We have seen it used in footwear and hiking poles, now cork may soon be popping up in your outdoor apparel. Schoeller Textiles has combined the natural properties of cork with those of high performance fabrics to create a comfortable, highly breathable fabric with superior thermal insulating properties for use in everything from base layers to softshell jackets.
The Nisha Jacket from Sherpa Adventure Gear offers lightweight weather protection at a reasonable price. Throughout the winter, I wore this softshell jacket for a variety of activities, such as ice climbing, snowshoeing, and even winter backpacking.
Along with the Earthtec Laurel Softshell Pants, Vermont based outdoor retailer Climb High sent me the Water Lily Hooded Softshell Jacket. I have worn the jacket almost all winter now, across Colorado, Utah, and even in the cold and wet winter weather of San Francisco.
San Francisco based Pop Outerwear grew tired of the baggy style snowboarding apparel on offer most everywhere today. Taking matters into their own hands, the company decided to design a line of snowboarding outerwear with a more urban feel, something you could easily wear around town during the week, then use to shred pow on the weekends.
When the weather turns nasty with lots of cold wind and maybe some precipitation, most of us immediately reach for the hardshell in our pack. Columbia's new Omni-Wind Block technology enables a softshell to provide the complete windproof properties of a hardshell without compromising on breathability.
When you think of merino wool, you usually think of baselayers. For winter activities, wool can make a great outer layer as well. The Breakaway 2 Jacket is a softshell wool hybrid that offers the perfect combination of warmth, wind protection, and breathability for highly aerobic cold weather activities.
