mtvalley wrote:Do people actually pay retail for these high end items? Pretty easy to find 20% off coupons, past season colors, etc.
Okay, so $520 vs. $160 -- it's still over 3x. (More generally, if X/3 = Y, then 0.8*X/3 = 0.8*Y.)
mtvalley wrote:Are pro shell jackets (Arc or any other brand) better than a $200 rain jacket - probably not. Unless you're caught in 60mph winds and whiteout conditions at 19,000 feet, then it may just save your life.
Where would you be caught climbing off-width in freezing drizzle and 60 MPH winds at 19,000 feet? I would rather save my life by just not doing that, because it sounds miserable. If you're climbing in conditions where there's enough abrasion to tear through lighter materials, it's warm enough for things to need to be completely waterproof, and you can't just set up a bivy and wait for things to suck less, maybe you need one of these super-expensive things.