Patrol Vest

I have just begun using my patrol vest but I do have one or two product improvements: 1. Radio pocket size. Many patrollers use a radio equipped with a speaker/mike that attaches on the side of the radio. With a mike in place, the radio fit inside the exterior pocket is very tight. You'll end up pressing the PTT switch when working the radio into the pocket. My recommendation is the opening circumference be adjusted to be 5-10 mm larger, to accommodate the bulk of the radios in use by most resorts. I suggest you get a couple different Motorola radios (not the smaller FRS sets) with mikes attached and attempt to put each in the exterior pocket yourself. Then make a larger prototype pocket stitched on some form of vest to test the sizes and fit. 2. Revise the side vest cinching mechanism. The vest currently comes with a looped stretch cord or elastic drawstring and clasp on each side, which allows the user to adjust the fit. While the cords and clasps work as specified, the cords hang down and are a hazard. They could get caught in a chairlift or other equipment. Could you look at a redesign so that the drawstring is less likely to get caught in moving equpment e.g., move the cords to inside the vest and at the top?

This is the best vest EVER! I strongly encouraged Arcteryx to put it back into production and they did. I use it for Mountain Rescue and Snowmobiling. Pockets galore. Made to go over everything you are wearing. The side draw strings help you get the perfect fit. Go a size larger than what you would normally order. The best part, it will also keep you warm!

Fits snugly with very large back pocket for Avy gear. Many convenient front zipper pockets for first aid supplies. Radio pocket is well placed and convenient.

Fantastic vest but size down for sure. I am 5’10” / 195lbs and have a medium, could’ve went for the small.

I bought this vest for ski patrolling but as I work as a medic in MTB and trail running event, The vest is well thought, the fabric is super solid, the waist belt is super convenient, spread the weight on your hips and help stabilize the vest on your body, not perfect when running, but better than a backpack. Lots of well place pocket, the radio pocket is nicely place and hold the radio nicely. As improvement, I would had a place to attach the radio mike around the right shoulder, I understand the elastic on the side of the vest for more mobility but I would add some strap for went you want a better fit. I would love to see some organizer pocket in the main pockets, there is only one. the vest fit super tall, I knew it before I bought it, I took a medium, because I like to layer a lot. it would be perfect when the vest will be full. I Could have buy a small. Super happy with my purchase so far!

J'adore ma veste de patrouille. Elle beaucoup de pochettes de rangement pour organiser mon matériel. Permet de bien repartir la charge.

We were outfitted with this vest at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics as our issued Patrol uniform. It definitely had a lot of diversity, and made me rethink my backpack I used until then. I agree that the zipper pulls easily fall out, and that would be my only complaint. There is a ton of space and we had to layer under them through very cold to very warm conditions, so having them be adjustable was nice, sometimes I had a puffy with 4 layers under and in the later spring a shell and base layer.

I love this vest! I'm free of my back pack, and it carries everything I need for the day!

This is a solid patrol vest. It for collateral duties that require additional equipment and tools; control work, setting fence, signs. It has plenty of pocket and storage space, once it's fully loaded it's kinda like a pack. If you pack this full you will have the same issues on a lift as you would a pack which is more problematic since this vest is not as easy to peel off and swing into a lap. Issues that I have with the pack: As everyone else has stated, it would be nice to have external pen/marker slots, in one of the pockets even would be nice. The lack of gear loops is also a annoying feature. It would be nice to have them on the front near the bottom of the ribs. I do a lot of boot packing when doing control work, ski carry loops would be really nice, my old Wary vest had them. Instead of shock cord for the side gussets I think static P-cord would be better, or even better would be 1" cinch straps, it would make the vest fit more snug and less moving around. I found that since this vest tends to fit very large that the shoulders have a tendency to slip. A higher cut on the neck other addition of a breast strap would be nice here. I patrol fulltime, 5-6 days a week and have run this vest through the gauntlet, other than wearing out the shock cord on the sides it has held up well. I'll continue to rock this one probably for a long time yet to come, unless they make those improvements on a new edition. This is a solid work vest and I would purchase it again. But, I would go with a Medium or small next time. I am 5'11, 190 and even with heavy insulating layers and the gussets fully cinched, it is still loose on me.

So this the second vest that I ordered as I returned the first thanks to a manufacturing defect. This second was near perfect with the zipper pullers missing or falling off (because they were not knotted on properly or in a consistent manner). This is something I can easily fix myself but ... really... Arc'teryx, the quality control on this item is not helping your brand. That being said... I have worn it a couple times already and it is comfortable and functional. No more sitting awkwardly on the chair lift with the backpack. Also, on those windy days, the vests provide that added layer of wind protection as well as a convenient way to warm the hands as you climb up the hill in the chair. I also enjoy the adjustability over the patrol jacket, the cushioning, the ability to balance the weight front-to-back (unlike a backpack), and the convenience factor of having large front pockets to store my kit. I feel I would have preferred the Medium (sold out at the time) as the Large is quite big but you know how it is with items. Timing is key. A Large is recommended if you are a heavy set individual (e.g. XXL+) and/or over 6'3" otherwise the Medium should be sufficient. As it stands, I can only see myself using the Large for the ski hills with my patrol winter coat but we patrol over the summer at marathons, concerts, etc and with my patrol polo underneath, it sits quite large and loose. So I anticipate for the L-to-XL male, a Large vest would be fine for the winter only with a heavy coat but I recommend going for a Medium (if available).

I use this vest in mountain rescue and it is wonderful. It is well made, abundance of pockets so you can carry everything. I bought the original version and I strongly encouraged Arc'teryx to bring them back into production. Thank you, just bought another one!

1. Zipper pull-strings have already come loose and fallen off the zipper. 2. The attachment for the radio retaining cord is very difficult to manipulate.

I’ve patrolled with it a few times now and I can say that it is by far the most comfortable vest I’ve used yet. I no longer feel like I’m wearing a corset. The build quality looks far and above other brands. The highest compliment I can give a product today is that I would buy it again.

I bought this a month ago, I found it very comfortable and well designed for ski patroller. Plenty of pockets to distribute the weight makes this vest really comfortable. Easy access for tools and first aid kit. I highly recommend it ! side and shoulder straps to adjust the vest makes it even more comfortable. Since it is unisex, it is built a little big.. but I am very small so there is probably not enough demand to make XSmall size. I would suggest to make the shoulder ajustement straps a little bit smaller, therefore it could make a better fit for xsmall/ small women.

Full time Patroller. I have use this vest for a week now. So far it has performed well and I like it much better than my previous vest I've used for over 10 years. Main features that have sold me on this vest is the hip strap, and rear "backpack" pockets. The hip strap allows the weight of the vest to ride on the hips rather than hang from the shoulders. The rear of the vest distributes all my self evac gear much better. Larger rear pocket allows for shovel and probe for use during Avalanche mitigation work and does not feel uncomfortable when riding chair. I have had one issue with the vest in that the draw string thats inches up the sides of the vest has broken. I have not yet contacted Arcteryx yet to see if they will fix vest. As all the other reviews I've read, sizes run large.

It rides well and fits everything I need. I was happily surprised by how tall they made the pass-through rear pocket. Seems like it will hold up to a fair amount of abuse. Great job, no complaints.

I love the vest! Althought i believe the sides should be ajustible with a strap and not an elastic. Other then that a small outside slot for a pen or similar item and a radio mic spot would be also very good! Otherwise i love the pocket system,

I'm 95% satisfied with this pack and would buy it again. The only (minor) detail it's missing is external straps to clip on tape, rope, etc. The pockets are more than sufficient for this purpose and it's nothing that would stop me from using or purchasing this vest again. It fits everything that was in my patrol backpack and is much more functional and comfortable.

I originally ordered a large thinking that it would be the sized somewhat similar to a large Arc'teryx jacket (I have several Arc'teryx Jackets in large that fit quite well), but boy was I wrong! It was HUGE! That being said if I had checked the sizing chart I would have known that I should have gotten a medium. I now have the medium, and it still a little big, but I can adjust it as needed so it does the job great. Otherwise this thing is awesome, huge back pockets, an awesome pass-through pocket in the back as well, and loads up pockets up front. I have used it on the patrol for 3 days, and quite a few patrollers have asked me how to get one. Highly recommend.

I’ve had several vests like this. I love the design and features of this vest. I’m 6’ 175lbs and the medium fits well over the shell. Good amount of adjustment. The only feature it is missing is a ski carry (at least I haven’t found one).

I have been looking for a non-pack option to carry my ski patrol gear and this vest meets all of my requirements. I like to carry my shovel and probe and having a dedicated pocket in the back for this equipment makes this easy. This vest carries my radio in a convenient, accessible, and easy to hear spot which can often be a challenge. I count 12 pockets of various size to hold first aid gear, along with snacks, shovel, probe, hard collar, sam splints etc. I really like the dual accessible vertical zippers on each side of the large back pocket which makes it easy to stuff my skins in. The attention to detail in the design is great, for example it has a velcro patch on the upper right chest for a name tag. The vest also has lots of adjustment range to allow for wearing over less or more layers. I do think it fits on the big size. I wear L and XL jackets and find the medium vest to fit well. I really don't have any complaints, this vest exceeds my expectations.

Solid , durable , heavy weigh vest with lots of pockets. It can not replace a back pack, but you can have enough with you when you are on to go . Durable material and nice finishing. It also gives you light thermal insulation with its snug fit.