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 Is it a mid layer, an outer layer or
something to do with Marc Almond?
So, what the hell is a soft shell? In
my view there is no simple one liner to define soft shell garments,
but perhaps the closest we're going to get is; 'a collection of
outdoor clothing dreamt up by marketing departments to feed our
deeply ingrained gear fetish and fear of death if we don't own one or
three'. Yes, nothing like starting with a healthy dose of cynicism
before I go out and buy half a dozen.
In truth, the outdoor clothing
manufacturers have done a pretty bad job at explaining what 'soft
shell' is. Indeed the industry seams to thrive on the confusion
which surrounds the product and appears to have little incentive to
settle on a definitive definition. In short, the term 'soft shell' is
reasonably new and intended to differentiate the garments from the
more olde school 'hard shell' clothing. However, just to throw in my
own dollop of confusion, the term 'hard shell' has only recently come
into common use, when the industry realised they needed a something
to sell 'soft shell' against. So, with that said maybe it's easier to
start by explaining what a 'hard shell' is.
A 'hard shell' is your regular
waterproof outer layer; a standard waterproof jacket or trousers.
Think a Gore-Tex jacket or eVent over trousers and you've got it.
These products are totally waterproof with taped seams and
breathability suffers as a consequence. With impaired breathability
the active wearer invariably gets hot, perspires and consequently wet
from the inside when using these products in anger. Also, the fabrics
have a firmer, stiffer handle and rustles like a crisp packet when
you move. Enter 'soft shell'.
Unlike the term, soft shell products
are no new invention and have been around for years in the form of
Buffalo, Montane and Paramo with all three competing against the
traditional 'hard shell' garments (and offering variations on the
layering concept, but that's for another time).
All three of these companies have
worked on the principle compromise that more breathability with
slightly less waterproofing is a better option for those taking part
in outdoor activities, just so long as the wearer stays warm when the
garment gets wet and when it does it dries quickly. Or, to put it
another way, if you're going to get wet it doesn't matter from which
direction the moisture comes, what's important is that you stay warm
and the material breathes well and dries quickly.
However, the new crop of garments
labelled as 'soft shell' are aimed at a different market and serve a
different purpose from those mentioned above. If you walk into a gear
store and ask for a soft shell jacket then you'll undoubtedly be
offered the more modern version for which the term was coined. The
vast majority of these new products share similar characteristics in
so much as they are windproof and water resistant but vary hugely in
these two areas.
For example, some soft shells come with
full membranes and tapped seams and claim to be fully waterproof and
windproof whilst others are simply tightly woven fabrics which claim
only wind and water resistance. This leads to big differences in the
level of breathability with those which are waterproof being far less
breathable than those which are water resistant.
So, which is best? If you're a fast
mover and enjoy high octane outdoor pursuits then you could be better
off with a more breathable and less protective jacket (even the most
breathable products are able to shake off light showers, snow and
wind). Others may decide to chose better protection at the expense of
breathability. There simply is no simple answer here, the products
differ too much in their performance and use.
In a final attempt at a summary, 'soft
shell' is a term which describes a wide spectrum of jackets/legwear
some of which are very breathable and others, breathable but not that
you'd notice. There is a good case for buying one of each. The
marketing men have won.
Why would I want a soft shell?
Good question. When you consider that
all soft shells are water and wind resistant to a degree then you'd
appreciate that they are far more comfortable in use when compared to
the traditional hard shell garments that don't breath so well. Sure,
if it's going to bucket down all day then you're going to need
something more protective but in changeable showery weather or cold,
dry Alpine environments they come into their own. I use soft shell
jackets for just about all outdoor activities including cold weather
mountain biking, hiking, skiing, mountaineering, ice climbing and,
here's the clincher, they look pretty good in the bar when you're
done.
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