A noticeable trend at Outdoor Retailer Winter this year was the use of softshell fabric in footwear. For fast and light activities such as hiking, trail running, and even snowshoeing, softshell can provide those year-round outdoor enthusiasts the weather protection of a full winter boot without the bulk or weight.
The waterproof breathable membrane war that began last year is finally coming to a head…
Until recently, the major waterproof breathable fight used to be GORE-TEX versus GE's eVent. With new hardshell entrants such as Polartec and innovation from Gore with Active Shell, GE has been forced to refocus and is now working hard on a making come back.
I have been looking forward to testing out GORE-TEX Active Shell along with something from the new Adidas Outdoor collection. In response, Adidas was nice enough to send me the women's Terrex Swift 3-in-1 GORE-TEX Jacket to try out during my ice climbing trip to Canada earlier this month.
At the big NeoShell launch in Boston last November, Polartec gave me a Westcomb jacket made out of their new waterproof breathable fabric. I have put the hardshell jacket through the paces, wearing it for hiking through downpours in San Francisco and ice climbing in Ouray, Colorado.
