Montbell Softshells/Hybrid

[MCS5280]

Anybody running a Montbell softshell/hybrid jacket? Trying to find a cheaper replacement for an old arcteryx atom. Curious if their CLIMABARRIER fabrics are decent. Can't find much info on them online.

[crashingout@comcast.net]

So I eyeballed that Montbell Snow Banshee softshell for like 9 months myself and slowly realized a couple things about it and garments like it.


I have two Helly Hansen resort staff softshells that I've confirmed after looking at their consumer ware are stitched with slightly heavier duty construction and having skiied in them for several years they're pretty bulletproof. Didn't know why they felt so weatherproof at times until I recently looked at the tag - they have a PU, Polyurethane, lining. Thinking that this lining was the magic sauce I looked into it and there's some serious pros and cons to PU membranes:

[crashingout@comcast.net]

irritating new forum system won't let me write a reply!

[crashingout@comcast.net]

testing
stupid forum system thinks giving you answers is spam, so irritated

won't let me write out my pros and cons of PU

The Montbell softshell for skiing with Climabarrier and PU membrane has pit zips which made it seem like the mythical perfect solution for my sweaty days in my Helly Hansen softshells where unzipping them wasn't enough. Turns out this led me into a rabbithole called Neoshell.


And now after buying a dozen neoshell jackets - yes it's the answer. It's PU still but electrospun and made like candy floss making it breathe quite unlike gortx. It's more fragile than classic PU but it and it's Outdoor Research knockoff Ascentshell and North Face's knockoff Futurelight *are* the true answers to getting beyond the classic PU membrane softshell that you might be looking at.


I have an Atom AR I've never skiied in but did spend a lot of time riding in a Proton Hoody Hybrid this last winter. It has some serious flaws and I wouldn't recommend it in place of a classic softshell especially for the price they want.


If you bike a lot there's some Fox and Specialized neoshell pieces you might want to snag, get yourself a dual usage piece.