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What THE HELL is Soft Shell?

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What is a Soft Shell?

Soft Shell is the term used to describe a new kind of outerwear that is more breathable, flexible, and comfortable than the stiff, crinkly Gore-Tex like pants and jackets (called Hard Shells) that have dominated the market for years.

Soft Shells combine many of the benefits of waterproof Hard Shells with more comfortable garments like fleece.

Yet Soft Shells are neither.

The Problem with Hard Shells

Hard shells are made with laminates like Gore-Tex that are applied to the fabric used to make jackets and pants. Gore-Tex was such a hit, and still is, because of its unparalleled water resistant properties, and because it “breathes,” meaning it allows vapor from your sweat to escape from the shell whilst not allowing water from rain or snow to penetrate. But it doesn’t breathe enough!

The problem many outdoor enthusiasts have encountered is that when you’re outside, even in wet, cold, wintry conditions, and working up an aerobic sweat, this moisture remains trapped inside your Hard Shell jacket and pants rendering their waterproof factor useless. You’re left with an unpleasant clamminess that will chill you to the bone when you stop to rest. Besides the moisture problem, some people just got fed up with the noise [from hard shell fabric], the zipping and unzipping, and wanted more comfortable apparel in the outdoors that you didn’t have to take on and off all day.

Enter Soft Shells

Several pioneering companies have independently sought to remedy the pitfalls of Hard Shells, and their collective work has resulted in Soft Shell technology. Soft Shells use sophisticated stretch woven fabrics with tight layered weaves and durable water repellent (DWR) treatments to guard against wind, rain, and snow in all but the most severe weather conditions. In other words, a Soft Shell keeps weather out like a Hard Shell, but breathes like fleece. That means you don’t get nearly as sweaty during athletic activity like ascending a mountain or mountain biking, and you’re able to regulate your temperature much more effectively and remain comfortable during strenuous activity.

Besides unmatched breathability, Soft Shells are fantastically flexible relative to their Hard Shell counterparts, fitting to your body without constricting, and stretching naturally when you move. Climbers get a full range of motion and a nice fluidity in a Soft Shell jacket without crinkly Hard Shell fabric impeding movement. The Soft Shell concept is still being refined.

The Take Home Message

Soft Shells are jackets made from stretchy fabric that fit like a glove without constricting, stretch fluidly with the body without resisting, and allow moisture to escape from inside without letting it penetrate from outside. They are good for all types of climbing, cross-country, skiing, walking, and for any outdoor activity with an aerobic element where protection from rain and snow is important. Think of Soft Shells as one big efficient moisture management system. Like Gore-Tex, it shall be heralded a wonder garment.

Soft Shells compared to a Gore-Tex Shell:

3 times more breathable
Way more stretch
Not as waterproof but will easily shed hours of light, dry snowfall
Not as windproof but blocks about 90% of the wind
BY FAR more comfortable in all but the nastiest conditions

Soft Shells compared to fleece:

Does not pill, i.e., will not start looking like a terry cloth rag
Resists water whereas a fleece acts like a sponge in rain and snow
Blocks wind that cuts right through fleece
Don’t attract animal hair (pet owners love this quality!)