I’ve seen early versions of the new A6 Stretch Rain Jacket from Beyond. The jacket incorporates panels made from what WL Gore called Topo stretch waterproof breathable fabric but niw its marketed as GORE-TEX® Flexible Fit Fabric®. They’ve combined it with a Lightweight, 3-Layer GORE-TEX® Waterproof Laminate for a very lightweight, high performance jacket. One of the advanatges to the Flexible Fit Fabric® is that they can offer a slimmer cut garment which will move with you and expand as you add underlayers.

The A6 – Stretch Rain Jacket utilizes the latest in fabric technologies to offer unparalleled comfort in a fully waterproof jacket. Featuring panels made from the new GORE-TEX® 3-layer waterproof stretch fabric, the A6 – Stretch Rain Jacket works with the user by adding stretch to key areas such as shoulders, chest, and sides. This not only allows increased mobility, but also optimizes comfort by expanding to accommodate garments layered underneath the hardshell.

Features:
• Designed around a HALO jump profile
• Fully waterproof stretch panels throughout
• Full-featured hood accommodates a helmet and stows away securely in collar. Hood is equipped with a structured brim, dual face opening, and crown adjustments
• Bicep pockets with vertical zips
• Waterproof zippers throughout
• Zippered hand pockets
• Hook and loop wrist adjustment
• Drawcord around waist with adjustments concealed inside the hand pockets to reduce snagging

This will be a limited run of 500 and are available for purchase by contacting mission@beyondclothing.com.

Beyond asked us to share this post with our readers.

We often get asked about the differences between our Rig and Rig Light Softshells. We wanted to address these questions with a brief overview of softshells, what they do and when to use them.

What is a Softshell?

Softshell has become a rather large category in performance textiles. In general, a softshell is a stretch woven, or knit that is breathable, wind and water resistant. Softshells are typically used for high energy aerobic activities where you need protection from the environment, but you also require efficient heat transport and moisture management. The stretch properties of softshell also make these garments easy to move in and more durable around seams.

Materials

Both the Rig and Rig Light Softshells are built out of a 4-way stretch Tweave© Durastretch© fabric. The main difference between the Rig and the Rig Light is that the Rig Softshells have a layer of fleece laminated to the Durastretch© fabric. This layer of fleece is going to add extra insulation for additional warmth in colder environments. Because the Rig Light Softshells don’t have the fleece laminate, they are going to be lighter, more packable and will be better in moderate temps.

Packability

The Rig Light Jacket and Pant are going to be slightly more packable because they don’t have the extra layer of fleece laminate. Here’s a comparison of the Rig Jacket and the Rig Light Jacket next to a 32oz Nalgene bottle:

Which one is right for you?

Both the Rig and Rig Light Softshells are designed to be worn in active use profiles, so it really comes down to temperature range. If you are planning to be in cold – extreme cold temps, you’re going to want to go with the Rig Softshells. If you’re going to be in more moderate temperatures and you’re trying to save weight, you’re probably going to want to go with the Rig Lights.

It’s also important to think about what might integrate the best with your existing kit. For instance, if you paired the Rig Light Backcountry pants with the A2 Longjohn, you’re going to get similar cold weather functionality as the fleece laminated Rig Pants. When the weather, or seasons shift, you can ditch the long johns and you have a super breathable pant for moderate to warm weather.

We designed the entire Axios system to be customizable to your specific use profile. If you ever have any questions about which garment will work best with your existing kit, or if you have questions about what to bring on your next adventure, please reach out to connect@beyondclothing.com and we’ll get you squared away.

Rig and Rig Light Softshells are in stock and ready to ship. Contact mission@beyondclothing.com to place your end of year orders.

Read the rest of the Blog Post Here: www.beyondclothing.com/blog/beyond-softshells