Berghaus Hydroshell Elite
Hello. I’m Muiriosa from Landers Outdoor World in Tralee. Well, this is exciting!
I get to pick out a jacket that I think would be most suited to your adventures! So, what are you guys looking for? Something that will cope with our famous Irish weather; wind, rain, windy rain and sunny wind? 😀 Yep. What about being able to pack it away easily without damaging the membrane? Yep. And what about using it at home? Is it versatile enough to deal with conditions in Asia, Europe, America, Australia….Yep, Yep, Yep and Yep. But most of all, I think you want a jacket you can rely on to keep you dry and comfortable whatever the conditions, so I think the Berghaus Skye (for women) and Arran (for men) Hydroshell Elite is the jacket for you.
So what’s good about it?
Let’s start with rain. This jacket is made with Berghaus’ own brand Berghaus Hydroshell Elite membrane, which means it can be reasonably expected to keep you dry for 3 hours in constant driving rain and 5 hours in constant soft normal rain. It will keep you dry all day in mixed conditions, with periods of heavy rain and some dry spells. That’s a pretty good performance.
Apart from a very good waterproof membrane, it is packed with features to keep out that driving rain (which you hopefully won’t encounter).
Zips are always a vulnerable area, so there is a double storm flap over the main zip which means that any rain that might get in will be channelled down this flap and won’t penetrate the jacket. There is also a technical hood with two adjustment chords and a stiff peak.
Features
These features are very handy for tucking the hood nicely around your face, while allowing you to adjust toggles to maintain your visibility. The stiff peak is great for protecting your eyes from the worst of the rain, especially if you wear glasses! It also has a hood that folds away tidily into the collar for a smart casual-wear look
It is not Gore-Tex. Is this a good thing? Yes, I think. Now, don’t get me wrong, Gore-Tex is fabulous. I wear it a lot, but when I’m relying on the one jacket for everything on a trekking holiday, the Berghaus Hydroshell Elite is the one I turn to. Why? Apart from its great waterproof performance, it is extrememly breathable, and that’s very important to ensure your under layers don’t get wet from sweat. It is very handy for that sunny wind I mentioned also, where you might need your jacket on as a windproof layer, but the sun is shining and you are striding it out and working hard. The breathability on the Berghaus Hydroshell Elite is one of the best I’ve encountered.
It is that bit toughter than standard two-layer Gore, so can be packed and stuffed without fear of damaging the membrane. Handy for the traveller on the go. The outside is made of a robust nylon, which will go further towards resisting damaging the membrane due to rubbing of backpacks straps, scratches from gorse or just wear and tear from everyday use. The downside of this is that it’s not as light-weight as your standard Gore-Tex shell and is a tad bulkier, but that is something I could cope with, I think, when balancing all the Pro’s and Con’s of the different jackets.
I know selecting the right gear for your outdoor holiday can be a fun and exciting part of the process and I hope I have given you food for thought when shopping for the ideal jacket.
Thanks for reading.
Muiriosa
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Landers Outdoor World
Mile Height, Tralee, Co Kerry,
V92 PP9C, IRELAND
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