Hurricane Irene proof
I live in Virginia and everyone saw that we got slammed on the east coast with hurricane Irene. We had sustained winds of over 60 miles an hour. My husband has the men's version of this jacket and after seeing how he stayed bone dry after being outside in the hurricane winds and rain of Irene, I was so impressed so I decided to shop around and see if they made a women's version of this jacket. They did and I love it. We are camp and hike and this jacket is light and packs well. It is very versatile, we wear our jackets on rainy days to Busch Gardens where they run the rides in any weather but lighting storms. We are always the driest and most comfortable visitors in the park. The only draw back is that although it is wind proof it is not cold proof. So... any area of the jacket that touched your skin can chill you to the bone if your in cooler temperatures. The quick fix to that is just make sure you have a great mid-layer or fleece and hat for your head. The are we live in is over run with North Face gear and Arc'teryx gear really sets you apart from the rest. We wish they made this jacket for kids because we would buy it for our daughter in a heartbeat!

Alpha SL
This jacket is unbelievably light. The gortex waterproof fabric is rock solid. It packs down to an extremely small size. I use it as an outer layer with my strato jacket.

Excellent quality and value
I've had my Alpha SL for quite a while now, and it's become my favorite hardshell because it's the most versitile. I use it for snowboarding, snowshoeing, and backpacking, yet it looks nice enough that I've even worn it to work on a rainy day. It's great in the rain--has never let me down. The helmet-compatible hood is a must, even without a helmet in my opinion--much better than the small hood on the Beta SL. Also the longer length of the Alpha SL is better than the Beta SL. Both are the same fabric, but the Alpha wins my vote.

Great jacket for Mountain Climbing!
I bought this jacket for my girlfriend, who practices mountain climbing, and it was great! She used it under heavy rain and snow and it was absolutely waterproof. It kept her dry during the whole trip. She said it was also very breathable, too. Also, what she liked the most about this jacket is that it is lightweight (space is very important in mountaineering and she could stuff the jacket into a very small space inside her bag) and durable. She has been using it in her climbing trips during the past months and it remains in perfect conditions. She's 5'6" and 130lbs and the medium size was perfect for her. Some details that she liked about the jacket were, for instance: the hood perfectly fitted her helmet and it was very comfortable to use with it. Also, the two front pockets were very useful to stuff those things she wanted to have at handy at all times. I would highly recommend this jacket for any girl who loves outdoor sports, specially rock climbing and mountaineering.

versatile jacket
I bought this jacket as a shell for skiing and I love it! It is absolutely waterproof and very lightweight. The fit is flattering and longer in the back. The extra large pockets are in the perfect place and add to the style. The lobelia color is so pretty and exactly the way it looks in the picture. I did order a size large in order to leave lots of room for layers underneath. I'm 5'5" and 130lbs. A medium may have been ok but I wanted to make sure it wasn't tight at all. I also have the arcteryx beta ar in small. Unfortunately, I didn't order it from altrec and the size small is confining with layers underneath for skiing. If I had ordered from altrec I could have returned it for a different size. The beta ar is a thicker material & probably better for skiing but I am psyched with my alpha purchase. The coat also went on sale right after I bought it and altrec adjusted the price!