Soft Shell help (Columbia Wildcard vs. ?)

[brianblank]

I have been eye'ing a new shell for this season, probably a softshell. I normally ski in a Lowe hardshell and fleece. My search started with the Mountain Hardwear Synchro, but after trying it on it was a little too short for me. I was thumbing thru the Outside Buyers Guide at the store today, they recommend the Arc'teryx Hercules as the jacket of the year, but the Columbia Wildcard as the Killer Value @ $179 list. I tried the Columbia on and liked the fit and features (pockets, hoody, etc.), my main concerns are the lack of vents and the light insulation in the coat, I haven't skied in an insulated coat since Jr. High. I came home to see if there were better deals on that coat or better alternatives. I found this deal at CBSSportsStore.com of all places, it appears to be last years model (no zipper flap, but it might have pit zips) for $94 shipped!

So I guess I am asking for some advice...should I pull the trigger on the Columbia, look at another brand/model, etc.

Thanks for helping out the noobie,
Brian

[TheDon]

I don't think I can trust anything Columbia. Sorry IMO their shi sucks so bad.
Go Arc'teryx or if you are looking for a good value you can always find Cloudveil deals and their softshells are sick!

I would stay clear fo Columbia, I have had a pair of pants and a pair of fishing waders. All I will say is both ended badly. I won't buy anything else Columbia.

Cloudveil is a company from the "Holy-Land" AKA Jackson Hole. Their products are all amazing, truly top notch and it doesn't hurt the wallet as much.

Here are a few ideas, I have the black ice, sick, great price and if you are willing to layer a bit, a very good softshell:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/sea...ords=cloudveil

[TheDon]

If you really want one that is insalated this would be a good idea:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/4...t-For-Men.html

[Chainsaw_Willie]

I don't think I can trust anything Columbia. Sorry IMO their shi sucks so bad....snip...
I would stay clear fo Columbia, I have had a pair of pants and a pair of fishing waders. All I will say is both ended badly. I won't buy anything else Columbia.

Huh. I've only owned one pair of Columbia "Titanium" pants, but had them for several years and they were bomber. Finally got too many cuts on the inside of the legs from ski edges and duct tape wasn't cutting it any more so replaced them with some closeout Mt. Hardwear pants. We'll see how those workout.

As far as softshell jackets, I bought a Marmot "Sharp Point" last month on sale at REI. So far I'm really digging on it. Good fit, nice features.

Arc'Teryx stuff is really nice, but holy crap the price. Too rich for my poor ass.

[fonixmunkee]

Agreeing with TheDon. Columbia stuff can't be trusted.

If you are looking for something bomber and at a good pricepoint, try Marmot.

If price isn't an option, it's Arc'Teryx or Cloudveil.

[crackboy]

Columbia bought up moonstone which made a really good softshell. I own one of the last models they put out, don't recall but i got it off of SAC. its a very nice jacket and one of my favorite softshells i have owned. It looks very similar to the one posted above.

[Wiilbert]

I own an Arc'teryx Gamma MX. I love it, it's been great to me.

The golden rule of buying anything 'You get what you pay for'

Buy a cheap Columbia jacket? Get a cheaply made jacket....

[BLOOD SWEAT STEEL]

I agree w/ the Columbia sentiment. I've had my share of MHW stuff fall apart too. The lifetime warranty is nice, but I always seem to find myself trying to get something warranteed at the most inopportune times. Dead bird is top quality, but still doesn't justify the ridiculous cost IMO. I usually just stick w/ TNF stuff. Whatever you do, buy it from bc.com. Even if your garment does happen to fall apart, that lifetime return policy is priceless. Sure saves a lot of "4-6 week" BS and warranty red tape that everyone runs into.

[hutash]

If it is a soft shell you shouldn't need a lot of vent, that is the whole point of a soft shell. I too, have never liked Columbia. There are tons of great soft shells, and there are always deals to be had if you shop around BCcom has I 50% off coupon, but it expires today.

FYI-I have a nice Patagonia Scythe soft shell jacket. No hood, lightly insulated, killed product, but I just don't need it. Black, medium $80 if interested.

[Cruiser]

www.beyondclothing.com

[TheDon]

Cruiser, beyond clothing is so sick! I wish I would have seen this before.
Do you have any of their gear? Enlighten me with your thoughts?

[brianblank]

Thanks everyone, sounds like there are too many options.

I don't think I can trust anything Columbia. Sorry IMO their shi sucks so bad.
Go Arc'teryx or if you are looking for a good value you can always find Cloudveil deals and their softshells are sick!

I'll check out Arc'teryx and Cloudveil. I just need to find places that carry them to try them on. I am a bit hard to fit: tall, thin, broad shoulders, etc.

Which brings me to...

www.beyondclothing.com

Any experience with their shells? The fit shouldn't be a problem, the price is a little high, but for a custom coat it is a steal.

Thanks again

[Cruiser]

Cruiser, beyond clothing is so sick! I wish I would have seen this before.
Do you have any of their gear? Enlighten me with your thoughts?

Beyond's gear is sick. Their customer service is even better. They really make evey effort to ensure that their customers are not just happy, but totally satisfied. Two years ago I bought a pair of the Cold Fusion Mtn Pants that are made out of the WB400. I wore them with different base layers in temps ranging from -13 to the low 40's . The only time I wore my hard shell pants after that was when I tore a hole in the ass of the Beyond ones. I called Beyond and told them about my little accident and they told me to ship 'em back. They quiclky replaced the panel with the tear and shipped them back for free. I had a Cold Blooded jacket made a few years ago (it was still called the B1 then), and I wasn't satisfied with the fit after I had worn it a few times. They took it back no questions asked and made me a new one in less than a week. I've been wearing it hard ever since. I have a couple of other pieces from Beyond that I could go on about, but I think you get the picture.

Bottom line: The Beyond prices are inline with MSRP's on other high end mountaineering gear, but the fit, build quality, and customer service is far superior. Once you start having gear custom made, you'll never want to go back to the off-the-rack stuff.

[BLOOD SWEAT STEEL]

Wow. I think I might make my next purchase from them.

[dallread]

beyond looks amazing, awesome custom options. thanks for the website, had never heard of them

[cinnepa]

for me fit is everything.....up to last month i couldn't find a softshell to fit my long arms. bought a columbia whirlibird softshell at dick's sporting goods on sale for $70, regular $100. pit-zips, great fit, nice high collar....as much as i cringed buying a columbia product it had everything i wanted in a softshell plus it fit great. worse case is i trash it for only $70 - if i had the coin "beyond" would be my route too.

[TheDon]

Wow. I think I might make my next purchase from them.

Ya, too bad I just bought an Arcteryx Gamma Hoody. But they are made of the same material.

Too bad the website doesn't have some additional pics. Kind of a weak site.

[nutcase]

Ive got a north face bionic soft shell I'm really digging. Its not nearly as nice as some of the cloudveil or arcteryx stuff I've fondled but at under 100 bucks its pretty dope and super versatile.

[ImSearchingforPowder]

Here are some links.


The North Face Apex Bionic Jacket


Marmot Ascend Jacket


Outdoor Research Mithril Jacket



I hope one of those will work out.

[axebiker]

I've done alright with Columbia, but you gotta stick with the stuff that's pretty much in the same price range as the TNF, MHW, etc. price range, so unless you REALLY like it, there's not a big difference. Personally, I've found their quality to be quite good most the time, but you do pay for it. That said, if you get it on sale, there are bargains to be had. I've got some of the Haute Dog pants - great stuff. My Selkirk parkas were bomber - I sat in rain all day in Tahoe and still stayed dry. I had three of those. Just sold them, and I'm sure the new owners will be happy with them. They were better than the TNF jackets I had (Mountain & Mt Lt). The Vertex series should be avoided at all costs though.

I tend to stay away from insulated jackets. I have one (Columbia Wildcard softie), and will probably never use it again for skiing. Well -- unless it is -20 or something. It was way too warm even for Montana skiing on a north face slope. It's a great dog-walking coat though. Keeps me warm & dry.

I picked up a couple MHW Manticore's and an Exposure II from travelcountry.com - I think the Manti's were $149, and the EXP II was $119. BC.com had a good sale on them too - http://www.backcountryoutlet.com/out...ml?id=jVWTJg6K , http://www.backcountry.com/store/MHW...ml?id=jVWTJg6K. I understand they are owned by Columbia now - since about 2003. We'll see how they hold up, but they seem to be well made. They fit a little smaler than you'd expect, so keep that in mind.

[Viva]

I had a pretty bad experience with Beyond Fleece and will no longer patronize their business.

I ordered a fleece vest from them a year ago and it was perfect. I still use this.

Next, I ordered a softshell (Cold fusion?) and the damn thing was maybe 6-times too big for me. No Joke. I could have attached strings to it and parachuted. Now, how does a company make such a gaffe? They had my measurements on file and I knew from the vest that they were certainly capable of constructing a well-fitting garment for me.

Somebody there fucked up. Badly. No one would admit it. I asked for an explanation, but no one would acknowledge anything.

Jacket sent back with 2 pages of notes on where it was too big and some scribblely pictures for emphasis. I also requested that in the event that the jacket needed to be remade (I was certain it would be), that an additional option be added and that I would pay the cost. No response for several weeks. The original jacket was returned heavily modified. It was a lot smaller in the important places and the fit was reasonably good. But it was still big in the arms (who wants flappy arms?) and needed other tweaks to make it right. I sent the jacket back (additional expense) and waited for more than a few weeks. Had to make several phone calls to some chick living in Mountain View, CA who was their customer service rep.

I eventually received the jacket and it fits pretty well. But I'll never use it. The company sucks. I have a lovely Mammut softshell now and that Beyond jacket is sitting in a pile with other pieces of shit gear that I want to be rid of.

[Cruiser]

I eventually received the jacket and it fits pretty well. But I'll never use it. The company sucks. I have a lovely Mammut softshell now and that Beyond jacket is sitting in a pile with other pieces of shit gear that I want to be rid of.

So what size is it? I might be willing to help you relieve yourself of it. BTW, Mammut makes great gear. Everything I've had of theirs has been solid. I think the other posters are right about saying that you tend to get what you pay for with these high end manufacturers.

[axebiker]

it appears to be last years model (no zipper flap, but it might have pit zips) for $94 shipped!

Amazing what you can learn when you read a person's post... Little feedback for you -- That's an OK deal. I got mine for that much last year early in the season - there are NO pit zips though. To bad - it would really make all teh difference. The zipper is pretty solid however.

[Viva]

So what size is it? I might be willing to help you relieve yourself of it. BTW, Mammut makes great gear. Everything I've had of theirs has been solid. I think the other posters are right about saying that you tend to get what you pay for with these high end manufacturers.

It was built to be about a medium-large tweaner, kinda longish. No hood. extra pockets. It's a nice jacket, really. Desert Stone or Desert Sand is the color. I would be happy to "relieve" it.

[Cruiser]

It was built to be about a medium-large tweaner, kinda longish. No hood. extra pockets. It's a nice jacket, really. Desert Stone or Desert Sand is the color. I would be happy to "relieve" it.

Sounds too small for me. Anything close to these specs: 6' 190lbs 34" waist, 36" sleeve?