Anyone with any knowledge/opinion of the Atom Jacket?

Thanks

i'm liking my nanopuff pullover, seems many climbers prefer the Atom over the nanopuff and over a softshell like the Gamma MX

depends if youre going to wear it for active use constantly

IMO a PL1 jacket without those breathable panels is likely better for most static use ... or the occasional wear over everything while moving, just vent with the zipper

for constant active use, the atom works ... it has to be darn cold for that though ...

I really like mine for moderate-active use, like bikepacking. I love the cut and weight of it also.

I don't like it for one reason only, the hood has no adjustments or straps to hold it down, this means a stiff wind can blow it off easily, and even if it doesn't wind gets in and can get you're neck and head cold. This makes it not desirable to wear as an outer layer... under a shell, it's fine because you can cinch down the shells hood.
other than that I thought it was nice, felt nice, fairly warm for what it is. As an active layer it didn't make sense for me (kinda too thin for a insulating layer). That being said, I probably would have kept it if it had a better hood.

My wife and I both have one, but we only use it as a ski layer. It is very warm if there isn't much wind, but loses some luster when the wind gets going. It's also an athletic fit so works better as a layer.

Since one commenter noted the hood, it's worth pointing out that the Atom comes in 4 forms: The LT jacket, the MX jacket, the lt hoody and the sv hoody. The MX jacket has polartec panels that extend up the sleeves, the SV jacket has more insulation, and the hoody has....you guessed it, a hood.
The breathability of the Atom's face fabric impressed me. I would rate the breathability of this piece higher than your average sweater-weight down jacket, with comparable warmth and less cold-spots because there are no baffles.
Also, the use of fleece under the arms (except on the SV) adds a lot of stretch and extra breathability. Great pieces!

Edited by litebrite on 02/17/2011 21:12:59 MST.

I use an Atom LT for ski touring and early season hikes. I am very impressed with its versatility. To give you an idea, last month I was hiking a ridge in blowing, freezing rain/snow. I was on this ridge for about four hours either skinning, boot packing, or resting with no cover. At no point was I too cold or too warm. I never even sweated out the jacket. I would recommend this jacket to anyone who would need a jacket that could be comfortably worn while moving. The only other insulated jacket I use is a MontBell U.L.Down Inner Parka. I take that jacket on trips were I know that I will only be wearing it in camp (it is 3oz lighter).

Justin, can you comment on the relative warmth of the Atom LT hoody and the Montbell UL Down Parka? I looked at an Atom in the store and it seemed like it had more loft than say, a Montbell Thermawrap jacket and comparable loft to my UL Down Parka.

Andrew

The UL Down Parka is warmer but it has a habit of developing cold spots especially when under a rain jacket. That Atom LT is nice because it is very even with it's warm and pairs well with a rain jacket.