Softshell clothing Fram Equipment

One of the important factors when choosing clothing is versatility. This is especially relevant when traveling with a backpack, where all items need to be carried on oneself. Travelers throughout history have sought to economize by selecting items that serve multiple functions.

The well-known tourist concept of layered clothing consists of:

• The first layer - moisture-wicking
• The second layer - insulation
• The third layer - protection from weather conditions

While this approach has proven effective, it results in three separate pieces of clothing.

It is believed that the idea of combining different layers of clothing into one garment originated with Scottish mountaineer Hamish Hamilton. During his expeditions in the mountains of North America, he noticed that local residents used only a deer skin anorak as protection from the weather. This outer layer not only protected them from precipitation but also allowed moisture to evaporate from the body while being highly durable. The inner wool side wicks away sweat and provides warmth.

Thus, Hamish attempted to create a similar jacket from synthetic materials. In contrast to the popular, rugged "hardshell" storm jackets of the time, these new products came to be known as softshell.

So what exactly is Softshell material?

In reality, there is no single type of fabric that defines softshell. Instead, there are several technologies offered by various manufacturers, each better suited to different weather conditions.

In general, clothing made from Softshell material has high wind protection. However, technologically speaking, if you want to create a fabric that is windproof, it usually has poor breathability. On the other hand, good membranes with high water repellency often have intermediate breathability.

Since softshells are primarily intended to protect us from the wind, they won't be perfectly breathable. They also only provide limited insulation. However, for certain temperatures and amounts of precipitation, this will work. This is sufficient across a wide range of weather conditions, making softshell clothing so versatile.

What types of softshell are there?

Depending on the characteristics mentioned above, the following types of softshell can be distinguished:

❄️ Lightweight SoftShell - dense outer layer without insulation. This category includes various running jackets and trekking pants. We manufacture our trekking pants from softshell according to this principle.

☀️ Insulated SoftShell - insulation is added to the outer elastic material, such as fleece. Such products are suitable for both city use and everyday wear. For example, as insulated softshell gloves.

🌬️ SoftShell with windproof membrane - maximum wind protection. However, this reduces breathability. It can be used both with and without insulation. These include various ski, running, and cycling jackets.

☔ SoftShell with waterproof membrane - have a membrane for water repellency, often with taped seams. They can also have insulation. They weigh more, but allow you to replace the fleece + membrane jacket set. This principle is used in products such as softshell jackets and softshell cargo pants.

Our website offers a wide range of clothing and accessories made from softshell. You can buy softshell clothing in Ukraine or have it delivered abroad.