Arc'teryx Beta Jacket vs Arc'teryx Gamma LT

I don't need a lot of bells and whistles — I just want to stay comfortable and dry. The Beta, perhaps unsurprisingly, excels at this. Its two pockets are at the perfect location on the body for resting your hands or stowing a few essentials — they're high enough that you won't have to worry about your keys or some snacks swinging around near your waist. The hood feels weighty and doesn't fly off at the first gust of wind, thanks to a simple elastic pull

Firstly, temperature. I layered the Gamma LT with a t-shirt & jumper across the 3 days and found that in the above temperatures this was perfect. Some days I could get away with just a t-shirt underneath and found that I was also relatively warm. This piece feels very breathable, so it won't keep you very warm and insulated but will keep you moderately warm (I found) if you're constantly on the move

And then, of course, you get the two hem adjustments to tighten things up should you want to. Nice big zipper pull. Big fan of big zipper pulls. And t...

The Gamma LT feels a bit overkill for my needs. It's a little long, a little too big, and the hood too large - I know it’s built for use with a helmet but I'll never wear a helmet when hiking or just wearing around town. It’s a great, durable jacket for hiking and technical use but the whole package feels a bit overbuilt for my needs. Thinking something a little lighter weight, shorter in length, and with a non helmet compatible hood might be good