I’ve been reviewing and prioritizing updating all of my outdoor layers, but the one thing I don’t have at all is a soft shell.
Its job, as I understand it, is mostly to be light and breathable, with a little bit of wind/rain/sun protection. Still, they come in a variety of weights.
Is it reasonable, considering that I try to following layering conventions, that the best soft shell for me, really for 3 season hiking/backpacking, is a very lightweight windbreaker, as opposed to more of a midweight jacket? Windbreaker just seems way more versatile unless I’m relying on the soft shell to provide some measure of insulation/warmth.
I don’t find I need a softshell jacket personally. I have a fleece and then hard shell if it rains. I’ll take an extra down jacket if it’s cold - 5 degrees or less for, when I’m standing around/resting.
@Sky
Yeah, that’s pretty much what I do now… maybe that why I’m struggling, because I’ve never really found myself wishing I had one. But next year I want to get more into backpacking/multiday so I guess I just feel like I’ll “need” one then just in case.
I’m finding that backpacking and “just in case” is a tricky trail to navigate.
@Blake
So specifically for backpacking I think a softshell is not a great idea. You’ll never pack down a softshell as much as a wind shell if you really need the wind protection, and you’ll likely want a hard shell no matter what in case the weather turns. The softshell ends up both bulky and not really serving a unique purpose in a backpacking kit—at least that’s how I’ve learned.
@Fox
Thanks! This makes a lot of sense, but, in response to both of your comments here, I’d say in my original question, what you’re calling a wind jacket I’m thinking of as a light soft shell - so you would still take that backpacking, plus a hard shell for rain, but not a “mid weight” soft shell? Am I understanding you correctly?
@Blake
So what I’ve been told is a soft shell is always going to have a vaguely stretchy fabric, like the Arc Gamma or OR Ferrosi. The MH Kor is like the Patagonia Houdini in that it’s not stretchy at all. I might be adding to your confusion by using the term differently—sorry!
Personally when I backpack I only take the classic synthetic insulation midlayer + a hardshell + down for camp. My hardshell has pit zips so those are usually enough to keep me comfortable with the hardshell on at all times—I really dislike swapping layers with a backpack.
I stuff my Kor in the bag if it’s going to be very windy (or if I’m traveling), otherwise I skip it; and I don’t ever take my Ferrosi outside day hikes.
My understanding is that a softshell is primarily meant to protect against wind, sun, and potentially abrasion—as in, for climbers in good weather. For a hiker it’s essentially a heavier wind jacket that trades wind protection for breathability and thus comfort under exertion.
If you’re just hiking, and you have a wind jacket you’re comfortable in, I’m not sure what new benefit a softshell gets you. But I’ve never found a wind jacket that doesn’t turn me into a swamp in all but the coldest wind, and so I have my OR Ferrosi instead of something else.
I do have a MH Kor Air-Shell for when I truly need a windbreaker and for travel because it’s just so damn packable, but I rarely hike in it because I end up sweating so bad.
I use a soft shell often. I rarely take a hard shell unless there is the possibility of sustained rain. It offers wind resistance, light water resistance, and is far more durable, abrasion resistant, and breathable than my hard shell.
I use the Outdoor Research Ferrosi hoodie. It’s lightweight, packable, and breathable, yet it still repels snow, rain, and wind pretty well. It’s also durable. I use it as a weather layer over my midlayers. It’s expensive, but I’d say it was a worthy investment.
Blake said: @Remington
Thanks, this at least gives me a window into the types of shells people find useful, appreciate it!
Sure thing. I also have an L5 softshell from Beyond that works really well. It’s fleece-lined, so I use it over the rest of my layers when I’m not moving much. It’s sized to fit multiple layers underneath, and it does that really well. I can fit both my waffle top and grid fleece under it for maximum warmth.
I’m now 50 and have spent more than half my life hiking and mountain biking and have owned many soft shells. Let me see if I can explain. So back in maybe the earliesh 2000s, companies like Arc’Teryx and a few others had this idea that you don’t need a crinkly Gore or similar jacket to shed off most water, up to that point it was either a shell or base layer, or insulation, but no in between. Then the SS was born. I remember it being all the rage, as me and my friends were like holy shit, “a jacket that’s breathable, sheds water to a degree, is light, stretches (one of its biggest assets) and doesn’t make noise lol
So yeah, we all hopped on the SS bandwagon. I had an Arc’Teryx jacket called the easy rider which was like a more casual gas station style jacket but was still highly water and wind resistant and very lightly insulated. I wore it all the time even when not in the woods. I also owned a super thin SS from North Face I used for cycling. I actually still own a pair of very lightly insulated Softshell gloves from TNF and they are amazing. So yeah, TBH I have all the outerwear I ever need to own and then some… so not even sure if SS is still a thing, but it’s great and I really hope it is
Feel free to pick my brain, I’ll give you feedback and answers as best I can
