A Backcountry Ski Jacket for the Ascent and Descent
I’m a longtime advocate of ditching a full-on waterproof, breathable hardshell ski jacket in favor of a more breathable softshell ski jacket. Nonetheless, I always keep a waterproof shell in my pack for windy ridge tops and stormy weather. The Black Diamond Dawn Patrol Hybrid Ski Sell walks the line between highly breathable softshell and waterproof three-layer hardshell to offer breathable performance when moving uphill and weather protection where you need it most.
Better Than a Traditional Hard Shell Ski Jacket
The Dawn Patrol’s hybrid design features Black Diamond’s proprietary waterproof, breathable BD.dry™ membrane. Similar to 3L GORE-TEX, it’s relatively lightweight and packable. What sets this Black Diamond ski jacket apart is its hybrid build, featuring a breathable softshell on the back and under the arms with traditional BD.dry waterproof, breathable fabric where you need it most on the front, shoulders and hood for reliable weather protection.
In the big picture, the Black Diamond Dawn Patrol Hybrid ski jacket offers better breathability than a standard three-layer waterproof, breathable hardshell jacket and gives you more storm protection than a straight-up softshell jacket. All in all, it’s about 70% three-layer waterproof and 30% breathable softshell.
Features You Need, Nothing You Don’t
Black Diamond maintains a clean, minimalist design and an athletic fit to the Dawn Patrol Hybrid while offering a good selection of pockets and attention to small details like cord locks and pit zip vents. The jacket has four-way stretch throughout for an easy-moving, not-so-hardshell-like feel. The generously sized chest pockets remain accessible while wearing a pack, and a small, secure inside pocket keeps keys or other small essentials secure. My favorite feature is the stretch cuffs with a thumb loop that sits just inside the sleeves. They seal out the cold and snow regardless of what type of gloves you wear.
It’s a Storm Day Trail Breaking Jacket
When it’s snowing and blowing on the up track, the Dawn Patrol Hybrid Shell sheds precip to keep you dry and breathes better than a full hardshell jacket. It’s the jacket you want for storm day trail breaking. The breathable back panel reduces sweat under your pack, and the fully waterproof hood and shoulders keep the high-impact snow zones dry.
The Dawn Patrol’s hybrid build extends the weather range in which you can wear a hardshell and still get the breathability you need for uphill efforts. Once at the top, there’s no need to change jackets; just layer up, zip up and drop your line. It still handles light storm days at the resort too, but the softshell back is the weak point when it’s storming hard lap after lap on the chairlift.
Shop for the Black Diamond Dawn Patrol $360
Read about the different types of GORE-TEX
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