At some point, I will use up my supply of Shakedry jackets. I want a waterproof, lightweight, packable, high MVTR jacket to replace it. The OR Foray Ascentshell jacket was recently on sale, so I purchased one. How could I go wrong with a highly breathable Ascentshell jacket?
Ascentshell has always been an electrospun membrane, like Polartec Neoshell and The Northface Futurelight. This membrane type will have a hydrostatic head of around 10000 mm/wc and MVTR of 3000-3600 grams/24hr/m2. So, decent waterproofness and excellent breathability. I have previously measured two Ascentshell jackets, OR Skyward II and OR Motive, with MVTR measurements of 3060 and 3360. This is a good performance for a WPB jacket.
I have been using the new jacket for skiing and skinning. It has a good feature set for those activities: Excellent hood, hem-to-bicep pit zips, and Nikwax DWR.
I decided to test the MVTR. I measured 1280 grams/24hr/m2. Clearly, this could not be an Ascentshell membrane!
I did a little online sleuthing and found a product announcement from SBG media dated 1/9/24. The announcement, among other things, stated the Foray contains a solvent-free TPU hydrophilic membrane. This type of membrane is consistent with my measurement of poor MVTR.
I called OR customer service and described my test results of the prior and present Ascentshell jackets. I stated that the Foray could not be an electrospun membrane.
The customer service representative confirmed it was not an electrospun membrane and was, in fact, a TPU membrane.
In my opinion, the product name and description are misleading. I purchased the jacket because I assumed that since it was called Ascentshell, the jacket contained an electrospun membrane with high MVTR. Their website describes it as “the new standard in breathable, waterproof rain protection.” I know for sure it is not the new standard in breathability.
If you are in the market for a highly breathable, waterproof jacket, don’t be misled by OR’s use of the Ascentshell name for the Foray jacket. You won’t get the breathability performance expected from an electrospun Ascentshell membrane.
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