Before winter hits I would like to get one. I know people who love the moutain hardware alchemy jacket. Also interested in the marmot gravity jacket or sharp point one. I hear good things about Arc'teryx but idk anyone who has there stuff. What are some other good ones? How important are they?

i have an arcteryx gamma mx hoody, and absolutely love it. Also have a Mammut softshell thats nice and fitted, but the gamma is the bomb. had a north face STH jacket before, that was ok, but the gamma, thats where its at.

This is gonna sound ridiculous, but what is the main purpose of a softshell? To date if it rains I'll put on a shell, if it's cold I'll put on a fleece, cold and wet I'll put on both etc. Is the aim with the soft shell to act as a multi-purpose garment, shed snow on winter climbs etc? Have heard a lot about what they can do but not anything that's made me want to get one. Thanks.

xDoogiex wrote:How important are they?

They're either completely unnecessary or the single best piece of gear you'll own. (Opinions on softshells tend to run the gamut 'round here.)

Do a forum search to dig up the MANY previous threads about softshells, put on a fresh pot of coffee, and have an enjoyable evening.

FWIW, I have a Marmot Sharp Point and find that it's kinda on the heavy/bulky side -- and it lacks a hood -- so I tend to not wear it very often for winter climbing or hiking pursuits, but rather as just a bombing around town jacket.

For high-output stuff (ice climbing, winter mountaineering) my MH Torch works great, but there are a lot of other brands/models that are equally as good. And please don't go and spend $350+ for a softshell. You should be able to find something decent for a buck-fiddy, maybe less...

I wear my softshell on my bus commute to work when it rains. I looks nicer than a hard shell. Rather than a Scholler type softshell I wear a Marmot Driclime windshirt in the mountains.

I did a quick forum search and it seemed like more were about soft shell pants.

I started going on spadout.com and saw some good deals on some. Otherwise I have a marmot minimalist jacket. So I have a good hardshell. I don't own any fleece or good middle layers. One of My friends who goes up Mt. Washington in the winter said they normally wear a soft shell and if it's snowing or real wet higher they'll put on a hardshell.

Try the Marmot Superhero jacket, which is what I have. Has a detachable hood and highly breathable. I wear it when I'm ice climbing, but it also ventilates well enough that I can throw it on when it's 60 degrees and not feel stifled.

I've never owned a traditional softshell. If you want some additional reading about the concept of softshells, try this http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/site/main_articles/the_best_softshell_in_the_world/

I currently just use a 3 layer system - baselayer, middle (insulating), and shell. Seems more versatile to me. One of my next purchases will be a Driclime jacket.

Alpinisto wrote:For high-output stuff (ice climbing, winter mountaineering) my MH Torch works great. And please don't go and spend $350+ for a softshell. You should be able to find something decent for a buck-fiddy, maybe less...

^^^^
That iz korrekt.

Alpinisto wrote: but there are a lot of other brands/models that are equally as good

^^^
That iz not.

Alpinisto wrote:

xDoogiex wrote:How important are they?

FWIW, I have a Marmot Sharp Point and find that it's kinda on the heavy/bulky side -- and it lacks a hood -- so I tend to not wear it very often for winter climbing or hiking pursuits, but rather as just a bombing around town jacket.

For high-output stuff (ice climbing, winter mountaineering) my MH Torch works great, but there are a lot of other brands/models that are equally as good. And please don't go and spend $350+ for a softshell. You should be able to find something decent for a buck-fiddy, maybe less...

Yeah that hits it on the head. I have a Millet that I wear around campus obsessively in the chillier months that I got for something like $75 (I'm not sure exactly which jacket it is now, I just had been wanting a softshell for awhile and ran across the Millet on everestgear.com on sale and with free shipping so I jumped on it) on sale. It was normally like $125 or so. It's pretty light weight, not as thick on the insulation as some of the North Face and MH jackets I've seen around but it does a pretty solid job blocking the Kansas flint hills wind in the fall and spring when it's still chilly out (and trust me, at times our wind here matches alot of what you'll run into in the mountains). It still works in milder winter days also as long as I have a good long sleeved t or something underneath. This of course is on 15 minute walks from my house to classes etc. I don't know that it would hold up for long periods of time exposed in the same elements and still be comfortable b/c I haven't really tried taking it on long hikes or anything like that yet. All depends on what you intend to use it for really. I agree with Alpinisto though, spending $350 is a bit over the edge for a softshell, unless you have the money and just want to spend it. I'm not an experienced alpinist yet so don't hold me to this but I wouldn't buy the Arcteryx unless I was a serious climber who regularly made trips where I would use it...and maybe not even then.

ExcitibleBoy wrote:I wear my softshell on my bus commute to work when it rains. I looks nicer than a hard shell. Rather than a Scholler type softshell I wear a Marmot Driclime windshirt in the mountains.

Same here. I like the softshell-umbrella combo for commuting.

I second the DriClime; use the money instead for some nice softshell pants. For me, the softshell concept really makes sense for pants, and the stretchy-ness is more appreciated in the legs. Tops are always coming on and off, so it makes more sense to have 2 or 3 light and versatile top pieces.

My preference is: Capilene baselayer, Marmot DriClime, Patagonia MicroPuff, and Patagonia Rain Shadow.

Flatlander2climb wrote:

Alpinisto wrote:

xDoogiex wrote:How important are they?

I'm not an experienced alpinist yet so don't hold me to this but I wouldn't buy the Arcteryx unless I was a serious climber who regularly made trips where I would use it...and maybe not even then.

Not that I am an experienced alpinist or anything but I just wouldn't pay $350 for any piece of clothing (except for a high quality downjacket, which I did) because it gets trashed.

I end up using softshell jacket (MH Torch) in spring/fall, mainly for BC skiing and general mountaineering. In the winter, MH Alchemy for ice climbing, I layer a Houdini underneath to have a hood. The Alchemy has held up to a lot of abuse.

In the summer (in the Sierra) I just use the Houdini and layer fleece underneath if need be, the soft shell is too heavy/bulky, would be in the pack most of the time anyway.

YMMV, especially depending on location.

aemter wrote:I've never owned a traditional softshell. If you want some additional reading about the concept of softshells, try this http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/site/main_articles/the_best_softshell_in_the_world/

Thanks, that's just the sort of thing I was after.

I bought into the softshell concept early on, and soon became disillusioned. My softshell and Driclime were both sold on EBay long ago. I've got a light and a heavy hardshell, both breathable enough to work hard in and stay comfortable. They come out of the pack when it's windy, wet or snowing. Outside those conditions, I like the breathability of fleece better than any softshell I've worn or checked out. I do own a Marmot Sharp Point, but like someone else said, it's an in-town jacket. Great for that purpose, and lift-served skiing, but not for climbing or BC skiing--too heavy, and no hood.

MH jackets (at least as of a couple years back) are pretty stiff. I have been pretty happy with the one I got from Sierra Designs a few years ago. I bought it because of the price (pro deal) but have used it for ice, alpine climbs, skiing, etc. and it is still holding together.