One Jacket, Two New Gore-Tex Fabrics

Regular OUTDOORSmagic users will probably be aware that Gore has introduced two new fabrics for this autumn / winter in the form of Pro Shell and Performance Shell and now the cunning folk over at The North Face have used both of them in the same jacket.

The new Pantheon Jacket is a hybrid of the two new fabrics. The company describes it as 'bombproof'. Panels of new Pro Shell fabric with its light, tough woven backer - the layer on the inside of the material - are used in high wear areas to give abrasion protection, while elsewhere there are stretch panels in 'key areas' and Gore-Tex Performance Shell, the successor to Classic Gore-Tex, which still uses the old knitted backer.

Unlike most previous top-end TNF jackets, the Pantheon gets a fully-adjustable, helmet-compatible, wired hood for better facial protection, there are also three chest pockets and one arm-mounted pocket, pit-zips and a wind skirt.

Baz Roberts, TNF-sponsored athlete says, "This jacket is incredibly tough, giving peace of mind on those gnarly scrambles and big mountaineering routes making it ideal for expeditions and those needing the reliability of an extremely durable shell."

To be honest, we're not sure what the point of using both Pro and Performance Shell is. Pro Shell is lighter and according to Gore, more breathable and significantly tougher than the cheaper Performance Shell fabric. We can't see why you wouldn't just use Pro Shell throughout, unless it was to save money.

But as the Pantheon retails for £290, we're not sure that's the case. Mind you, the top of the range The North Face Modulus GTX is a mind-boggling £399.99 so maybe it's all relative after all.

More details at www.thenorthface.com.