This years Mammut hard shells recommendations

[SuperChief]

Replacing a Arc’teryx Alpha Shell, I have a heavy discount for Mammut right now and need a new shell, I hope it’s the last shell I need for another decade. 90% lift serve sidecountry use. Most like will see rain in the winter.

Things I hated about my last shell no powder skirt, pockets were horrible and cut seemed short and rode up my waist.

Other than the left hand zippers what do you guys like. I’m stranded in no ski shop country so I can’t really test drive.

[tgapp]

I have a Mammut Nordwand Pro HS and I generally like it a lot. Bomber fabric, good pockets, pitzips, powder skirt. Only complaint is that, compared to Arcteryx, it's slightly over engineered. All sorts of snaps in places where I don't quite understand their purpose. Still a beautiful she'll though. Worth $800? Maybe not. $400 or cheaper though, and this thing is amazing.

[gavinski91]

I have a Mammut Nordwand Pro HS and I generally like it a lot. Bomber fabric, good pockets, pitzips, powder skirt. Only complaint is that, compared to Arcteryx, it's slightly over engineered. All sorts of snaps in places where I don't quite understand their purpose. Still a beautiful she'll though. Worth $800? Maybe not. $400 or cheaper though, and this thing is amazing.

Share anything about the fit? I've heard weird things about the fit online, but nothing recent. Trying to decide between and medium and a large.

[skizix]

General rule: if it’s European, size up. Maybe we Americans are just fat (but euros are catching up quickly), but I think the fit is just different.

Try ordering a euro road-cycling jersey (Castelli etc) online sometime. The sizes a just 1-1.5 off from US. I am usually XL top for US brands (but some US L fit, now that US brands’ sizes keep expanding - e.g. Patagucci...XL top always fit but now I’m frustratingly between XL and L). I have a Castelli XXXL jersey that’s just a touch baggy, lol.

[SuperChief]

Fit is a good question, my Mammut soft shell seems to be just a tad fitted doesn’t work well if I want a puffy layer. I bought a large which I’m 5’9 185 With 15 extra lbs

[SB]

My older Mammut jacket definitely has the athletic cut. That was great 17 years ago, at least the breathable fabric is also stretchy.

Solid stuff but yeah, they put zipper pull on wrong side.

[toast2266]

I had the Alvier HS bib and jacket last year. Fit was definitely European; I got my regular size and they were tight and a bit short. They were also tight in kinda weird places - the jacket fit fairly normal except for the bottom edge, which was too tight for the jacket to hang normally. Kind of weird.

Aside from that, quality and waterproofness were fine. The pockets weren't great - not many of them, and some of them were in weird places or just small enough to not be useful.

[tgapp]

Share anything about the fit? I've heard weird things about the fit online, but nothing recent. Trying to decide between and medium and a large.

I typically prefer men's small in just about everything (6'0" and 155 lbs), but I got a medium in the Nordwand Pro Jacket. My Nordwand Pro Bibs are a size 32, and I would normally be a size 30. Medium fits well, athletic with room to layer.

[PNB]

General rule: if it’s European, size up. Maybe we Americans are just fat (but euros are catching up quickly), but I think the fit is just different.

Try ordering a euro road-cycling jersey (Castelli etc) online sometime. The sizes a just 1-1.5 off from US. I am usually XL top for US brands (but some US L fit, now that US brands’ sizes keep expanding - e.g. Patagucci...XL top always fit but now I’m frustratingly between XL and L). I have a Castelli XXXL jersey that’s just a touch baggy, lol.

I'd replace "european" with "italian and french".
UK companies (Rab, Montane, Mountain Equipment, Berghaus, ...) do cut wider.
I normally use M's for tops but with Millet and italian stuff I definitely need to size up.
Not much experience with Mammut, besides pants, though.

[kingsalami]

I bought a Masao hardshell late last season and skied a couple days in it. I'm a lanky 6'5", 215 lbs, and the XL fit nicely through the body and sleeves, but the overall length is just a bit short for skiing. I really like the streamlined Euro-centric fit and overall construction - pretty burly 3L fabric, big handwarmer pockets, sleeves and hood are pretty dialed with no excessive fabric. Dislikes: no powder skirt; the chest pocket is barely big enough for an iPhone.

The Haldigrat looks like a pretty decent ski-specific version of this jacket, but I'm not sold on hand/wrist gaiters.
https://www.mammut.com/us/en/p/1010-...ed-jacket-men/

[SuperChief]

I bought a Masao hardshell late last season and skied a couple days in it. I'm a lanky 6'5", 215 lbs, and the XL fit nicely through the body and sleeves, but the overall length is just a bit short for skiing. I really like the streamlined Euro-centric fit and overall construction - pretty burly 3L fabric, big handwarmer pockets, sleeves and hood are pretty dialed with no excessive fabric. Dislikes: no powder skirt; the chest pocket is barely big enough for an iPhone.

The Haldigrat looks like a pretty decent ski-specific version of this jacket, but I'm not sold on hand/wrist gaiters.
https://www.mammut.com/us/en/p/1010-...ed-jacket-men/

I liked that one but the front pocket layout is something I want to avoid, it seems like Mammut fits me true to size, I can go up a size if I want to layer with a thick puffy the arms were a bit long though.

Of all the other shells I tried on the only ones I liked had stupid red zippers on a blue coat, or those ugly white zippers on a dark coat. It also seems like there are two fashion choices baggy and bulky like fly low etc.... and fitted.

Probably won’t buy a Mammut, still looking for a new shell.

Almost pulled the trigger on a RAB but no pit zips was a deal breaker. Maybe next year,