Bronco Posted December 12, 2002 Share Posted December 12, 2002 I have worn my Dimension Jacket in the rain and didn't get a lot wetter than my goretex ladden counterparts. However, when the rain stopped, I dried out a lot faster because of better breathability. I have made it through typical spring downpours and on and off drizzle without getting wet through, but I think for me, some of it has to do with not dressing too warm in the first place, I sweat a lot anyway. Having said that, if I am going out to play in the rain (which I try to avoid) and I know it's gonna piss rain all day, I am taking my goretex. The other 90% of the time, I grab my scholler stuff first. Like any other peice of gear,(packs, boots, bags, tents) you need about 3 different shell jackets (windshirt, shoftshell, hardshell) to cover the spectrum of conditions around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted December 13, 2002 Share Posted December 13, 2002 soft shells aren't meant to withstand a driving downpour. They are great, however, for wind protection during somewhat active times and really good for climbing in, since they take abrasion much better than goretex, etc. I have that pattagucci shell, and it's very tough. I think a good combo is a durable softshell and a lightweight hardshell. The softshell basically doubles as a windshirt layer too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beck Posted December 13, 2002 Share Posted December 13, 2002 I've put in a winter season in the Patagonia Dimension jacket, wear a three year old Scholler athletic cut jacket, and worn soft shell Sholler trousers for five years in most all winter conditions- the other users have it right, you wind up best off with a combination of coats- the truth about soft shells, once you start wearing them, the hard shell begins to live in your pack 90% of the time - it's not the best in slop at Snoqualamie if you are riding the lifts in rain or supersaturated wet snow, but still works in less than heavy rain, rain/snow showers, mixed rain/snow, etc., but always having a backup hard shell nearby. I've taken to leaving hard shell pants totally behind most day tours, and just have a micro rain or light mountain parka as backup. Following is personal user testamonial. Fall 2001, out on a search on Mount Adams in a full blizzard, super heavy winds, sustained 70 miles an hour, all day search till nightfall, below lunch counter, in wool long johns, wool sweater, under Dimension Jacket, Scholler pants. Full Blizzard. Other Mountain Rescue crew were saturated in goretex, wound up pulling on second goretex shell by days' end. I'm still trudging away in Dimension Shell, moving on snowshoes thru full conditions all day long. Guy stumbles out, we come down and decommission the search, head to dinner in Hood River. I'm still wearing the same clothes, drying out, used the Dimension jacket as a blanket, sleeping in the truck back to Seattle area. Also, extensive use of Scholler and Dimension shell tops on Muir Snowfield and in the Tatoosh- Scholler is wind permeable at 35-40 mph, the Dimension jacket seems totally windproof, the scholler dryskin seems to shed the wet snow better than the dimension jacket- I also have been trying to push the soft shell envelope around town, I wore it walking around in the rain on Wedsday for a half hour, wearing a wool sweater, pretty continous rain, got to work, dry (feeling) sweater, coat dried out in fourty five minutes or so. My read on this stuff is , YOU GOTTA TRY IT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slothrop Posted December 16, 2002 Share Posted December 16, 2002 Yet another anecdote about the Dimension: I wore it all day over a windshirt today on the Muir Snowfield, where it snowed and blew spindrift most of the time. I stayed comfortably dry, despite repeated faceplants into the deep freshiez. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdietsch Posted February 3, 2003 Share Posted February 3, 2003 Does anyone here own one of the Cold Fusion jackets made by "Beyond Fleece" in Eugene, OR? I had never heard of them before until the latest issue of Climbing which has a limited "soft shell" review and these guys received a pretty respectable rating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracked Posted February 3, 2003 Share Posted February 3, 2003 (edited) I used to be a believer in magazine review...then I became sadly disillusioned. Marketing hype is all that is produced. Might as well read the manufacturer's performance ratings. Check what Scholler fabric Beyond uses, and search for it in this forum. If the fabric is good, the jacket will be good. After all, the fit will be perfect. I know a guy who works for Beyond, and I took a look at his jacket. They seem really nice, and cheap! Climbing bitches about a high collar, but I always find that commercial jackets' collars are too low. Besides, you can always ask Beyond to shorten it. It seems like a good company, and they guys who work there use the stuff. And they are friendly. Edited February 3, 2003 by cracked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdietsch Posted February 3, 2003 Share Posted February 3, 2003 I used to be a believer in magazine review...then I became sadly disillusioned. Marketing hype is all that is produced. Might as well read the manufacturer's performance ratings. I certainly hope you are not assuming that I take these reviews to be gospel If the fabric is good, the jacket will be good. After all, the fit will be perfect. personally, to me, craftsmanship means alot .... example Arc'Teryx vs cheap Campmor imitation Check what Scholler fabric Beyond uses WB400 ... been there, done that .... I did not ask for a lesson in buying a soft shell. I asked if anyone here owned one of these units mfg'd by Beyond and what they thought about it ... I guess in your case the anwer is no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracked Posted February 3, 2003 Share Posted February 3, 2003 I was just saying that the jacket that I took a look at looked pretty bomber and well made. Plus a little spray. That's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdietsch Posted February 3, 2003 Share Posted February 3, 2003 cracked .... sorry if I came off a little rude ... I hadn't had my morning infusion, I am sure your intentions were well founded Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.