needs to be black, decent quality, with a hood and pref up to £120 (very happy to find discounts, such as the blacks one!)

really like the rab ones, but interested to see what else is out there.

I love my Dare2 one, but it’s fur lined, i’m sure they do others

I’ve had one of these for 3 or 4 years.
http://www.decathlon.es/softshell-bionnassay-id_8189747.html

Got a lovely Marmot Super Hero jacket for a ridiculous price from ShagOffOutdoors. Think it was £20 or so above your budget but is a fantastic jacket.

Montane Dyno jacket…available in black, has a hood and is £100 RRP (this years)

Love mine and ST did a nice review as well

Condor Softshell. Plenty on eBay.

My Montane Dyno is the jacket I find myself wearing 50% of the time – great balance of breathable/windproof enough/water resistant enough/fits nicely.

oooooooh will look into the montane – looks good (has a hood??)

will look at the others too!

has a hood

yeah – looking good. can only find cheapness in the steel colour though – its going to get sign written on the back with my company logo, which really requires black though 🙁

Rab Vapour rise. Absolutely ruddy brilliant. I’ve barely taken mine off since I bought it.

Warmer than it should be, light, windproof, showerproof (dries quickly) very breathable. Comfy enough to wear it next to the skin as a base layer, or as a midlayer under a hardshell hardshell if it’s really cold and raining.

Knocks the spots off a “real” softshell in my opinion. The ones I’ve tried (inc a nice Noronna one I found in a sale) Aren’t as warm, light, comfy or breathable.

One option is just to combine a very light windshell and a light midlayer. They’ll do 95% of the same job, and be more versatile. And cheaper, as you’ve probably at least of those already!

Rab Vapour Rise Lite Tour is the one you’d want. Hood, chest pockets and pit zips. quite a slim fit, so might not be that great if you’re not the right shape.

I got a great deal on a arcteryx gamma a while back, fantastic but now expensive.
http://www.outdoorkit.co.uk/product.php?product_id=8452&category_id=235
This looks ok and the montane one looks great. Haglofs worth a look.

wow, seems to be a competitive price point 😕

the vapour rise lite tour looks good, but as it’ll be for ski touring, i think i’ll be after something a bit warmer.

well, plenty to be getting on with – will be speaking to the sign-writer tomorrow, and then will have a proper look through to see what deals are about.

thanks 🙂

Intrepid apparel maybe .

ah, hungry! just put 2 and 2 together. Well, 1 and 1 really.

I use mine for ski touring, it’s what it’s made for and it’s brilliant at it. I took mine to greenland in April, expecting to be using it on warmer days and only really on the up. I didn’t bother with the hardshell after day one, even on the windiest days with plenty of driven snow. I was wearing bib trews though, which helped the warmth a bit.

Rab VRLT (or the Fusion, with event hardshell on shoulders and hood?) with a down jacket, gillet and a choice of long and short merino base layers and you should be grand.

Obviously if it’s really, really sh1tty, you’d want a hardshell, but same goes for any softshell.

ha, yeah, it’ll be for touring.

thanks for the tip on the fusion – managed to find one in my size for £100 in black – last they had in the shop! (hope my order worked…!)

thanks!!

Edited: Too slow!

Mountain Equipment Astron Hooded, had for a year,great quality. Snowboarded in Morzine with it when my bag went astray and that is what I was wearing when I arrived. Had a baselayer & tshirt, and was pretty warm, other than on the lift.

Knocks the spots off a “real” softshell in my opinion. The ones I’ve tried (inc a nice Noronna one I found in a sale) Aren’t as warm, light, comfy or breathable.

A lot of things marketed as softshells seem to be basically hard shells that fell soft, which is not what softshells are at all IMO. things like the Rab VRs are pretty much the definition of softshell I’d say- keep the worst of it off, very breathable, little bit of insulation = much more appropriate 80% of the time.

Le me know what you make of the Fusion. I’m close to buying a reserve VR Lite Tour in case they stop making it, but the Fusion looks like a good selection of fabrics – right tools for the job and all that.

Dare2Be hoodie should be well in your budget and is a nice piece of kit.

Sorry for the hijack, what’s the sizing like on a Montane Dyno?

I have two of these now. originally just bought one for work then bought a second for casual wear

http://www.screwfix.com/p/scruffs-softshell-jacket-size-xl-45-47/67581#

Unless making an Alpine-start from a hut, it’s pretty unusual for me to be wearing anything more than a base layer when I’m touring. It’s such hot work on the way up that you over-heat very quickly.

Part of the ritual – strip off when you put the skins on, bundle up as soon as you get to the top.