Soft Shells are a great piece of clothing to have in your outerwear arsenal. They can offer so many of the waterproof/breathable options of a hard shell, but in stretchier and often more breathable versions than their hard shell counterparts. Stretchy, breathable, it's like a good pair of underwear, but better.

The Motto Jacket is a descent-inspired soft shell offering maximum weather protection for bitterly cold ski days. The fully waterproof Ventia soft shell fabric sheds snow, while the clean-finished, seam-taped interior slides comfortably over layers. And for those blustery days when a helmet is not enough, a helmet compatible hood can add a second layer to your wind protection to keep your brain thawed out on the coldest of days.

The Mithril Jacket provides ultimate protection when you're trolling about in cold, wet conditions. Also constructed of waterproof Ventia soft shell fabric, but this time with exterior seam tape for a different look, and a great ability for shedding wet snow and preventing soak -through. A great all round jacket that you could wear to work, just as you could while working your way up or down a mountain.

The mountaineering inspired Alibi Jacket is a combination of different materials strategically placed in all the right places ( Ventia Hybrid ). Tough, weatherproof fabric is used on the hood and shoulders where the elements hit hardest, a warm soft shell lower body holds in core warmth while providing breath-ability, and stretch fabric along the torso allows easy, unrestricted movement for the longest reaches. They say the long reach is for climbing, but we think it could also be very useful for those long reaches for a cold beer in the snowbank after a day out with your friends. This is a jacket that will out work you before you are able to outwork it.

You can find a lot of the OR gear at Outdoor Adventure Gear in Kelowna BC. ( See Below )

Outdoor Research has been in the outwear business for a long time, and a frontrunner for sure. New to their lineup over the past couple years is the Sidecountry Ski line. Same OR quality and Infinite Guarantee, just with new features like powder skirts, lift ticket holders, music player pockets, and more. The little types of things you would use Catskiing, Heli skiing, or at your local ski hill, as well as doing laps in the backcountry. Just don't ask it to pay the rent, or help you find a used car. That part of the ski bum lifestyle is up to you.

The sidecountry line features a few jackets that have light insulation, but are still highly breathable. Great for those days where you stuck hanging on a frozen chairlift, waiting for the operations guy to get the chairlift running again, and you on the ground. The Igneo Jacket and pants are a mainstay in this line that we can see ourselves using for years to come. Cold weather calls for things like waterproof/breathable 2 layer Pertex Shield fabric and a front zipper with a storm flap. The Pertex outer fabric sheds snow and water like a hippy vegetarian running from a Burger King, while the outer layer also stands up very well to abrasion and tears. We just spent two days brushing through some early season trees, and not one hole or tear was to be found. And if we can't break it, we think you will do just fine with it.

The Igneo Pants, like the jacket, have strategically placed insulation to keep you warm in all the right places, yet adjustable ventilation to help you stay cool when hiking up past the lift for that fresh line. The pants and jacket both feature a relaxed, sidecountry fit, as well as integrated RECCO reflectors for added safety. If you are looking for one set of clothing to take you in many different directions, then the Igneo line is for you.