tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post6439331745485733623..comments2024-03-23T20:56:40.825+00:00Comments on A Blog on the Landscape!: Berghaus Ardennes AF* Soft shell jacket reviewAlanRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07180571503542781921noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-28206467454469145802012-10-13T15:56:38.076+01:002012-10-13T15:56:38.076+01:00Hi Mark,
Yes i remembered your review and i checke...Hi Mark,<br />Yes i remembered your review and i checked it out to see if you agreed with mine.<br />I could backpack with it and i probably will. I would say this time of year is ideal for it. I will probably switch between this and a windproof as my body and ambient temperatures change during a walk. Shame about the pockets though.<br />AlanRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07180571503542781921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-24099057601426621742012-10-13T13:38:49.137+01:002012-10-13T13:38:49.137+01:00Alan, good review on this jacket. I did a review o...Alan, good review on this jacket. I did a review on this about a year ago. Good jacket, but I am not sure about it for backpacking, does not easily fit into my system, but others may be able to. I do however use it a great deal for short walks and general casual wear.markswalkingbloghttp://markswalkingblog.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-36659621403293170612012-10-10T20:02:11.036+01:002012-10-10T20:02:11.036+01:00
Laugh! I nearly, woops, better go.<br />Laugh! I nearly, woops, better go.AlanRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07180571503542781921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-63547906378928398862012-10-10T19:22:30.333+01:002012-10-10T19:22:30.333+01:00"Marketing, ha, what do they know."
Wel...<i>"Marketing, ha, what do they know."</i><br /><br />Well, they obviously know that they can put a DWR coating on a fleece and flog it as a soft shell.<br /><br />Mark my words, it won't be long until marketing folk start putting condoms on turds and calling them sausages :-)BG!http://beardedgit.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-16531984713165501382012-10-10T16:00:09.663+01:002012-10-10T16:00:09.663+01:00
Yes, i do remember something now. I went out to l...<br />Yes, i do remember something now. I went out to look at one. Only to find nobody had one in Manchester. I came home with the Rab Boreas.<br />AlanRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07180571503542781921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-25754682331464747682012-10-10T15:31:55.324+01:002012-10-10T15:31:55.324+01:00I think I mentioned it on Alan Sloman's blog l...I think I mentioned it on Alan Sloman's blog last year in the context of whether hoods were worthwhile on soft shells. afootinthehillshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-41560010829813428402012-10-10T15:00:13.693+01:002012-10-10T15:00:13.693+01:00
No worries Gibson, say what you want. I thought y...<br />No worries Gibson, say what you want. I thought you had done the Astron review. Maybe i’m wrong but i think i remember something about it.<br />I would suggest it’s use is as you use yours.<br /><br />AlanRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07180571503542781921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-53063217014682311232012-10-10T14:42:15.523+01:002012-10-10T14:42:15.523+01:00Great review Alan. It sounds similar to my ME Astr...Great review Alan. It sounds similar to my ME Astron which I've had for over a year now. I didn't buy it because it was a 'soft shell' but because I thought it would have a variety of uses in spring and summer whatever the label. In fact I have worn it all year round and bear in mind that I live in Scotland and go out in almost any weather. It's not waterproof but that doesn't bother me. I put my waterproof on. I ought to review it really rather than make an extended comment on your blog. Sorry!<br /><br /><br /><br />afootinthehillshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-37176740862514703602012-10-10T14:32:04.146+01:002012-10-10T14:32:04.146+01:00Don’t be soft BG! Come out of your shell.Please. M...Don’t be soft BG! Come out of your shell.Please. Marketing, ha, what do they know.<br />AlanRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07180571503542781921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-52668879813918923442012-10-10T14:30:28.153+01:002012-10-10T14:30:28.153+01:00
Apart from the hood it ticks the boxes.
<br />Apart from the hood it ticks the boxes.<br />AlanRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07180571503542781921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-9349754956410547372012-10-10T11:48:48.113+01:002012-10-10T11:48:48.113+01:00A "showerproof, wind resistant fleece" s...A "showerproof, wind resistant fleece" seems to sum it up nicely! In a way, that's what I was after myself, although the Fang will actually keep rain out for quite a while - 75 minutes in steady rain, and no water ingress. Which is good!<br /><br />The downside is that it has a hood that is difficult to accommodate under a hard shell as/when you need one. But as a more versatile fleece alternative it ticks lots of boxes, whilst edging towards the waterproof end of the spectrum means it's good for typical spring/autumn conditions over just a baselayer or thin microfleece.Juleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16576395337502021082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-90318590731784211042012-10-10T09:28:25.090+01:002012-10-10T09:28:25.090+01:00"Its a mid layer."
So it's not a sh...<i>"Its a mid layer.</i>"<br /><br />So it's not a shell layer.<br /><br />So it can't be a soft shell.<br /><br />Simples :-)<br /><br />I have a Rab VR Climb that I'll wear until it's in threads. It's nicely windproof and immensely water-resistant when treated, but although it's soft it's neither a waterproof nor a shell. How it could have been marketed as a soft <i>shell</i> is beyond me, IMO it's just a misleading marketing ploy.BG!http://beardedgit.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-40917668133656478302012-10-10T08:58:40.698+01:002012-10-10T08:58:40.698+01:00Thanks very much Jules. I spent a lot of time with...Thanks very much Jules. I spent a lot of time with this jacket. I got to know it very well. <br />To me its a showerproof, wind resistant fleece. Thats the way to look at it.<br />It will delay you getting the waterproof on but not for too long.<br />Apart from the pockets, i found it good to wear.<br /><br />I havn’t tried or worn the Fang i have only read reviews of what others have written. It’s seems a good piece of kit. Haglof’s do make nice, if a bit on the bright side, gear.AlanRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07180571503542781921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-4756759721425666102012-10-10T08:49:40.248+01:002012-10-10T08:49:40.248+01:00
Hi BG.
Its a mid layer. It’s surprisingly windpro...<br />Hi BG.<br />Its a mid layer. It’s surprisingly windproof and you don’t need much on underneath.<br />You do need to carry a waterproof for when it rains.<br />Its certainly nicer to wear than a waterproof if its just windy and not raining.<br />The DWR will take a light shower. But light is the word.<br />Like i say, its niche is not definitive. If you bought it because you thought it to be a reasonable waterproof you would send it back but i admit i like it. <br /><br />AlanRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07180571503542781921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-73807694656910042922012-10-10T07:27:36.670+01:002012-10-10T07:27:36.670+01:00An excellent review, if I may say so, and one whic...An excellent review, if I may say so, and one which encapsulates the dilemma that softshells present perfectly!<br /><br />It also covers well the need for the potential user to be very clear in their own mind on what they want a softshell for - what relative proportions of warmth, waterproofing/resistance, windproofing, breatability, etc, they need.<br /><br />Then, after all that, there is the task of matching that need to a product when often you only have the blurb from the manufacturers to go on, and finally whether the pockets/features actually "work" in real world use. Oh, and whether DWR really means much at all.<br /><br />Phew!<br /><br />I bought a Haglofs Fang earlier this year, and - whilst I have one or two observations after using it for a while - I am generally very happy with it. And it does turn a shower!<br /><br />Juleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16576395337502021082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439013386414903935.post-86064449476436372212012-10-09T22:17:43.008+01:002012-10-09T22:17:43.008+01:00That's a fine and informative review, Alan.
&...That's a fine and informative review, Alan.<br /><br /><i>"...within 10 minutes i felt the cold slow flow of water running across my shoulders and down my back. The outer started getting swamped after 20 minutes. Half an hour in to the walk i was wet through."</i><br /><br />Doesn't sound like a garment that you'd want to depend on, despite the website's claim that you can "Stay out on your trails longer and push yourself to the limit...", but maybe that means to the limit of the garment, which doesn't seem to be very far.<br /><br />I also noted their statement: "Be prepared for changing weather conditions" - does this mean "take a proper waterproof shell jacket in case it starts drizzling"?<br /><br />Seems to me that the DWR and/or the fabric are totally inadequate for anything more than casual use around town, if I'd bought one that performed like yours I'd be sending it back and asking for a refund.BG!http://beardedgit.comnoreply@blogger.com