Softshell Jackets

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solidfrontaxle

solidfrontaxle

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Ugggggghhhh
I need a softshell jacket for super cold weather hikes in windy and snowy conditions. Wet conditions are not an issue. It has to be ultra windproof, warm, and breathable. Any reccomendations?

Looking at Marmot, Arc'teryx, Montbell, RAB, and Mammut.

Open to others as long as they are't : Patagonia, North Face, Outdoor Research, Mountain Hardwear, Cloudveil, Columbia, REI, and Black Diamond (due to their support of wilderness groups).
 
I would wear a hard shell with a down liner instead of a soft shell. Hard shell (Gore) is much more wind resistant than soft shells.
 
I might go that direction, but I'm worried a hardshell won't breathe when I'm working hard (climbing/skinning). I need something more athletic.
I'll have a down jacket for when I'm resting/camping, and plety of fleece layers to control temperature while moving.
 
I dont think you could go wrong with a Arc Teryx Jacket... their gear rocks...
I have had a Mammut with Gore wind proof and its been awesome.. its not the warmest but its great at keeping your nice and cool on extraneous activities....

MH, Cloudveil and BD also rate high on my list...they are pricey tho'.

I got my Mammut on sale....dont know which model it is but it is the one with the hoodie
 
I just picked up an Arcteryx Epsilon SV jacket.

Here are some key reviews on this site. I also came across a blog the other nite in which some guy that tripped around the Antarctica skiing took the epsilon as one of his softshells. Good enough for me!

I wore it today in a -30 celsius windchill, and I can see why people rave about it's ability to vent. :eek: Soooo, if I were you and wanted to build a system for hiking, I would get a microfleece, the epsilon, and a gore tex XCR? hardshell. When you stop to work I would shed the hardshell and then throw it back on after when you have vented a bit and cooled off slightly.


TY
 
my experience with highly windproof soft shells like something with Gore wind stopper is that they really are not much more breathable that a Gore hard shell.

Personally I really like the combo of a hard shell, down vest, long sleeve Schoeller top and a poly-pro type base. Layer as required. As far as brands I choose what fits me best as the quality is all very close with the makers you listed. If I can find anything made in USA I generally try to buy that. Pretty hard to do anymore :(
 
Yeah, after doing some research, I'm figuring that out. I decided windproof is not the number one priority, breathibility is. I'm looking for a jacket with Shoeller Dryskin Extreme, since everything I've found points to that as being by far the most breathable and durable. But now it doesn't appear that anything is made out of that stuff anymore.
 
You might open up your search to include some of the new hunting clothing companies. Sitka Gear offers their 90% Jacket in some solid colors in addition to camo. It might fit your needs

SITKA GEAR - Hunting and Archery Gear
 
Just curious but what do you mean their support of wilderness groups?
I'll vote for arcteryx, work at an outfitting store and they are an awesome company.
 
They all give to the Conservation Alliance or similar organization, which in turn funnels money to groups like SUWA, who wage war against your right to recreate on public land. SUWA, and many of the businesses themselves, such as Black Diamond and backcountry.com are pushing for the complete closure (i.e. wilderness designation) of something like 16% of the land in Utah, including any of the cooler desert areas such as those surrounding Moab and St George. I don't want any money I spend to go to something like that.

I considered arc'terix and though I'm sure their gear is top notch, I don't understand why all their stuff has to be $100 more than other equivalent top noch products.

That Sitka stuff looks incredible. Just not exactly what I'm looking for, though I'll keep them in mind when it comes to other stuff.

I think I finally reached a decision. The Ferrata 2 Hoodie from MEC. Its pretty much everything I was hoping for.
 
wow i had no idea about how they gave money to things like that. It seems kinda counter productive to me.
 
solidfrontaxle said:
I considered arc'terix and though I'm sure their gear is top notch, I don't understand why all their stuff has to be $100 more than other equivalent top noch products.
Click to expand...

I completely understand your frustration!


I regularly cruise places here like Value Village, or the Salvation Army Thrift Stores looking for high end gear Like Columbia, Arcteryx, North Face etc and am always delighted when I purchase a find and then research it online and look at the savings.

The Arcteryx soft shell I mentioned above earlier was such a find. I found it in a Value Village for $12.99 CDN. When you do the math .. tax each, and then subtract the results it works out to my saving $255.39 over buying it new retail! :eek:

I swallowed my pride a long time ago after I first set foot in these stores and found such great gear in amazing shape for pennies on the dollar. LTD doesn't pay a whole hell of a lot! Thank God I'm heading back to work soon:)

Then there was the North Face tent, several pairs of Carhartts, and countless others amounting to thousands of dollars in savings. I used to shop at Winners, or MEC looking for gear, now I start here and when I come up empty, I resort back to regular outdoor stores.

/happyrant;)


TY
 
check out this site.
Home » BeyondClothing.com

you can customize your shell to your own specs. The price is about what you'd pay for the brands you listed, but it'll fit better and will have the features you specify.
 
I have an Arcteryx soft shell. I love it. I do not buy any gear at full price, but I have to admit even on a sale it was spendy. I really like the way they have cut the jacket for freedom of movement. Nice long tail past your waist so when you are bending you still have coverage.

But, with that said - the first time I read your post the first thing that popped in to my head was you needed a wool solution. There are a lot of solutions out there and more everyday. Plus a lot of them are made in the USA.

Good luck let us know what your decision was.
 
Wool is next on my list of gear. Long johns and a short zip long sleeved top. Around here they sell Icebreaker.

Pricey at almost $200 for a couple of nice pieces but I'm sure wool would be worth it's weight in gold when stopping for lunch during a day of snowshoeing or staying toasty during some winter camping.


Whatever you decide on try and make it something that you can build into your existing array of outerwear so you don't waste money on overlap and end up with a nice layering system.


TY
 
I just picked up some winter gear over boxing day. If you weren't opposed to North Face I'd suggest their Prism Optimus jacket. I've been hiking in it, snow shoeing and around town in -25 C lately and it's kick ass! Beats any other soft shell or combo I've tried in the past. Plus it's incredibly light, both in weight and bulk.

tnf_prsmopt_jkt_blk_09.jpg


This jacket combined with some Icebreaker or comparable contemporary wool layering does the trick beautifully.
 
You might check out TAD Gear stuff - tadgear.com - they make great gear, very much in the Arc'teryx mold, but a bit cheaper usually. They're a small boutique outfit - but they've been around a while. Their Stealth or Spectre softshells are both really nice.

I'll also second Beyond clothing - pricey, but nice - custom built to your measurements.
 
Ice breaker is a fantastic foundation. I'll outfit myself with that whether its ice climbing, snow shoeing or plain ol' hiking. In terms of a softshell I love my Arc Teryx Gamma MX. I recommend getting it with a hood I cannot say how often I was glad I got one with it (you may like the hood especially if its wind thats your concern). A good soft shell should also block the most of the wind to the point it's not an issue, mine does. Hard shells were mentioned before and after much time outdoors I question the need for XCR. Sure its tough but paclite by goretex packs away much better, far lighter and breathes a bit better too. Afterall, you only need goretex if its really wet otherwise a good soft shell can handle most drizzle as long as its not for too long of an extended time.
 
I have worked as a log home builder year round as well as ski patrol, If you want the best PATAGONIA......... and then take the savings from an arcteryx and donate to a cause to keep public land open. You end up with the best gear and fight a good fight. The new nano is very nice, that and the patrol vest are fine in very cold temps and skiing very fast. just my .2
 
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