Arc’teryx Rush Jacket

Durability

I put a number of jackets through the wringer over a ~140 day season this year, and the Rush received its share of abuse. I did a lot of bush whacking in some of the lesser-visited zones I skied in Japan; subjected it to pull starts and alder thwacks while riding my snowmachine; and used it all day, every day during an Avalanche Level 3 class in the Tetons this year—lots of digging, shoveling and sawing. The Rush jacket held up great, and is in the best shape of all of my shells after the season.

I especially want to mention the durability of the Rush’s zippers. On average, I destroy about 4 “water resistant” style zippers every season. At the end of last season, I had 3 pairs of hard shell ski pants with all of their zippers destroyed, but after this season, the Rush’s zippers are still going strong. I’ve been particularly impressed with the durability of molded plastic Vislon zippers like the one used on the the main, front zipper of the Rush. While more expensive to use, Vislon zippers seem considerably more durable than the taped coil-style zippers commonly used on shells.

The only place I noticed any wear on the Rush was on the inside of the cuffs where the exposed velcro of my glove’s cuff rubbed against the grey lining on the inside of the shell. On both of my sleeves this area was worn down enough to expose the Gore Pro membrane underneath. This happened on my Salomon Shadow as well, and I noticed it much less on the Norrona Lofoten Active Shell and Mountain Equipment Firefox while using the same gloves.

Waterproofing

As mentioned above, I used the Rush in some wet storms in Japan this year, and spent a week in Jackson Hole when it was frequently on the verge of raining at the base area. Alaska’s Alyeska Resort is always good for some rainy days of skiing, too. The Rush performed well through it all and kept me as dry as any other waterproof breathable shell I’ve used And the Vislon molded zipper did great in preventing the necktie-shaped soak-through I’ve experienced with other hardshells’ water resistant coil zippers.

I also didn’t hesitate to wear the Rush as a general rain jacket on the often-soaked island of Kodiak, Alaska, throughout the spring.

Pockets

The Rush has two large hand pockets on the outside, and I can easily stuff 140mm skins into them with gloves on. There is also a small mesh pocket inside on the left chest that is just large enough for a small wallet or smartphone, and a convenient season pass pocket on the left shoulder.

I do wish the Rush had an external chest pocket, as this is typically the pocket I use the most on any jacket that has one. It’s usually a great place to stash a camera or wallet or phone for quick access, but it stays out of the way of my pack’s hipbelt. The Rush does, however, have an internal mesh pocket that allows for some additional storage.

Hood

The Rush has the best hood I’ve ever used on a ski jacket. Whether I’m sporting a hat or a helmet, it’s quick and easy to cinch in place, and it never obstructs my view. Tightening and loosening the hood is easy and intuitive using simple drawstrings.

With the hood on, the jacket’s collar/cuff is the perfect the height in front of my chin—it’s high enough to block snow, but not so high that it chafes my face or causes my goggles to fog.

Additional Features

The other features on the Rush that are worth mentioning are its pit zips and powder skirt. Especially when skinning during a persistent, warm snowstorm in Japan, I was glad to have the jacket’s pit zips. They’re large and easy to open and close.

Some people feel that powder skirts add unnecessary weight to a jacket. Personally, I think a nice, simple, light powder skirt that attaches to my ski pants is practically essential for long days of deep pow skiing. I usually wore my Rush jacket with some Arc’teryx Stinger pants which mate with the Rush’s powder skirt via some simple metals clips. I tend to prefer the simple nylon webbing and plastic snaps that Patagonia uses for their pant/jacket integration, but the Rush’s system still worked fine to keep out deep snow.

I should note that the Rush’s powder skirt is not removable, so you will be carrying around a little extra fabric if wearing the jacket while doing something other than skiing. However, the Rush’s powder skirt is minimalist enough in it’s design that I haven’t found it to be obtrusive in any situation.

Regarding the size of the Rush’s sleeve cuffs: I usually wear gloves with a small, short cuff, like the Hestra Vertical Cut Freeride. The Rush’s cuffs easily fit over my gloves, and can still be cinched down tight enough to seal out snow.

Bottom Line

The Rush does exactly what Arc’teryx designed it to do: serve double duty as both a ski-touring shell and a jacket for resort skiing. At around 20 ounces, the Rush is not a featherweight shell that gram counters seem most keen on, especially for non-skiing activities. But as far as I’m concerned, the Rush’s versatile fit, great durability, and weatherproofing mean it could easily be used year-round as your only waterproof/breathable shell.