A new generation of lightweight waterproof jackets looks set to lighten the load without feeling flimsy at the same time.
There's a bit of a quiet revolution going on in the world of lightweight mountain waterproof jackets. I blame soft shell myself, 'not quite waterproof jackets' mean that you also need a proper waterproof jacket to go with it. And because mostly you're wearing your soft shell, mostly you're carrying your hard shell more of the time.
So suddenly lightweight waterproofs make an awful lot of sense. But the real shift this year is towards lightweight waterproofs which aren't made from flimsy-feeling lightweight fabrics like Gore-Tex Paclite. Don't get me wrong, Paclite is light and packable, but it's also slightly fragile.
Check these numbers: Rab Demand Pull-on – 270 grammes. Mountain Equipment Firefox Jacket – 280 grammes. The North Face Heathen Jacket – 350 grammes. Westcomb Specter LT – 280 grammes. All genuine weights for a medium test jacket and all either three-ply Gore-Tex Pro Shell with its durable woven backer or three-ply eVent. And all helmet compatible too.
So can you have you cake and eat it or are these all seriously compromised for more general use? Generally lightening stuff is all about what you leave out and, as you'd expect, these are mostly minimalist rigs – single pockets, shorter cut, skinny taping and in the case of the Rab, non-adjustable elasticated cuffs and an external hood adjustment cord similar to the Haglofs LIM set up.
But none of them feels flimsy and all of them have fully adjustable hoods, water-resistant zips and so on. Interestingly, the North Face Heathen, which is the heaviest of the lot, is also the most featured with its twin pockets, natty hidden hem adjusters and lined chin-guard, though you also pay a little extra for the privilege.
And yes, none of these jackets are cheap, they start around £165 for the Rab, race past £200 with ME and top out at a whopping £349 for the TNF Heathe. But we'd stake money on them lasting somewhat longer than the last generation of lightweights even if they won't be quite as tough as full-weight shells using heavier versions of the same fabrics.
Are they any good? We'll be testing all four over the next few weeks.
