View Full Version : Terminology Question
Odd Man Out
10-25-2011, 12:03
When shopping for outerwear or reading clothing gear lists, I have run across the terms "hard shell" and "soft shell". What do these terms refer to?
TIA
A simple answer is rain shell vs. wind shell. Give or take.
In general, these "shells" are jackets that are not cloth/fleece, etc. exterior. A hard shell would be a waterproof jacket. A softshell jacket is water resistant (to varying degrees), but also the term "softshell" mostly refers to a kind of jacket made of stretchy non-clothlike material that has a decidedly softer feel than does typical rainwear.
Soft shell means you will get wet from rain.
Hard shell means you will get wet from sweat.
soft shell jackets are best for dryer western conditions when the precipitation you will encounter is mostly frozen - they repel snow, sleet, and even light freezing rain pretty well - they typically breathe better than hard shells. For eastern hiking, soft shells might hold out for a few days but in a real AT rainstorm, you want a hardshell jacket. The best jackets made (bar-none) are made by Arc-Teryx - rarely do I make such a definitive statement but this one is true. The lightest one is the Beta SL jacket - I carry the Beta AR - it will keep you dry and more or less sweat free - pretty much the best jacket out there:
www.arcteryx.com/Product.aspx?EN/Mens/Jackets/Beta-AR-Jacket#