It’s tough to find a shell that works for every occasion. With a limited budget, how can anyone afford a soft shell for aerobic activities, plus a hard shell for wet weather or resort skiing, etc. Well, many companies have answered this by creating hybrid shells – jackets with the breathability of a soft and protection of a hard. The Mountain Hardwear Sitzmark jacket is one such example, and I’ve been using it for over a month now on backcountry ski tours, skiing on storm days at Alta, and even standing around in the cold while ice fishing.
But does this hybrid shell really work as well as a dedicated soft or hard shell in one slick package?
First, the details. Features include:
- Waterproof protection
- Stretch back and side panels for increased mobility and comfort
- Helmet compatible hood with single-pull adjustment system
- Cuff tabs and hem drawcords for quick fit adjustments
- Interior zip pocket for keys, ID, other small items
- Internal stash pocket
- Micro-Chamois™-lined chin guard
- Strategically placed hard and soft fabrics, with 40 denier 3-layer Dry.Q Elite fabric
I judge all shells on their breathability. As an avid backcountry skier, nothing is more important to me then being able to work hard in the skin track without overheating and getting wet with sweat. Of course, it’s easy to overpower a shell’s ability to wick moisture away depending on how hard you’re charging along with how warm/cold it is outside. So, yes, I was easily able to overpower the Sitzmark, but overall, this shell is among the most breathable I’ve ever experienced.
From skinning up in Mill Creek Canyon, to a 3-day yurt trip in the Bear River Range, the Sitzmark stayed on all day long. Not once did I have to take it off due to overheating. I wore a thin, wool baselayer underneath if temps were above 20, and a merino wool sweater if it got colder. The Sitzmark did the rest. It breathed, kept me dry, and blocked cold wind like a champ. Movement was also impressive. I could swing my arms on the up and down, and never felt the shell constrict. I really appreciate the ultra-stretchy fabric on the back and side panels. Not only is this fabric very flexible, but it also seems to breathe even better. Good thing as it’s located in the underarms and back where sweat is the worst. I really thought it was great too because under my backpack, the first place to get soaked, stayed comfortable all day.
But those stretchy panels worried me. They are so flexible and thin and… softshell-y, they couldn’t possibly be as waterproof as the hard shell material, right? To find out, I ran the jacket under the faucet at home. Water fell away immediately on the hard shell panel as if it were a rubber rain jacket. So I put the soft shell material under the water, and you know what? It pooled up and fell away with ease. Still unconvinced, I left the water running for a few minutes and yes, the water did soak in and get the material wet, but only on the outside. The back panel was still totally dry on the inside. Color me impressed.
Feeling good about nasty weather, I wore the MH Sitzmark to Alta during a very wet storm cycle. Dense, 10% snow fell for 3 days one weekend, with warm temperatures and wind. People were getting soaked by the end of the day, but I was nice and dry in my Sitzmark. I can’t say the same about my ski pants, which did get soaked in the seat. Again, mobility is excellent in bounds whether I was cruising groomers under the sun at Collins, working up a sweat in the bumps under Wildcat, and letting waves of snow wash over me on pow days in West Rustler.
So the DryQ Elite material is very impressive stuff. But what about the rest of the Mountain Hardwear Sitzmark features?
They say the hood is helmet compatible, and it is… barely. I never use my hood when wearing a helmet anyway… don’t see the point. But the hood is quite large. But while not wearing a lid while skinning up a mountain in a cold wind, I found the hood cinches down very tight using the innovative draw cords under the collar. I can cinch them down with one hand really easily.
The back of the hood also cinches down, but one problem: the first time I did, the damn thing broke. A bit of material sewn into the hood to keep the drawcord tab in place tore right out. Minus points right there.
The rest of the shell is pretty basic. Taped seams on the inside keep everything nice and clean, interior pockets have zips for stashing cash or cards, and a Napoleon-style pocket on the chest is perfect for a cell phone or iPod. The outer zippers are all waterproof, which is great, but they are sometimes hard to operate (especially when wearing gloves) and get caught up from time to time.
The Good: DryQ Elite fabric works amazingly well as it’s very breathable and totally waterproof, excellent range-of-motion from stretchy material on side and back panels, nice construction with taped seams.
The Bad: Zippers get stuck from waterproof material, hood cinch broke immediately.
Final Word: Despite small gripes, I’m very impressed with the Mountain Hardwear Sitzmark. The DryQ Elite material is by far the best I’ve ever experienced. Not once did I feel like I was wearing a plastic bag, which sometimes happens when skinning in other shells. A true hybrid, I won’t hesitate to grab the Sitzmark for any outdoor, cold-weather activity from backcountry and alpine skiing, to ice climbing to walking the dog in the rain. The best shell is the one your forget you’re wearing, and the Sitzmark is downright invisible.
For more, check out Mountain Hardwear online.