This boldly designed new waterproof is expected to be a big release for 2016. Will Renwick took the Columbia Outdry Ex Platinum Tech Shell out for some testing ahead of its release
I was first introduced to this jacket at the OutDoor show in Germany last July and I was immediately intrigued. It looks like it’s made out of the same kind of material as a deep sea fisherman’s jacket, or one of those waterproof duffel bags.
Most jackets rely on a number of layers for their overall performance, this one relies on just one rubbery-looking shell. Just by the look of it I knew it would offer maximum protection from the rain. But would that be at the expense of any breathability?
A bit further down the line I was able to put this question to the jacket’s designer, Woody Blackford, who’s been working on Columbia’s innovation and design since 2005.
“It’s going to be more breathable than any other jacket you’ve worn,” Woody told me. Pointing to the coat’s shell he said: “If this was a conventional waterproof jacket, this outer layer you can see would have textile covering it, and that textile in the rain is a problem, it has spaces between it that water will eventually get into – it wets out. Once that happens any inner moisture that gets through the membrane then has to get through that outer later as well. I got tired of this, so I thought what we need to do is take that waterproof part and make that the outer layer.”
It sounds an obvious solution to the wetting out problem, but then how is the waterproof membrane protected? To make up for the lack of a protective outer fabric Woody says they “re-engineered the membrane to make it tougher.”
Might there be a trade-off here then? No fabric means, according to Woody, more breathability, but if the membrane has to be toughened wouldn’t this make it harder for moisture to escape? Time for some field testing.
The jacket has plenty of features you’d want with a hillwalking or even mountaineering jacket. The hood is big enough to take a helmet, it’s peaked (though the peak isn’t stiffened) and the volume is adjustable. The cuffs have Velcro adjusters and they can be pulled over gloves, and there’s a cord to adjust the hem. It’s not an athletic fit – it seems that more consideration has gone towards allowing room to wear a midlayer underneath.
Most of the zips use LightRail waterproofing (similar to YKK):on the pit zips, breast pockets and in the hardwarmer pockets – both of which are large enough to be used when wearing a hipbelt or harness and will also hold a map.
The main zipper doesn’t use the LightRail waterproofing however, and it doesn’t have a storm flap over it, only an inner one. I went out in the jacket on a wet day in West Wales and no moisture got through this zip, but in torrential rain and high winds I wonder if a little might. I ran it under a tap and a touch of moisture did show on the inner flap.
In terms of the unique shell material, it looks thick and heavy but is surprisingly thin and light, and it’s still definitely tough enough to stand up to any potential snagging from branches. The external taped seams certainly manage to withstand any moisture, and I think are used to good effect in the actual look of the jacket.
Inside, it’s kept off the skin by a soft and ultra-thin lining that’s completely bonded to the shell and is designed to wick away any moisture.
So did the jacket feel as breathable as Woody said it would be? I think Columbia has got things right here. It was certainly pleasant to not have that lingering dampness that comes from a jacket wetting out, and I felt the toughened membrane didn’t make it feel any clammier than other jackets. There’s certainly some dependence on the pit zips for breathability, but there’s not much wrong with this, most other mountaineering jackets have them. On top of all this there’s no need for the controversial perflourinated chemicals involved with DWR treatment as there’s no fabric that needs to be made water resistant – so it gets some kudos for this.
While the exterior membrane is innovative, it does have one problem: it’s very noisy. It rustles loudly, even with the swing of your arms with each step and some might consider this a bit annoying. Still, its high level of performance does make up for this.
The jacket is part of Columbia’s Outdry Extreme range for men and women and will be available in March 2016.
