How dose a Soft Shell perform ?

• Soft Shells are made from soft, flexible, and very comfortable materials - they are garments you can wear all day, not only rainy conditions.
• Soft shells tend to be more comfortable over a wider spectrum of weather conditions, this means less time is needed for adding or removing layers to stay comfortable, especially in changeable conditions.
• Extermly breathable: (higher than conventional waterproof / breathable barriers) - many systems are totally condensation free.
• With a Soft Shells insulation and wicking properties in a single garment means fewer separate clothing layers are needed to provide full weather protection.
• Any moisture that gets into a soft shell clothing system can quickly get out again, speeding drying times. Waterproof garments are just as good at stopping water getting out of a garment as in.
• Some lightweight soft shells are extremely versatile, ensuring that fewer garments will enable you to cope with a wider range of activities or weather conditions (e.g. the Marmot Driclime Windshirt will function as a base layer, mid layer or outer layer).
• Soft shell garments are easier to wash (washing works via the action of water passing through a fabric and lifting out the dirt - waterproof garments, of course, do not allow this to happen).
• Soft shell garments rely on the inherent properties of the fabrics of which they are made, not 'flimsy' membranes or coatings that are bonded or applied to them, and are therefore offer a much longer service life than conventional waterproofs.
• Soft shell garments are immune to puncture. This also means that repairs or alterations do not need seam sealing.

Any drawbacks ?

• They are not 100% waterproof, and as such not so good for extremely wet conditions.
• Many soft shell systems rely on body heat to drive out moisture, which is fine when active, but less effective when stationary and not generating as much body heat.
• Wet clothing can lead to very rapid cooling (water conducts heat away from the body 27 times more quickly than air). It is therefore prudent to have extra warm layers available for periods of inactivity (rest stops, belaying, etc.).
• As the most weatherproof soft shell garments have relatively thick insulated linings (they need these to work), they are therefore not suitable for hot weather conditions.