Bring on the Rain: Hard Shells

Testing a waterproof shell during a typically dry Colorado winter is like bringing your trad rack on a family vacation to Disneyland: pointless and futile. Ergo, we sent these seven shells from Climbing HQ in Boulder to testers across the country, from unpredictable Vermont to the soggy South and up to the waterlogged Pacific Northwest. When the sun insisted on shining, we went to extremes and stood in the shower or high-pressure car washes to gauge the full effect of these shells’ waterproof membranes and treatments.

The seven shells featured here, each weighing less than a pound, are all new for spring 2011, and they will be on store racks and in catalogs by the time you’re reading this. Notable this year: Several of the jackets incorporate stretchy materials that offer more of the feel of a soft shell, but with a hard shell’s foul-weather protection. We’ve also included a rundown of three brand spankin’ new waterproof-breathable fabrics that will be introduced in outdoor clothing this fall. (See sidebar on page 29.) Meanwhile, you won’t go wrong with any of these jackets.

GOLITE MALPAIS
$250
7.4 oz. (m’s L)
golite.com

Lightest
As the lightest jacket in our review—and it’s really light for a full-protection, threelayer jacket—this shell has a fairly slim profile and no pit zips, and the zippers and drawstrings are minimalist. This no-frills approach was most problematic in the hood, which was on the small side and finicky to adjust, with a closure that couldn’t be operated while wearing winter gloves. (A white spot on our tester’s face after a high-altitude ski tour vividly demonstrated the effects of this drawback.) On the other hand, one tester complimented the easy-adjusting wrist cuff, which is cut so it extends over the top of the hand for additional protection. This parka’s light weight and compressibility make it a no-brainer to throw in the bottom of your cragging pack, and despite no pit zips, the jacket breathed really well with its polyurethane Trinity membrane. After months of heavy use, the fabric seemed to wet through more than other shells we tested, but it still offered plenty of protection from those inevitable afternoon thunderstorms.

SIERRA DESIGNS JIVE
$279
15 oz. (m’s L)
sierradesigns.com

Sturdiest
At 12,000 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park, with 40+ mph winds and driving snow, this jacket felt completely windproof over just a base layer. And the 2.5-layer Cocona Xcelerator fabric proved fully waterproof, keeping our tester warm and dry during a winter day in Oregon (read: 30°F and wet, wet, wet). Large pit zips kept high-output activities pleasant, and the fabric stood up to rock abrasion during several months of intense use, making it a top contender for durability. The Jive’s hood was large enough to accommodate a helmet, and its cinch was in just the right place for easy adjustments. One tester appreciated how the jacket zipped up to her nose for full protection, with soft fl eece at the top to avoid irritation. The biggest drawback of this shell is it only has high chest pockets on both sides: good for wearing under a harness or backpack waist belt, but not so good if you’re a pocket person. Our tester said, “I kept trying to slide my hands in because I like to hike with my hands in my pockets, but there was nothing there. Bummer.”