AK 2L Stagger Snowboard Jacket

Comments about Burton 2L Stagger Snowboard Jacket:

I used the AK Stagger for a week in the French Alps. I had no problems with it in terms of waterproofing, warmth or quality. It kept me warm and dry through very varied conditions - from freezing, wind-howling chairlifts to bright and warm slush days.

The sleeves inner cuffs did a great job and not once let in any snow or damp. The pocket arrangemnet is great, easily stored everything I needed for a day on the mountain. Be careful what you put in the chest pockets though - I cracked a rib lading on the contents (my own fault rather than the jackets)! The powder skirt worked very well and although I didn't use the pant connectors, they did line up and work perfectly with my Burton Indecent Exposure pants.

My only negative point is that I found the neck area of the jacket a little too small to zip all the way up comfortably. I reckon I needed a couple of extra inches there, to stop it rubbing uncomfortably on my face and chin.

My experience with the jacket has been VERY good but I've only used it for 6 full days. Would it continue to perform this well over the course of a season? I've no idea...

Comments about Burton 2L Stagger Snowboard Jacket:

I am sorry to say this but my AK outerwear is pathetic. I originally had the 2009 version of this jacket and pants, and loved the waterproofing. I don't know if the design team has tried to put fashion before form, but the updated version is not nearly as hardcore as it needs to be (come on, were talking about AK gear). I picked last year's up expecting even better. A season or so (40ish days) of use in, my waterproofing has completely failed me, resulting in soggy riding days. This isn't due to abuse, it has been treated with the upmost care since I got it. I ride hard and push gear further than most people do, but the amount of waterproofing deterioration is appalling for outerwear of this caliber. At first I lent this failure to the northwest's weather and snow types, but I soon realized that MANY of my friends wearing low end jackets and pants don't have close to as much water soaking into their gear. My previous 2L jacket was a genuine tank at fending off the wet, and I wish that I could say the same about last year's. Also notable, I do not know anyone with the same jacket but have noticed that some with the 2013 do not appear to have this problem.

I'm not someone to normally rant about this stuff so if there is some material defect in the coating or gore-tex on my jacket and pants, then Burton I apologize. I doubt its the case though since I'm experiencing the same with jacket and pants

PS
If there is positivity to be had, the abrasion toughness of the newer material is much higher than the old and it is beyond shell warmth.

Comments about Burton 2L Stagger Snowboard Jacket:

The jacket kept the most dry that any jacket ever has. On a wet snow day, dry, on a powder day, dry, in rain fishing the Delta, dry. Pretty amazing. In 16 degrees Fahrenheit, i need more than just a t-shirt and a thermal, but other than that, a t-shirt and a thermal under is sufficient for staying warm.

My one huge gripe about the jacket, I went to pull the velcro on the main sleeve, it ripped off, it felt like paper...I don't use the other one because I don't want to rip it. So after spending a load of money on a jacket, I would not expect that to happen. Otherwise, all other functions that I expected in the jacket excel