As I also explained in my Best Arc'teryx Jackets post, Kappa Hoody is perfect for stationary use when it's freezing.
#Note: Full Arc'teryx review at the bottom.
Kappa is now Arc'teryx's second warmest and the most weather resistant member (this parka gets the first place in this regard). This is the case since Arc'teryx discontinued Dually Belay Parka.
If you're looking for warmth in damp and cold areas, look no further. Arc'teryx Kappa is the right choice for you.
Mind you though, Kappa offers minimal breathability and is not packable at all. So keep these in mind as you read on.
My only complaint with this hoody is that it fits a little large. It feels somewhat bulky. Wish it came with a true regular fit instead.
Warmth
Considering you only have a t-shirt under the Kappa, assuming little wind and casual use (no output), you'll most likely to wear it comfortably out in temperatures over 7 deg F (-14 deg C).
You can see a complete list of these results in the Arc'teryx spreadsheet I put together in here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dy12aJlYaRIkzaUbfnF9sKrHJ_czJnoG6R5CRuHobpY/edit?usp=sharing
This sheet is generally considered very helpful by my readers. So you might want to see that.
This is an excerpt from my Insulated Outerwear Temperature Ratings Guide and Best Arc'teryx Jackets article.
Find below the lowest temperatures you can wear each jacket without feeling uncomfortably cold.
These are only approximate values assuming:
- you only have a shirt under and no shell over,
- during daily use (strolls, power walks etc at most - no high output activities),
- with light wind,
- and when it's dry out.
| °F / °C | Insulation |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Arc'teryx LEAF Cold WX Parka SVX (Men's) | -40/-40 | Down |
|
Arc'teryx Ceres SV (Men's) | -15/-26 | Down | |
-10/-23 | Down | ||
Arc'teryx Dually Belay Parka (Men's) | -7/-22 | Synthetic |
|
Arc'teryx Thorsen Parka (Men's) | -7/-22 | Down | |
Arc'teryx Centrale (Women's) | -5/-20 | Down | |
-5/-20 | Down | ||
Arc'teryx Therme Parka (Men's) | -2/-19 | Down | |
Arc'teryx Camosun Parka (Men's) | 0/-18 | Down | |
3/-16 | Synthetic |
| |
Arc'teryx Patera Parka (Women's) | 5/-15 | Down | |
Arc'teryx Kappa (Men's) | 7/-14 | Synthetic | |
8/-13 | Down | ||
10/-12 | Synthetic | ||
Arc'teryx Magnus Coat (Men's) | 14/-10 | Down |
|
17/-8 | Down | ||
19/-7 | Synthetic | ||
23/-5 | Synthetic | ||
24/-4 | Synthetic | ||
40/5 | Down | ||
43/6 | Synthetic | ||
50/10 | Synthetic |
If you think you run warmer or colder than the average person, then shift these temperature ranges accordingly.
I've also put together an Arc'teryx spreadsheet recently. Might help you out:
FULL ratings, live prices, and tech specs; all in one place.
Sheet also provides live pricing from most popular outdoors focused e-commerce stores.
Weather Resistance
This is the other important selling point of the Kappa. Owing to its synthetic insulation, it doesn't lose its insulating power when it gets wet.
This is the most important advantage the synthetic jackets have over down jackets.
Superior weather resistance is one of the two most important selling points of the Kappa (the other one is warmth).
Lastly, like most other Arc'teryx, Kappa also comes with a DWR coating on top.
DWR is a coating.
It's basically sprayed on to the surface of these jackets as a finish. It stands for Durable Water Repellent - which means that water will be repelled under wet conditions instead of soaking into the fabric.
DWR also decreases dry time.
It's a good thing these jackets are coated in DWR, but pay attention to the fact that DWR is a coating - meaning that it will wear off over time.
Which is why you might want to invest in a DWR spray such as this one for after treatment.
As you see, there's a strong correlation between FP x FW and temperature ratings, but not more than, say, 80%. I explained why this happens here in this post of mine.
Packability
Like I said, Kappa isn't packable at all. You must have a very good reason to pack it when traveling. I wouldn't recommend doing it at all.
If you're looking for something packable, then I'd recommend you to check out both Arc'teryx's Jacket Finder tool as well as my post on best Arc'teryx jackets.
Breathability
Kappa isn't breathable. But I don't complain about this because breathability isn't something that Arc'teryx tried to achieve with this piece. After all, Kappa isn't designed for high output activities anyway.
Fit
Like I said, the Kappa fits a little large. No need to buy one size smaller to even things out though.
As you see, Arc'teryx does advertise the Kappa as regular fit. But I don't find this to be completely correct. I'd place its fit somewhere between relaxed and regular fit.
I hope this post was helpful for you to learn more about the jacket(s) in your mind.
Feel free to ask me any questions or provide feedback and I'll be happy to respond in the comment section below.
Guide: Insulated & Shell Jackets
Start here:
Complete list:
Also see:
Thank you for reading!
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