Arc Teryx Photon LT for active layer???

If you already own it just test it tomorrow. Pack a heavier and a lighter layer or something so you are good either way. IMO clothing performance is so subjective that the only correct answer for you is your own answer. Day hikes are a perfect way to test your gear.  hope i didnt come off assy.

It’s ok. I am doing an overnighter and want to go fast so don’t want to carry along an extra pound or so if it’s just going to end up being way too warm to be useful.

Active insulated jackets are not something I have tried and am perhaps a bit skeptical of using them above freezing. I have done some online research but surprisingly am not able to find much feedback that pertains to backpacking

I upgraded my membership to be able to read the review on this site but am still not able to view it. Hence my post

matt

So I did end up testing this out last weekend.  I did a 25 mile overnighter in the Shenandoah National Park.  When I started out Saturday morning it was about 23 degrees.  I work the jacket and just a synthetic t shirt underneath.  Temps got up into mid 30s I think.

T shirt only was probably not the best way to go.  I got a bit clammy on the arms.  I was sweating a bit and although pretty breathable, I did not have anything between my skin and the jacket to wick sweat away from my skin.

Late afternoon I took off the t shirt and put on a SmartWool PhD long sleeve zip top and hiked another couple of hours through some pretty tough terrain.

I did sweat a bit with the jacket on, but never felt overheated…nor did I feel chilled.

When I stopped to camp I took off the jacket while setting up camp to let my base layer air out and dry out a bit then put the jacket back on with a puffy over it.  It dried pretty quickly.

Overall I was impressed with the jacket, but it might have been a little warmer than I needed for those temps.  It was nice not to be chilled though as I often am during winter hikes.

I thought the jacket offered a good balance between wind resistance and breathability, and it seemed to dry quickly.

Another plus was that despite hiking in it for two days and sweating quite a bit it did not develop any bad odors.

Basically this is an alternative to something like an R1 fleece with a wind shirt.  Not sure whether it is a better set up or not.  I would like to have the opportunity to test it back to back against that combination.

It’s a nice jacket for every day wear as well and seems to be a better piece in every way than the Atom LT.

Matt