View Full Version : eVent shells
Powder River
12-11-2010, 12:56
Just got a new ski shell (the Mirage) from Westcomb and am very impressed. Think Arcteryx without the creepy dead bird and eVent instead of gore tex. Anyways it got me looking at their site and found that they make an 11 ounce eVent shell, the Specter LT. Has anyone tried this? I would eventually like to get an eVent hiking shell but it needs to be perfect. I know there are a handful of other jackets on this list like ID and Montane. Any other jackets on the short list?
http://www.westcomb.com/product/waterproof-breathable-shell/11/specter-lt-hoody.html
handlebar
12-11-2010, 23:41
I used the Integral Designs E-vent jacket on NM-WY CDT section and it performed admirably. First waterproof, breathable jacket that really was "breathable". Also used it in 3 straight days of rain on N Central PA's Susquehannock Trail System this fall and it again proved worthwhile. Reading the info on the Mirage, I'm impressed that they seem to have used a stouter fabric on the sleeves. I took a tumble off a cornice at Jones Pass and wound up glissading (?) over some gravel at the foot of it abraiding the lower sleeves of ID jacket a bit. Still it worked well this fall in PA.
If I'm not mistaken the ID jacket is a bit less expensive than the Westcomb.
Powder River
12-12-2010, 02:53
Yeah all the fabric is pretty stout on the mirage. I wouldn't really recomend it for hiking because of this. It's about 20 ounces and does not pack very well. I have a separate hiking shell but would some day like to get one that is made from eVent, say around 10 ounces.
Powder River
12-12-2010, 02:53
Yeah all the fabric is pretty stout on the mirage. I wouldn't really recomend it for hiking because of this. It's about 20 ounces and does not pack very well. I have a separate hiking shell but would some day like to get one that is made from eVent, say around 10 ounces.
I have an REI Shuksan parka - heavy fabric, Event membrane. It's more breathable than any Goretex version I've tried, and far more breathable than any coated (polyurethane - Precip and its clones/copies) garment.
I would, however, if it were available, opt for pit zips with ANY rain jacket.
EVent is far less breathable than an uncoated windbreaker - in my book that requires that I carry my Shuksan AND a windbreaker - hardly optimal when trying to cut weight to the bare bones.
Powder River
12-13-2010, 02:14
I have an REI Shuksan parka - heavy fabric, Event membrane. It's more breathable than any Goretex version I've tried, and far more breathable than any coated (polyurethane - Precip and its clones/copies) garment.
I would, however, if it were available, opt for pit zips with ANY rain jacket.
EVent is far less breathable than an uncoated windbreaker - in my book that requires that I carry my Shuksan AND a windbreaker - hardly optimal when trying to cut weight to the bare bones.
What about a 3 ounce wind shirt? I carry a driclime wind shirt, which is 11 ounces but is kind of like an insulated/crazy wicking top with a wind shirt sewn on.
Do you carry the Shuksan as your main hiking rain jacket? Or do you have something lighter?
eVENT is the best waterproof "breathable" material on the market today. I haven't tried the westcomb Specter, but have heard good things about it. I like the Rab Momentum Jacket. For skiing though, I prefer non membrane / non laminate softshells. I particularly like Pertex's Equilibrium as a material which Rab uses in the Alpine Pullover and their Vapor Rising line.
--Mark