The Westcomb “Shift Hoody”, at 11 ounces it’s the lightest NeoShell garment at the moment–and a great choice for weight-conscious alpinistas.
Polartec’s waterproof-breathable membrane, NeoShell, is so much better than any Gore product or even eVent, I’m amazed certain “high-end” brands haven’t adopted it. Hard-ball business tactics prevail, though, so many premium apparel manufacturers are hamstrung and continue to use the inferior stuff, which sadly has the bulk of the market share in the waterproof-breathable segment.
Luckily for us, several brands do offer NeoShell garments, most notably Rab and Westcomb. I’ve written about the Rab Stretch NeoShell in a prior post, and my only grip was its weight (18 oz.)–which isn’t piggish by any means, but I’d love to see a lighter version, as we don’t use hard shells that often in Colorado. Westcomb, the fantastic Canadian brand, offers an 11-ounce (verified on my home kitchen scale) “Shift Hoody” (11.8 oz.; $400) crafted of, you guessed it, Polartec NeoShell.
Westcomb saves weight by narrowing the seam-taping, using a midweight face fabric, and paring down the overall design of the Shift. For example, Westcomb builds only a chest pocket into the jacket, which might bum some users out…but I almost never use the pockets on a hard shell, except for venting. I carry lip balm, maps, a fold-up ball cap, etc, in the pockets of my pants, rather than the jacket. Being a Sweaty Fat Bastard I try not to add anything to my torso that will inhibit breathability. Polartec NeoShell breathes so well, it almost (almost!) negates the need for pit zips and pocket vents. I’d still prefer breathable material in the pockets of all my jackets, but for a layer I don’t wear that often (like a hard shell), the weight savings probably trump breathability options.
The Westcomb hood is voluminous and ready for a helmet. The sleeves end in hook-and-loop closures. The drawcords for the hood pulls, zippers, and waistcord hem are all positive and easy to use with gloves. The seams are all 20 stitches per inch, something I wouldn’t have noticed unless Westcomb had pointed out. Indeed, when I compared to my other jackets and pants, they seem to pack more stitching into each inch. I did a highly scientific test (read: brutish and totally primitive) by yarding on the seams of both my Rab Stretch NeoShell and the Shift–zero failure on either, but I definitely popped a bit of the seam taping and/or the seam itself on my Rab before the Westcomb. (Woops!) Some of the seam construction is difficult to verify, as it’s covered by taping, but to the best of my ability to discern, it does seem the Westcomb seams are seriously tough.
I carried the Westcomb last spring (skiing corn, alpine climbing), then all summer for rock routes, and during my AMGA rock-guide course in Red Rocks in October. I used it during a torrential (and I mean TORRENTIAL) downpour in the desert and it was bomber–no leaks, comfortable, good when cinched down around my face (no helmet; we were on the ground).
My only gripe with the Shift isn’t necessarily a gripe at all. As with bicycle saddles and all shoes, fit is both key and totally arbitrary. On that note, the cut of the Shift is too voluminous for me to use rock and ice climbing. The torso wants a few more inches in the chest and gut–sadly I’m pretty skimpy through the chest and happily my gut isn’t what it used to be. That said, the Shift tended to billow above my harness, making the idea of ice climbing it less than ideal. On the flip side, if you’re wearing a layer beneath it (think lift-served skiing in Jackson), it will be perfect and won’t compress your insulation.
I don’t mean to ding the Shift for the fit–it will probably work for more people than it doesn’t, but in my case I’d prefer they slim the cut down quite a bit, lengthen the torso two inches, and the sleeves and inch…but I doubt Westcomb is going to change their cut to suit the minority of us wanting “slimmer” jackets.
I was impressed with the quality of the Shift, top to bottom. I’ve never owned a Westcomb garment, which is my loss entirely–most of their stuff is still made in Canada and they’re committed to innovating when it’s appropriate. They’re using “Hutterite” down in their insulated pieces, for example. Hutterites are Canada’s version of the Amish: agrarian throwback communities still hand-crafting their wares, living pacifist lifestyles, and kicking it old school. In Canada they raise geese and produce an almost peerless down, which Westcomb uses to good effect in its jackets like the “Chilko” and “Cayoosh Hoody.” I haven’t used those in the field, but who knows…maybe Westcomb will send one my way for Christmas (please?). Ha!
Keep your eyes peeled for Westcomb’s stuff–they make a bunch of sidecountry/on-piste gear that looks really cool. If I lay hands on anything else, I’ll share my thoughts…for now, the Shift is a pretty cool standard in the industry–crazy light and the best waterproof-breathable membrane out there. Check it out.
