NF Denali vs. Arcteryx Gamma MX or Atom or Epsilon

Is this insulation for moving?

Insulation for stopping?

A wind shell for moving?

From the furthest standpoint a jacket is a jacket. But if you break it down, we usually talk about layers here in the three aforementioned ways. Sweating in the backcountry is bad, so we break it down in three ways to minimize sweat build up.

The Atom LT is highly wind resistant and very warm. I tend to overheat in it while hiking because of that. I usually use it and jackets like it around town and for ice climbing because it dumps heat reasonably while still being quite warm.

The Gamma MX is more wind resistant than the Denali, as it has the typical softshell hard face. But most consider it too heavy for multi-day trips. The inside is no slicker than your Denali so your sleeves will still snag.

The Squamish is a cool piece but maybe not up your alley. It is a gossamer thin jacket that is both light and durable. This is a wind shell, so consider it lighter, more breathable and less water resistant than a hard shell. It blocks a significant amount of wind, making you warmer for about 5oz of weight. I pair it with lightweight fleece like the R1 (or Arcteryx equivalent, Fortrez) to stay warm while hiking in even the coldest, windiest weather (-14F so far) but you need something warmer to put on if you stop moving. I wear this one year round, only adjusting what is underneath.

The problem is that there is a tradeoff

The more wind resistant a jacket is, usually the less brethable it is

Make sure this is what you want

Anything that dead bird makes with windstopper will basically be windproof, the problem is that they can be less brethable than a weave softshell fabric or more brethable nylon

;)

I have the Gamma MX. It is really intended as an outer layer (just a base layer beneath it) in high output activities in cold weather. It's very breathable and doesn't cut the wind completely which is what you want when generating a lot of heat. It has a fleece backing but isn't really that warm. The idea with the Gamma is you throw on a Belay parka over it if you are stopped and need to retain warmth.

The Atom is an insulating layer that breathes very well. It's synthetic insulation so a nice piece in wet environments. Not something I would have on if generating a lot of heat. I would say the Atom is a better choice if you looking for a bit more warmth than the Gamma and don't plan to showshoe, run or bike in it. The Atom and Gamma wind resistance are similar although I suspect you would feel like the Atom is more wind resistant just because it has a decent amount of insulation.