleeping bag gets more wet from the inside. Sleeping bags get wet from the body vapor not tents and spills. Wear your jacket to bed on your core, not wrap it around your feet. Actually the sleeping bag market is fighting back against Gore. Top end companies now use microfiber, why, it allows body vapor to escape at night so the insulation stay dry and lofts Vs Gore. Don't think so, weigh your Gore bag and then go a week long trip, come home and now weigh the bag again to find out how much water the Gore allowed the insulation to absorb. Now do the same test with a microfiber, the bag weighs the same even after a month of use meaning the insulation did not collect body vapor.

Wind shell trick, I thought I read were Gore was the longest lasting and eVEnt sucked so why then wear something over it to protect it.
 
I guess I am not sure if I do need a hard shell or not...guess if I was paying top dollar I wanted the best? If not a hard shell then a soft shell?

Otte CS sucked when I used them because I had a hell of a time trying to send back a jacket that was too big and I emailed and called them multiple, multiple, multiple times and when I finally got ahold of them the lady I was dealing with really didnt give a flying F about me it seemed.

How much activity do you do while hunting? If you hike and carry kit then a soft shell. If not, then its my belief you can get a good hard shell for half cost of dead bird but if you want to spend the money, its your to spend.
 
I can only comment on Arc'teryx as that is the only one of the above mentioned I have. I love there stuff. It is very well made, does what it is suppost to do and holds up very well. I have everything from hiking pants, several jackets, winter coats, base layers..... No complaints here
 
Wild Things Tactical Hardshell. -8°F. E-Vent. Have also Gore-tex. Personally, prefer E-Vent. Also quieter than Gore Tex. Bought the jacket and pants new for $270 on e-Bay, of course last August.
 

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Gore has done a lot for the medical, outdoor and military. But, many companies that are high end choose to not use Gore for good reason and those fabrics perform as well and better. Its up to the end user to decided and do not go into a decision thinking there is only one fabric or one clothing manufacture. Think outside the box. There are high end companies that rival Arcteryx for fit, function and durability and I happen to believe in WT as the best out there and eVent as a WB fabric. But none of the WB fabrics from any manufacture perform like softshells with Dynamic my personal choice. Softshell are what I prefer but its not for everyone and again, when choosing a new jacket, parka, pants, what ever, do not go into the process with binders on for just one manufacture and do not take a review from anyone as the sole truth on the subject.
 
I've been in search of a new softshell as well and now may be a good time to check out WT as they are having a winter sale. Also, you specified that you are looking for MultiCam so if one of the WT Military/LE softshells doesn't quite have what you want there is also a "design your own" option. You can specify fabric, pockets, hood, colors, etc. and MultiCam is an option.
 
It is interesting / great to hear everyone's opinions and I think a lot of that is based on our climates and what we do. When I am out I am usually home by dark, and since I live in the Western PNW the temp range is 25 - 50 with rain and wet snow. *I* have not had good luck with e-vent. *I* have had better luck with Gore. That said, 45 degrees a real rain, basically stationary - the dead bird or any other Gore product I have ever used is beginning to soak through on the shoulders and head within @ 45 minutes. Add enough gear and movement that time can be cut in half.

I think hard shells have their place (best examples are highly packable but offer great wind pro and some rain pro) but I tend to put emphasis on base, mid, soft shells (esp with wind blocking fabric), and while the weight can be high - I really like wool. Wet is fine, as long as I am warm and have the means to get dry when I am ready to be done. For all the money some of these HCs costs, they need to work better.

i'll have to revisit (read about) e-vent, sounds like it is worth considering.
 
I'm always split between Otte / Arcteryx / Wild Things Tactical when looking at shells, both hard and soft.

I have a few Otte jackets (2 Patrol & 1 DK Hybrid), have a ton of deadbird stuff from hard shells, soft shells, sweaters, long johns, base layers, you name it, and a couple things from WT (hybrid combat soft shell and wind shirt. It's a toss up between the three for me. One bonus is if you are a Promotive member Wild Things is a participating vendor.

Regarding just shells, I recently bought the second Otte Patrol Parka but it was a tough decision between that and the Deadbird LEAF Alpha jacket. It was like splitting hairs. Honestly if you're looking for a hard shell either the Arcteryx LEAF Alpha or Alpha Parka (depending what you want/need) or the Otte Gear Patrol Parka would be my instant go to shell.

Now to address Otte CS. I've had ok luck in the past contacting them but with saying that, I tried several times to reach them via their online form, email and phone with no luck. I was stateside on vacation, making a road trip south, wanted to stop by their facility, and pick up a pull over Anorak but no one seemed interested in returning an email or message. It's really to bad because I really like their gear.
 
I must echo 45.308 here. Schoeller dynamic is the best i have found if you are moving much at all or a lot. I have spent a lot of days running around the mountains and these soft shells are the best. I carry a lightweight WP layer for heavy rain and if the snow gets deep. If it is colder (teens or less) for hunting i do tend to wear whipcord wool pants, because they havent let me down and for a little nostalgia. Most all of my gear is from mountaineering and skiing companies as the milspec stuff i tried fit like crap. I am scrawny and needed a trimmer fit. My wife did buy me a Sitka gear 90% jacket that i wouldnt have bought for myself but this last elk season i was impressed with its warmth/weight ratio and functionality. It fits trim so that was great for a lot of long hikes with a pack and rifle. I like the looks of WT gear but have not tried it and will keep my eyes on it as gear wears out and needs replaced.
 
Where is TAD gear in this hierarchy?

The TAD Stealth LT uses the Schoeller WB-Formula material with the c_change waterproof membrane and fully taped seams. It is the most breathable waterproof jacket I have ever worn. The fact that it also has 4-way stretch and a very durable outer face material makes it a great all-in-one high activity jacket that blurs the softshell/hardshell line.

The insulated TAD Stealth uses the Schoeller WB-400 material with the c_change waterproof membrane, but it's not seam taped like the LT.
 
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If you are at that price point, you should consider Crye Precision's field shell. I have one and love it. Keeps you warm, but has great ventilation zippers as well.
 
How about the APECS parka. You can get them for around $60 bucks on ebay
 
45.308 have you had any experience with Kuiu's stuff at all?

This ^. I have the Kuiu Guide DCS jacket and the yukon jacket from them and I have to say I am impressed. They use all Toray fabrics. Jason left Sitka/sold to Gore and started Kuiu and built a line of better gear around Toray. Ill tell you I have a lot of gore gear including Jasons old sitka stuff and after buying the kuiu items, im looking at upgrading everything and selling the gore gear.
 
45.308 have you had any experience with Kuiu's stuff at all?

Sorry I have not as they are more of a hunting. My background is mountaineering, alpine climbing, trekking and skiing where most of the current hunt and tact kit is heading just in camo. Yes I do hunt and fish for food but just wear my alpine clothing.

There seems to be this recurring thyme of this hang tag as the greatest of all time when if fact there are as good if not better out there but all everyone gets when asking here is this same old hang tag regurgitation but there are options and superb they are. I been using WildThings since 1987 or so when I got my first Andinista and soon after clothing so, to me its GOAT.
 
Want to bump this thread as I settled on the Otte Gear Alpine soft shell that I will wear with a few base/mid layers. Probably going to do their matching soft shell pants too. Thanks for the replies to the thread as before this thread I was kinda (still sorta ha!) clueless about gear. I hope to give a review of sorts when I put the Otte Gear to the test.

Edit. I went with Ranger Green over Multicam because I wanted to be able to wear the jacket around town if I so chose to do. I think that Green over camo is better as camo to me screams "look at me!" I do love Multicam though!
 
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And for anyone else who is leaning toward Otte Gear, if you visit their booth at SHOT, you can generally buy anything they sell at a deep deep discount. I don't know the model names, but I've got a heavier soft shell jacket and pants and a lighter soft shell jacket that were all purchased at SHOT for very cheap. They gear is excellent and has held up very well so far.
 
Since there has been a lot of brand names being tossed out and rated, as well as lots of other good info. Where does SORD stand?