What is the Beta SV line?
Arcteryx names its outerwear lines with a system, with the Beta system intended as a do it all option for hikers and general alpine travel. The Beta SV sits at the top of the line. Designed as the answer to severe weather, the Beta SV line is a versatile, high-performance shell that will truly suit most mountain activities well. Arcteryx lists it for alpine and hiking use, and it excels there. It also works well as a year-round choice for weather protection, with a few caveats when it comes to snow sports. It isn’t the lightest shell in the Beta lineup, but it’s easily the toughest.
Testing Environment
I brought the Beta SV jacket and pants with me to Europe for a summer of guiding treks. I was expecting there to be far more unfavorable weather this summer giving me plenty of opportunity to put the jacket and pants through their paces. However, there was a parade of sunny heat waves that meant I barely wore my rain gear at all this summer. I assumed I’d use the Beta SV jacket and pants more once I was back in Canada. Lo and behold… more sunshine. I have gotten about ten days of use out of the jacket and pants, one of which turned from rain to snow and back again so I have a good mixed sample set but not an entire season of use.
Weather Protection
The Arcteryx Beta SV line, both the jacket and the pants are made with 100-denier Gore-Tex Pro ePE. The ePE membrane is Gore’s PFAS-free replacement for the older ePTFE. Arcteryx pairs this with an FC0 DWR that’s also free of intentionally added PFAS.
Underneath the recycled Gore-Tex Pro ePE face fabric is a MICRO-GRID backer. This is a thin knit layer that is bonded to the inside of the waterproof membrane. Its main job is to protect the membrane from abrasion and body oils, so it stays breathable and waterproof for longer. The backer looks very similar to a ripstop pattern.
Many folks have worried that the new ePE membrane and DWR won’t perform as well as the previous generation of waterproof gear. After several days in this gear, I’m happy with it, and I have yet to wet through the jacket or the pants. The DWR still beads just as it did the day I took the jacket and pants out of the packaging.
The face fabric is quite thick and this seems to add a smidge of warmth during high output activities. You will want to make use of the giant vents if you are moving fast to keep from turning this jacket and pants into a wetsuit from the inside. Keep in mind, this is true of all waterproof jackets and pants.
I will readily update this review should that change throughout the rest of Autumn.
The Arcteryx Beta SV Jacket Key Specs
- Material: 100d 3L Gore-Tex PRO ePE with MICRO-GRID backer, FC0 DWR
- Weight: 497 g (measured)
- Size Tested: Large
- Color: Tatsu / Mantis
- Country of Origin: China
The Fit
Arcteryx calls the fit of the Beta SV jacket regular, which they describe as cut comfortably through the chest, waist, and hip with room to layer over or under other pieces. At 187cm tall and 93 kg it fits exactly how I’d want an all-mountain jacket to fit.
The sleeves are, as with all Arcteryx jackets I have worn, spot on lengthwise. They hang to the mid back of the hand when standing and cover up to my wrist under motion. When worn fully open, the cuffs allow a semi thick glove to fit under quite easily. The Velcro adjustment tabs stay in place and are the standard issue Arcteryx pull tab. I suspect that the Velcro will eventually wear out the face fabric where it rubs the Velcro as it does with every jacket that fails to address this issue, which is almost all of them.
The StormHood is helmet compatible and designed to cover you without blocking your peripheral vision. At the back of the hood are two shock cords, the upper pulls the sides of the hood back while the lower one pulls the peak back. On each side of the hood are two shock cords for lowering the peak of the hood. The cord is accessed on the outside of the jacket at roughly clavicle height and the cord locks are just above the opening of the hood. There is no indicator of where the locks are so if you need to loosen them you will locate the locks by feel.
I can comfortably wear the jacket with a thin down jacket or fleece as a mid layer with a merino base layer or sun hoody. It fits snug when worn with a thicker down or synthetic as a mid layer. However, thanks to its slim weight, it will fit under a thick jacket easily. Therefore, if I were to wear this as my main winter jacket I would size it up to extra large so that I could wear a thicker jacket underneath.
On the Outside of the Beta SV Jacket
The jacket closes with a two-way Vislon zipper. It is the gold standard waterproof zipper and gives easy access to a harness if you are wearing one. The rest of the external zips are Arcteryx’ own WaterTight zips which have stood up to years of abuse on many other Arcteryx jackets.
There are three pockets on the outside of the Beta SV jacket, a single chest pocket and two hand pockets. The chest pocket is large enough to hold any items you need to have regular access to such as a phone or radio. The two hand pockets strike a nice balance between comfort for hands and being harness friendly. They also sit above any backpack hip belt as well, still allowing them to function as hand pockets.
The hem has dual cinches that seal out drafts and adjust length. This is the first thing I do up on any jacket, the Beta SV jacket being no exception. It rarely rains in the mountains without some wind, and a tight hem helps seal that out.
For ventilation there are 40cm long pit zippers. These are dual zip affairs with traditional Arcteryx silicone zipper pulls. If you do not want them fully open then you can open the bottom portion or the top. Go crazy and you can have a little bit of both open. If you open them all the way you’ll have a significant wind tunnel.
On the Inside of the Beta SV Jacket
On the inside left of the jacket is a zippered chest pocket and on the right is a dump pocket. Made of a soft stretchy material, the left side chest pocket functions as a media pocket. The pull tab on the zip is quite small so you will need to remove your gloves to open it to get out your phone or iPod.
The dump pocket on the right easily holds a pair of gloves or light weight mittens. Skins up to around 100mm wide might fit in there too. There is no way I am fitting my splitboard skins inside. As this jacket is not intended as a ski jacket its size is appropriate for its use case.
Overview of the Arcteryx Beta SV Jacket
The Beta SV jacket is a fantastic outdoor jacket. Its durability and waterproofing suit just about any activity in the mountains. It will handle off trail hiking with ease as well as alpine duties when the weather stops cooperating. The Beta SV jacket will even work as a ski touring piece as long as you do not want a powder gaiter or an inner dump pocket that might fit skins up to around 100mm wide.
Its relatively svelte weight means it can be easily carried as an emergency layer or even a wind layer. As far as durability and mixed sport functionality go, the Beta SV should not be overlooked. It’s built to take a lot of abuse from a lot of sports. I’ll be taking mine on the skin track this winter to further the testing.
The Beta SV Pant Quick Specs
- Material: 100d 3L Gore-Tex PRO ePE with MICRO-GRID backer, FC0 DWR
- Weight: 450 g measured without suspenders
- Color: Black
- Size Tested: Large Tall
- Country of Origin: China
What is the Arcteryx Beta SV Pant?
The Beta SV Pant is the bottom half of the Beta system. It’s a lightweight shell with optional suspenders, built for high-altitude hiking and just as at home on climbing and mountaineering days, with some light snow duties to boot.
Materials and Construction
The pants are made almost entirely of 100-denier Gore-Tex Pro ePE save for the cuffs. The cuffs are made of a stiff abrasion-resistant kick patch whose material is unlisted on Arcteryx’ website. There is no information on what this material is on Arcteryx’ website.
If I’m going to wear out summer gear, it’s going to be the pants around the cuff. When folks like me walk duck-footed, we rub our heels on the pants. I tear the opening of my shoes within 100 km on average because of this. The Beta SV pants show a scuff mark or two but those marks look more like embedded dirt. At 450 g not including suspenders, these are very durable rain pants.
Keep Your Pants On!
The Arcteryx Beta SV pants have two ways to keep your britches up, suspenders and a built in belt. The suspenders connect to the pants via aluminum G Hooks. The loops that hold the G Hooks are quite small and are tricky to use because of that. This is a good thing as loose loops on other pants will often allow the suspenders to come unhooked. There is no way that is happening with the Arcteryx Beta SV pant.
The suspenders are amply wide at 2.5 cm to help distribute pressure. The lower section at the back is a fixed length meeting the shoulder straps at 25cm above the pants. The shoulder straps are one piece but stitched where they meet the back to keep it from sliding.
The built-in belt is my choice. It has a plastic buckle and 2.5cm wide webbing for a belt. There is no stretch to it. I default to the belt because suspenders mean removing my jacket in a storm. I do my best to not wear rain pants so I am inevitably putting them on at the last minute. If I use suspenders then I have to take off the jacket.
Features
Three-quarter-length side zips allow you to easily get the Beta SV pants over your boots with speed as a cold front approaches. The upper zip on the pants has the traditional Arcteryx silicone zip pull but the bottom one does not. I have put a small pull tab on mine to make zipping them closed easier in the cold. I often zip the top down to allow for airflow as the hem of the jacket will keep some rain out of the opening. It will also allow me to use the pocket of my underlying pants.
There is no gaiter at the bottom of the pants however there are eyelets so you can make your own pant retainer. A simple section of 2mm cord would do the trick. A shock cord would also work well but perhaps not take much wear and tear from rubbing against rough ground.
The Fit
I opted for the Large Tall. My normal pant size is a 36 inch waist with a 32 inch inseam. With a 32 inch inseam, high steps on Swiss trails make pants ride quite high above my ankles. Furthermore, if I keep 32 inch inseam pants at a normal waist level then the crotch can be a bit low. Opting for the tall model fixed both of these issues. The crotch sits at the correct height, so I can take big steps without the pants riding up or pulling at the seams.
However, this means that the pants fit a little baggy while standing or walking on flat trails. Not a problem as far as I am concerned. This could be an issue if you intend to wear crampons often, so I would suggest the regular length.
Pockets, two of ’em!
I know, a whole section of a review dedicated to pockets but here we are. Not one but two thigh pockets sit directly on top of the thighs. Deep enough for a large phone, plenty of space for snacks, or a folded up waterproof map. It’s the best pocket layout I’ve seen on a rain pant.
Not everyone is going to leave for their hike with pants underneath their rain pants on. A set of merino tights are not going to have pockets for a phone or wallet. This gives wearers a place to keep items that need to be reached in a hurry.
Why no hand pockets? First, the Beta SV jacket has them. Second, when it’s cold enough I will often unzip the side vent just enough to put my hands in my pants pocket. That way my hands are next to my legs for warmth. If I am only wearing tights underneath then I will need to keep my hands in the jacket pocket or make sure I bring the appropriate warmth glove.
Who is the Arcteryx Beta SV Pant for?
The Arcteryx Beta SV pants are for anyone who wants one pair of pants for hiking in the rain, scrambling over wet granite or through devils club, with the occasional late-season snow day thrown in for fun. The 100-denier shell and kick patches will easily hold up to years of abuse and at 450 g, they’re light enough to carry in fair weather. The side zips and thigh pockets make them practical when a storm rolls in.
However, they are less suited to deep snow than the Beta SV jacket. Freeriding, ski touring, and boot packing will fill the boot tops with powder unless you add a gaiter, since the pants don’t have a built-in one. If that’s your main use, a dedicated ski pant will serve you better.
If you are thinking of picking up the Beta SV pants, head to Arcteryx Canada or Arcteryx USA
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…DISCLAIMER…
Black Sheep Adventure Sports was provided with a free sample of the Arcteryx Beta SV jacket and pants. This in no way affected our opinion and review. This post also contains affiliate links; if you choose to purchase gear through these links, we may earn a small commission which supports our independent testing at no extra cost to you.
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