Who We Are – About Arc’teryx

Chapter 04: Technology

Of all our suppliers there is one partner who was essential to the birth of our groundbreaking outerwear.

our relationship with w.l. gore is one of the reasons we are able to craft the world’s best outerwear.

ACCELERATE EVOLUTION

The relationship between W.L. Gore and Arc'teryx began in 1998 when we designed our first apparel product.

The Alpha SV Jacket was released in 1998.

The Alpha SV Jacket changed the game when it was first released in 1998.

Our first iteration of the jacket we call a storm fortress was about 300 grams lighter than similar jackets on the market at the time — all without compromising the weather protection mountain athletes count on.

Materials are important, but it takes more than that to craft a light and durable outdoor product like the Alpha SV Jacket.

The Gore environmental testing chamber can simulate the conditions of any mountain peak in the world.

At the Gore facility, they are able to test materials and prototype jackets using various mechanized tests. Arc'teryx then takes the prototypes into the local mountains for further testing in real world conditions.

The Alpha SV Jacket is a storm fortress benefiting from continual refinement and evolution.

When released in 1998, the Alpha SV introduced a new quality of alpine jacket: windproof, waterproof and durable in an incredibly lightweight package. Since then, Arc'teryx designers have obsessively refined and innovated each feature, season after season. These incremental improvements have kept the Alpha SV at the forefront of the industry.

The journey to 475 grams.

Advanced design and manufacturing has led to a 33% weight reduction over the last 20 years.

Make it more durable. Make it lighter. Make it perform better. Make it last.

That’s our design ethos at Arc’teryx.