Waterproof shell recommendation for climbing and occasional mountaineering

I'm going to be spending a few months in Europe this fall and am in need of a waterproof jacket primarily for climbing and occasional mountaineering/ski touring. I have a good softshell and don't plan on purposely being out in bad weather, so I think a true hardshell will be overkill for my needs.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I get the AAC discount on Mammut (Kento, Masao jackets) and OR (Foray, MicroGravity Ascent) but I'm pretty flexible as there are a lot of deals going on right now.

Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

IMO, it's hard to beat the BD liquid point shell for quality vs. price point. you get a full GTX jacket that can do everything from a rainstorm to alpine climbing.

I was looking for the BD Recon to answer a similar question. 

OR Interstellar is a good choice for that. 

Thanks for the recommendations. I think the OR Interstellar is as burly as I would go, the BD ones look great but more than I need. I’m looking for something quite light that I hope stays in my pack most of the time, though keeps me dry when needed .

Any lightweight options would be appreciated also. 

I agree with you that full-on hardshells are overkill for almost all situations.  Sweat moisture building up on the inside is equally as damp as rain moisture trickling in from the outside. If you are already bringing a softshell you merely need a thin plasticky layer on top of that. My solution is the Marmot Mica but even something as minimal as a Patagonia Houdini will work.

I have an Arcteryx Alpha FL and I still end up bringing a worn-out Mica 95% of the time (even without a softshell). 

Phil A wrote:

Thanks for the recommendations. I think the OR Interstellar is as burly as I would go, the BD ones look great but more than I need. I’m looking for something quite light that I hope stays in my pack most of the time, though keeps me dry when needed .

Any lightweight options would be appreciated also. 

The Interstellar is pretty lightweight - I definitely would not call it “burly”. 

If lightweight, just-in-case is what you’re after, have you considered the Helium from OR? Can’t get much smaller/lightweight than that when it comes to a waterproof layer

Emilio Sosa wrote:

If lightweight, just-in-case is what you’re after, have you considered the Helium from OR? Can’t get much smaller/lightweight than that when it comes to a waterproof layer

My only concern with the Helium for climbing / skiing would be the hood. It doesn't work with a helmet.

With the caracteristics you described and for your intented use I really like my Albigna Jacket from La Sportiva, super light, confortable, fit under or over an helmet and can take some rain and a lot of snow, also seat really well under a harness, see here lasportiva.com/fr/albigna-j…. If its not really raining or snowing that's what I use 90% of the time, summer mountaineering is the Alps. Its more of a softshell, if you want a hardshell style I can suggest an Arcteryx Alpha FL or a Haglofs LIM III. 

The Helium will fit over a helmet just fine. I look at it more as a wind shell than rain shell. It can handle light mist for a bit, but soaked through pretty quick. I love keeping it on my harness for sun/wind protection. 

Gabe Aeschliman wrote:

The Helium will fit over a helmet just fine. I look at it more as a wind shell than rain shell. It can handle light mist for a bit, but soaked through pretty quick. I love keeping it on my harness for sun/wind protection. 

Really? I thought the hood felt way too short for that, maybe I just have a freakishly long neck. 

Gabe Aeschliman wrote:

The Helium will fit over a helmet just fine. I look at it more as a wind shell than rain shell. It can handle light mist for a bit, but soaked through pretty quick. I love keeping it on my harness for sun/wind protection. 

I agree with it fitting over a helmet, I have worn mine that way several times.  It's definitely not roomy though.

The Helium is definitely waterproof, it is Pertex Shield 2.5, which is a fully waterproof fabric.  It's definitely lightweight and not super durable though, I love mine but consider it a "probably not going to use" piece, I have other jackets for activities like stormy ski touring where I know I will be wearing it all day.

Phil A wrote:

Thanks for the recommendations. I think the OR Interstellar is as burly as I would go, the BD ones look great but more than I need. I’m looking for something quite light that I hope stays in my pack most of the time, though keeps me dry when needed .

Any lightweight options would be appreciated also. 

I own an Interstellar, I wouldn't go so far as to call it burly.  My lightweight option is a Marmot Bantamweight.  

For snowboarding/splitboarding, or when I expect shit will hit the fan, I opt for a Patagonia Triolet.  

Phil A wrote:

...and am in need of a waterproof jacket...so I think a true hardshell will be overkill for my needs.

Does anyone have any recommendations? 

Anything fully waterproof is a "true hardshell". 

Might help if you figure out what you want first. I agree with the comment above about pairing a softshell with a wind jacket (such as the BD Distance or Patagonia Houdini). 

Thanks for the recommendations everyone. I've paired my Houdini with my softshell and it works great in certain situations, but I think something like the Interstellar is more of what I am looking for, as its easy enough to carry around but offers more weather protection than a soaked houdini. I appreciate the insight. 

Tyler S wrote:

Anything fully waterproof is a "true hardshell". 

Might help if you figure out what you want first. I agree with the comment above about pairing a softshell with a wind jacket (such as the BD Distance or Patagonia Houdini). 

For sure, I'm not really trying to get into semantics, but if it makes it easier to understand, I was looking for a decent jacket that will keep me dry if it rains and is comfy enough to climb in, not a $600 piece of gear that will probably stay in my pack most of the time. 

Jared Chrysostom wrote:

Really? I thought the hood felt way too short for that, maybe I just have a freakishly long neck. 

Fits over my helmet. I gotta put on the hood before zipping it up though, and it’s not the best while climbing. I also just asked my wife if my neck looked normal. Ha! 

I stand by it only being good in mild wet weather. I had it soak through more than once. Overall, it is still a good jacket. 

I have a Mammut Masao Light for this use. I pair it with a Patagonia R1 Techface for summer alpine climbing, a Klättermusen Einride for hiking/backpacking/trekking or a burlier softshell for    technical winter stuff. 

If I know I'm going to be out in bad weather or just want to bring one jacket I take my much burlier Fjällräven Bergtagen Eco-Shell Jacket, as the Mammut one is basically see-through...