Hi all this is my first time posting on this forum. Heres hoping i get a good reply. My question is this i am replacing all my walking gear as it is a bit old and now i was wondering if i need a soft shell.

i was going to buy the berghaus fire softshell and also the north face diad lightweight waterproof jacket. But now i am thinking if i need the soft shell as i have a decent fleece that has done me for walking in up until now and thus saving myself £60 - £70 for a piece of equipment i might not use.

Has anyone either of these jackets if so what have they thought off them? Ant responses would be helpful.

thanks ryan

Been trapped in a shell all day getting sweaty because its to windy to take it off, is a nightmare.

Soft shells could be the best thing since Gortex, i take mine everywhere and try to not bother with shells, unless there's alot of water around.

You either love them or hate them depends how hot you run but there a handy piece of kit.

Ryan,

There's another approach which is to get a pure windproof layer, something like the Montane Featherlite Smock which is basically just a layer of pertex. You can wear it over your current fleece achieving a similar effect to the fire at minimal additional weight or if it's too warm for the fleece you can just stick it over a base layer to keep the wind off.

The fire is 365g which quite a lot of weight if you are also going to be carrying a waterproof and fleece with you at the same time.

Ryan, I highly recommend soft shells. I use mine all the time and very rarely put my waterproof on. In mild weather all you need is the softshell jacket with a light base layer. In cold the same plus a thin fleece.

I would suggest spending more on a soft shell than a waterproof. One of the best fabrics is polartec powershield. I have one made of this and I think it is amazing. The large manufacturers have caught on to the popularity of softshells and there are alot on the market now which are called softshell but are redesigned windproof fleece or waterproofs with a fleece like lining. I would avoid these and go for something made of the above fabric or similar. If you've got £100 to spare you can pick up a very nice Arcteryx Gamma Sv jacket from the Snow and Rock sale. This is reduced from £200, its probably one of the best aroung and you'll look like a god in it!

If I were kitting myself out from scratch I would really splash out on the softshell jacket and by a cheap waterproof in manufacturers own fabric. I don't think the difference if any in performance compared to goretex justifies the extra cash.

If I was a bit skint I would go with the windshirt as recommended by John. That is closer to the real softshell concept than many of the newer jackets around.

For £100 you could buy;

a long sleeved base layer
a thin fleece pullover
a Pertex windshirt

For more flexible than a dedicated "soft shell" and usable year-round.

If you need a waterproof shell, have a look at the Montane 180 or Superfly. Currently heavily discounted if you shop around.

HTH

This is a question I've been asking myself for a while, but I don't seem to be able to find anything to fit.

Aaaah! Poor thing :-)

Here - wanna borrow a P***** jacket??

P*****? Are you nuts?? When did you last see a crab wearing P*****???


Sheesh..... those Paramo addicts....



(Anyone seen anything in Goretex or Event with 6 legs or arms? Small will do; maybe a children's size??)

I think soft shells are great. They keep the wind or rain out but I find if its windy and raining the wind can drive the rain through the soft shell and a hard shell is needed.

They are much more comfortable than wearing Gortex all day but I have found that my e-vent is so breathable that I dont get damp in that and I can wear it all day.

I think that unless your hard shell is e vent or you are someone that doesent get sweaty then yes you do need a shoft shell if you want to be as comfprtable as possible and even then I still use mine lots.

Soft shell trousers are a must, I would avoid using hard shell trousers when ever possible just to avoid the rustling.

Turtles manage ok without soft shells so i'd say its a personal thing :o)

There are a number of approaches you can take.

You don't say what fleece you have, but one alternative to a soft shell is to add a windproof shell over a fleece. With a decent DWR treatment (either as purchased, or Nikwax after-sales treatment), you should see off moderate rain. If your fleece is 200 weight, you might find that the windproofing makes it too hot, although if you/ve been using it comfortably with a waterproof, probably not.

The Berghaus Fire is a shelled micropile, which I think is the best type of soft shell for walkers, having good wind and water resistance, whilst not providing too much insulation. With decent venting pockets, you should be able to dump excess heat.

Powershield is also good, but in my experience not as wind or water resistant as shelled micropile, so you need thicker (i.e. heavier) insulation for the same warmth. It's probably more rugged, though. Bear in mind that there are now many versions of Powershield, offering different degrees of insulation.

I'm a big believer a soft shell (or windproof) having a hood, as it allows it to act as a true shell, keeping your head dry and warm, and allows some temperature regulation without having to faff with a hat (that you can lose...). Sadly, the manufacturers don't seem to agree with me... (although have a look at Montane's Hyper-lite)

Since the Fire replaces the previous Fury and Rage items, you might be able to find these discounted. There are plenty of other manufacturers of this style of soft shell; Marmot DriClime, TNF Bilayer, Rab Vapour Rise (who do hooded versions, too).

I'm not convinced by membraned soft shells; too warm and clammy, and not breathable enough. You may as well wear a hard shell. One possible exception may be the new eVent soft shell fabric, given its ability to breathe. Though it's hardly different from eVent hard shell, other than having a softer handle face fabric and a slightly fluffy inner scrim...

I'm not convinced by the style of the Gamma SV mentioned above; short 'alpine' cut, fixed, narrow cuffs (so you can't open them up to increase airflow, or roll the sleeves up, or close them down over a glove cuff). They look beautiful, though.

I have a Goretex Softshell as in its made from Goretex Softshell fabric and its the best thing I've seen in a long time.

Its totally waterproof, with tapped seams but it breathes better than my paclite (by miles). To be honest I was always a paramo freak but I think I may have been converted......

Its also quieter than paclite and as its more flexible and thicker than paclite I will use it in harsher environments like scrambling more. It is slightly heavier and packs a bit bigger but I saved weight and size by going for one with less zips. Its over the head style with only one pocket but as I don't use hip pockets with a rucsac it doesn't matter.