Wondering what experiences have been since arcteryx moved to china. Have an arcteryx alpha sv made in Canada and it works great. Year after I purchased the alpha sl's made in china. About half way into a 40 day glaciated approach the outer layer began to delaminates from the goretex... And the zippers came unglued... And the were not cheap. And I found myself in a raging Patagonia storm with pants that were no longer useful... Contacted arcteryx to request a warranty and never heard back. Want to know if this is an isolated incident or if arc just SUCKS since their move to china before I get these replaced with the same or something different.

Cheers

I heard a rumor that Black Diamond was making stuff in China too.

Try Arc'Teryx again. Give them a call or post on their Facebook. They're usually pretty good about warranty issues.

As of last year I've been pretty unimpressed with Arc' The new cuts of their clothes has really slipped the most in my mind. Quality I still haven't found any issues with beside the fact that their packs aren't bear proof ;)

My next piece is definitely coming from NW ALPINE or Voormi

Westcomb and Wild Things have worked well for me. Westcomb makes all their line in Canada and Wild Things Equipment is made in New Hampshire, the good ole USA! Good luck!

I just sent my gor-tex jacket back to arcteryx for repairs/replacement. since i bought it in 2002 I'm not holding my breath. I filled out all the info on their repair website and sent it away. I received an email 5-7 days later letting me know they received my jacket and that they would give me a call in 12-15 days, once they have reviewed my repair.

I have a China Alpha SL Pullover that has better quality than another piece that was made in Canada.

Wild things is great too. Their customer service is AMAZING.

Some cowardly piece of shit stole my Canadian Dead Bird, Theta AR. This was three years ago.....that son of a bitch.

Black Diamond has been making their skis and cams and other gear in China, for years. DMM and Wild Country make their cams, etc. in Wales. Look in Forums for a long thread about BD in China.

Thanks for all the replies guys. Nice to hear of some good alternatives to Arcteryx.

+1 for NWalpine. Not quite as refined or featured as the dead bird, but its half the price and weighs less. And stuff is made in 'Merika.

Voormi! That dead bird crap is just over priced Columbia anyway.
Virtually every outdoor garment made in China is out of just a couple of factories. Same machinery, same people, none of who give a shit about what's on the label. Voormi represents true innovation and is American made. Their headquarters are right here in beautiful Pagosa Springs.

The zipper coming off is unacceptable. I am wondering though, Is the delaminating a problem with Arcteryx or goretex? If that fabric was being sent to them in large rolls like I am picturing it wouldn't matter if it was cut and sewn together in Canada or China, it would have to same fabric either way.

Delamination is definitely a Gore-Problem. I had a marmot jacket that delaminated quite badly after about a year and tried to warrenty it through Marmot, who said "it's not our problem, contact Gore". Gore sent me a new Marmot jacket, no questions asked.

Try Norrona too. They're the European Arc'Teryx.

Hmmm that is a good point. Hadn't thought of that.

Question for y'all. My. Understanding is that each company makes their own outer fabric and binds it to a goretex membrane. Is this accurate or does gore make the outer fabric and the goretex layer? Kinda off topic but haven't been able to figure that one out with certainty. ??

it doesnt really matter .... dead bird made the end product, they should cover you ...

IMO they are the same as any other decent outdoor brand, no better or worse in general ...

+1 NW Alpine

I bought a Canadian-made Arcteryx Hyllus (or whatever the predecessor was called) about five years ago. It's a great piece of equipment, especially because of its high, flared collar, which fits comfortably around the jaw line. Unfortunately Arcteryx now makes the Hyllus in China and the quality has slipped. The tailoring is poor. It's less well insulated, constructed and designed. It seems Arcteryx is more interested in mass-marketing its product than meeting the needs of people who spend significant time in extreme elements. If you're buying a soft shell to run weekend errands, you won't notice the difference.

+1 for NW alpine. Their stuff rocks.