What is Softshell? 

I thought Soft Shell sang Tainted Love back in the same day that Paul had hair 🤭

As some on here know i’ve been involved with the outdoor industry for many years and this is quite simply the best overview of the humble but hugely versatile (and in my view underappreciated) soft shell I’ve come across…bar none. Every outdoor brand should include this in its training videos. Seriously. In fairness similar could be said for many Trekitt videos. Superb as always Paul.

"She sells softshells by the seashore . . ." Thanks for the clarification -- all this time I've been under the impression that my somewhat noisy North Face Apex jacket was too heavy to be a soft shell, though it is extremely good wind and rain protection . . . I guess the name itself is something of an oxymoron, unless it refers to a turtle's home! For me, year-round wind protection is important, so instead of a lighter soft shell I carry a Nylon Cierzo shirt -- perfect for exposed places in summer and versatile (and small) enough to carry in cooler seasons too.

Great video as always! Love Paul's informative way of going through the gear such an inspiration for outdoor gear nerds 👍

Love the video Paul. Happy New Year to all at Trekitt

I have a couple of the ME Vulcan softshells, including the Red MRT version(as well as a few Arc'teryx Gamma MX and Rab Alpha Direct jackets). The ME Vulcan is the nearest thing i've ever used that combines near-hardshell levels of durability and water resistance, insulation of a lightweight moisture-wicking micro-fleece and softshell breathability all in one jacket. Another enjoyable and instructive video guys. Looking forward to watching more of your videos in due course.. Best regards. Bob

I’ve watched loads of Trekitt videos and they’re absolutely brilliant in decision making. So in depth and really well delivered. A proper well done from me 👌👏

What a superb video. Thank you.

I have 4 soft shell jackets across the heavy to light range, and find them to be extremely versatile, breathable and comfortable. The Rab Vapour Rise with Pertex outer, I think the original Vapour Rise, sits in the middle, and has been my go to for winter fast hiking. I honestly hate having to wear a hard shell, but like you said, you gotta have 'em. 🙂

Just the type of information I been looking for . 👍🏼

Thanks for nailing down the concept and purpose of a soft shell. I sort of had the idea, cause I use the tactical versions like the Condor Summit and others. I suppose the ultra light rain jackets would fall into this category too, but with practically no insulation, just anti-wind and light rain resistance, cause they do leak and wont hold up to any heavy rains, where the heavier tactical soft shells hold off sudden down pours for longer periods, but wont dry out as fast. Cheers!

Well done video. A bit old style compared to new high-pace and high-quality videos out there..but boy.. how clear and detailed you are! Thank you!

Great video Paul! Happy 2022 to you and the team. And give the dogs a scratch from me, please.

I like to use mine as a regular jacket or in replacement of wearing a jumper / hoodie. Especially good for fair weather match days imo.

I've used Rab Vapour-rise and similar a lot over the years, and also heavy-duty double-weave stuff like my trusty Mountain Equipment Frontier. Both lovely jackets but having tried and rejected Páramo gear years back I've gone back to that almost exclusively over the past two years. New lighter-weight materials and significantly improved fits, combined with weather protection other softshells can't emulate make it my default kit these days. My Enduro windshirt is fine for warmer conditions and summer showers, and can bolster my Velez jacket for serious weather. Over-insulation works best for me. Edit: I've recently taken to using my 8 year old Rab Xenon 1 for over-layering again, rather than my Páramo Torres gilet, as I was finding my arms getting too cold when stationary or during periods of low activity. Paramo stuff isn't actually waterproof in the conventional, industry-accepted sense, but I will never go back to hardshell. Legwear is still a sticking point, as I like my Fjallraven trousers but if it's going to do more than shower I'll be in my Paramo Cascada ll's, despite their lack of handy pockets, as they're ridiculously comfortable. When I have to be out it's regardless of what the weather is like, so I need stuff that doesn't require a lot of faff and swapping stuff out. Conventional systems are just a pain to use for that reason alone.

I love these little kit jaunts in the hills lol. They're the best

My layering system basically comprises of Softshells in different weights. No hard shell since they both wet out eventually and sofshells are more durable in my experience. They're based on the PCU. L3 is a Windpro fleece which some people may call a classic buffalo softshell. It's very warm, but it's also very breathable. I plan to use this in freezing temps. My L4 is a Softshell with a windstopper membrane, worn in place or on top of the L5 when needed. Too bad this jacket can't fit the L3 under, but I appreciate the slimmer profile. My L5 are stretchy, unlined softshells. My L6 is a 3L softshell with a windstopper membrane and fleece lining. Reserved only for the colder climates.

Love my Rab V.R flex, Colombia titanium peak pursuit, fjern grenser and westfjord softshells. 👍

That was really helpful, thank you - I already own a soft shell but wasn’t really sure how to wear it, and always felt either too hot or too cold under it. Never thought of putting my Rab Microlight underneath it! I now have a whole extra layer that I didn’t even know I had! 😂

That was a nice animation 👏

I find two main types of softshells, lightweight ones and heavier waterproof ones that are basically a thick fleece jacket bonded to a hard shell into one jacket. Softshells are also taking over corporate world, tons of white collar companies are using them for their staff as they can look much neater than other warming jackets, almost looks like a suit jacket.

THANK YOU!!!

Yes, got it

t shirt, thermal vest a stretchy running hoodie a gilet, then either a soft shell or waterproof shell depending on whether it's raining.

Got me a mountain equipment frontier hooded jacket last week:) with Long underwear and a fleece as midlayer ist should work around Zero degree. At First hand i like the softshell Material very much.

Rab Borealis is a great mizzle proof jacket keeps me warm and dry speed hiking in UK mountains, no sweat build up as super breathable - I carry a proper waterproof in my pack for heavier precipitation situations and insulating layer in case my pace is slowed down by an injury etc 👍 love soft shell 😍

Got a Rab Borealis a couple of years ago (from Trekitt, of course!). I absolutely live in it in the summer and it lives in my pack in all other seasons. On our rainy/sunny boiling/freezing island it just makes every set up more comfortable and flexible.

Love the Hestra’s. I have a pair.

Lovely reviews and format

I tend to overheat easily on my hikes so I mostly wear softshell jackets all season around, from lighter to heavier ones. Now I've tried and wore many of them and for me Gamma LT, Gamma MX (warmer to LT) and Montane Dyno XT are right up there if you're looking for a winter softshell jacket. But my vote goes to Marmot ROM 2.0 hooded jacket. That is your softshell all arounder right there. Light, durabile, stretchy, breathable with Gore Tex Infinium on top. A five star softshell IMO. Also, Patagonia's R1 Techface jacket, a mix of fleece and softshell is another to keep an eye on. Anyway thank you for addressing this topic and looking forward to more of your content.

I’ve been using my TNF soft shells for years with my TNF light fleece and an t-shirt for my (edw - every day ware) from going out to going from and to work between bus rides, always been warm for me wearing jeans and lightish socks and my Scapa trainers, think my shell is an windwall and the fleece is an tka100. Though right now I am looking to get an down with hood with some good water resistance, windproof and good warmth capture, theres so many out there like Outdoor Research, Rab and Arytex but its hard to choose what to get and as being a 6ft 3inch tall guy, and built big I am unsure about the sizings as I usually wear XL for layering and find that I am warm naturally too but, I just want a warm coat I can put on with just a t-shit or with my TNF tka100 or with the shoft shell and the 100 if it gets a little colder if needs be, also if needs be I would buy an waterproof jacket later on to go over the down as a full waterproof g-tex cover.

Thanks for the great videos! I am enjoying them a lot. You mention in this video a 5-layer system that you have. Can you elaborate on what it consists of? Thanks!

I have an under Armour Storm hunting soft shell, and I’m almost certain it is 100% waterproof. taped seams, windproof layer, fleece grid on the inside, I’ve worn it for years as a primary jacket for daily use.

Fwiw... I'll add a bit of extraneous historical information to help with the high-level view of these garments. "Hard" shell fabrics are called 'hard' because they incorporate a waterproof/breathable membrane (usually) sandwiched between an outer nylon layer (also incorporating a Durable Waterpoof treatment of some type, referred to as a DWR coating) and an internal layer of some sort to protect the delicate membrane from the inside. The 'hard' component, that w/b membrane, was the defining factor. Of course the best known of these membranes is Gore-Tex (there are several competing options). Hard-shell garments are designed to be water-PROOF. The combination of the membrane and the DWR coating provide protection from full-on rain, etc. How breathable they are is a point of some debate. They are typically fairly expensive. And, they are not the toughest frabrics. The nylon outer layer can be torn or damaged from scraping against rocks, etc.. "Soft" shell fabrics did not have any kind of 'hard' membrane in them. That was the defining factor. A softshell fabric would typically be a very tighly woven nylon with a DWR coating. No membrane. That combination provided pretty good protection against wind and would keep you dry in a very light rain/drizzle or snow. And if wetted, they dry fast. They allow quite a bit of breathability. They could incorporate some stretch in the fabric. They also had the nice quality of being softer and quieter to the touch than the combination of materials used to make a 'Hard Shell' garment. They were also pretty tough... very resistant to abrasion and abuse. The original soft-shell material marketed to us was from a company called Schoeller. I think it was called 'DrySkin' or 'Dryskin Extreme.' And I think it hit the market in the 1990's or thereabouts. And that kicked off the whole hard-shell vs soft-shell thing. Over time, there have been many developments throughout these industries and now some 'soft' fabrics incorporate membrane layers to make them even more water/wind resistant etc. And some 'hard' fabrics now incorporate stretch and better durability. So things are merging a bit here and there. The old naming conventions are blurring a bit. It's all good for us though. So many excellent garment choices.

I believe the buffalo mountain shirts and special 6 ARE ALSO a type of soft shell.. one on the deepest end of the heavyweight side

One of your best videos Paul an excellent distillation of the choices available. The Vulcan looks rather nice. Surprised nothing from Arcteryx on show, does this mean the end of a beautiful relationship?

One of your finest videos! Slightly unrelated question, what are your thoughts on the Haglöfs harshell you're wearing? Hard to find info on it, how does it compare to something like the ME Lhotse?

Nice cheap softshell jackets are perfect for work.. Nice EXPENSIVE softshells are perfect for walk..

Hello. I am living in Turkey Mersin (Mediteranean coast). Fishing in a boat with a fishing line is not quite easy in under 0 degrees. I am going for skiing or treking and not feeling cold but i do not know what to wear in a boat. We are almost not moving , catching sea breams and sth. like that. I do not remember i am cold that much. What should i wear especially for my foot. Please tell me the layers. Not brands if you do not have to

Hi Paul, always glad to watch your instructions and reviewes. I would appreciate your opinion about my recent dilemma. Is there a reason to have both Atom LT and SL or I'm becoming equipment addict?

Please review a couple of the “Himali” pieces! I have a few of them and I’m really convinced they’d give arcteryx a run for their money!

real genius

A great video, which has gone some way to help me with my near future clothing choices 😁 But I’m still going slightly mad. Would I be right in saying, that with the first two lighter soft shells (the Rab Borealis and the VR summit was it) that, if you got caught is prolonged heavy rain, you’d be happy to stick a hard shell over the top? But with something like the ME Vulcan, you wouldn’t really stick a hard shell over it in prolonged heavy rain, as you’re then wearing two membranes in effect. So in that situation, you’d either, chance that the Vulcan would hold up, or probably remove or have not used the Vulcan and use a hard shell, with some other mid layer underneath, depending on temperature? I’ve bought an ME orbital from you. And I’m trying to work out my mid/outer layers (for all seasons). As a first go, I think I’ve decided on an ME Kinesis (with the ME orbital over the top in heavy rain.) And something like an Arc’teryx Atom LT as a more insulated layer in colder days/winter (What’s the ME equiv to the atoms?) again with the Orbital over the top if caught in heavy rain. I’m also coming the conclusion I may need a heavier hard shell for any really dire winter rain/conditions. I’ll soon be booking in with you for a boot fit, so might bend your ears then. Good luck everybody 😂👍🏼 Again, another great video. Cheers Gary.

Funnily enough, this video has popped up right when I need it - I've been looking for a softshell to use in a cold conditions. I own a Rab Superflux hoody and find it fantastic. I use it over a merino base layer - it's perfect for hiking in mountains in spring/autumn seasons. I struggle, however, to get my heat regulation right when it's temperatures drop close to 0 and it's windy. Adding another layer of a fleece/polar doesn't work. That's why I've been thinking of getting a softshell. Would you recommend the VR Summit or maybe something else for my use case? I also own a Borealis jacket but - surprisingly - find it not very breathable (a vapor barrier, as you called it). I usually use it over a t-shirt as a wind protection in summer conditions. Still, it's a great jacket, very light and extremely packable.

What is the Rab Jacket in the beginning of the video called? Thanks!

Yeah basically it's waterproof... Did I get it ? 😅 Sorry couldn't help myself... Thanks Paul from Trekkit ! Very informative as usual 👍

I’ve recently bought a Rab Shadow hoody from yourselves. I find it really comfortable and warm but haven’t actually worn it hiking yet. Whereabouts in the “spectrum” would you put the shadow? Somewhere near the VR Summit?

Very valuable soft shell expose - Thank you. Is there one of these productions succinctly addressing the hard shell range?

Arc'teryx Gamma lt is my favourite jacket. Prefer it to my Beta AR that was more than twice the price

Is it possible that softshell would be waterproof? I mean I've bought one with declared 10,000 mm value of waterproofness and I'm thinking if it would be enough for medium rain showers in summer during some small hiking? Would you recommend some hard shell for outer layer to stay dry?

I need your spots

Is the Rab Borealis durable enough for ice climbing over an Atom Lt and a base layer?

What is that blue insulated jacket ? Can u send link?

Paul, what happened to Arcteryx, you’re not reviewing those anymore.

Hi, sorry to bother you, I just wondered what gloves are you wearing ? Many thanks & kind regards.

Can you guys have a word with Montane, their sizings are great works of fiction,IMO. Why is it that I can get a medium size from other prestige brands, yet have to get at least a Large or even X large, for the same kind of fit. Its really annoying when ordering Montane online. I like their gear, but they need to get real with their fit & sizings.

basically, pair with a fleece and you have a triclimate jacket.

Great video once again.. am struggling for sizing for this can you help.. am normally a large as am 6ft but am slim.. I like room but for this as a light softshell do I down size as am tall but skinny

Thin canvas works the same no?

Does anyone know what kind of backpack he’s using

What about the Atom LT from Arc’teryx?

Still confused as to what the difference is between a hardshell and a breathable rain jacket.

Not sure how Paramo can be ignored. Nothing softer, highly breathable - much more so than Gore Infinium, and highly wind and water resistant.

Softshell doesn't keep you warm? That's funny, I work in a refrigerated warehouse and my softshell pants keep me warm as all hell.

isn't a soft shell a turtle ?

Unfortunatelly a lot of softshells are made against the softshell idea. 1000mm breathability is a joke for a softshell.