5 trail races to get started in Paris and its surroundings.

The different types of jackets: hardshell or softshell

There are two main families of protective jackets, softshell on the one hand, and so-called hardshell models on the other.

A softshell is a garment halfway between a fleece and a jacket . Above all designed to protect from the wind and provide you with good thermal insulation , it is however not waterproof but only water-repellent , that is to say resistant to light humidity and light rain for 30 to 60 minutes. In return, breathability is maximum.

Offering a soft contact , made from a stretch material guaranteeing excellent freedom of movement, a softshell is worn close to the body and is particularly suitable for active practice in cool and dry weather, in particular hiking, climbing, cycling, or Nordic skiing.

2. The Paris Ecotrail

A hardshell jacket is a traditional protective jacket. Both waterproof and breathable , this type of product is therefore intended to face rain, humidity, wind, etc.

Not providing heat , it is worn over a fleece and/or a down jacket depending on the weather conditions and the intensity of your effort.

This type of jacket offers great versatility, whether in terms of activities (hiking, trail, skiing, cycling, sailing) or the weather, making it an essential accessory all year round .

Any hardshell jacket has a more or less thick outer fabric to ensure abrasion resistance, a membrane guaranteeing protection against humidity, rain and wind, and an internal lining.

However, there are three types of construction: 2, 2.5 or 3 layers.

Waterproofing

The central characteristic of a protective jacket, waterproofing is expressed in Schmerber; we also speak of a water column . So 5,000 Schmerber is equivalent to a water column of 5,000 mm.

The hardshell jackets that you will find on Muule offer waterproofing ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 mm overall ; the value appears in the technical description of our product sheets.

A jacket offering a protection level of 5,000 mm can protect you from light to moderately intense rain for 2 to 3 hours , but not much more. It is necessary to consider
this type of jacket more like an auxiliary jacket than a real protective jacket. However, they offer a very attractive price and are often easy to slip into the bottom of a bag due to their low weight and bulk.

Breathability

In addition to waterproofing, the breathability of a jacket is essential to guarantee its comfort of use as well as its level of performance since it expresses its ability to evacuate perspiration to the outside of the garment.

The value is most often expressed in MVTR (for Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate ), corresponding to the quantity of water vapor that the membrane lets pass through.
24h. It's easy to find your way around because the values ​​are identical to those for waterproofing.

Thus a jacket offering an MVTR of 5,000 offers average breathability , satisfactory for low to medium intensity efforts.

An MVTR of 10,000 to 15,000 means that the jacket is very breathable and will be suitable for most situations while a jacket offering an MVTR of 20,000 or more ensures a very high level of breathability , ideal for enthusiasts of intense efforts.

The accessories

In addition to the level of protection and breathability, the difference between two jackets will also be based on their level of accessorization: hood, type and number of pockets, ventilation, etc., all of which are certainly additional elements but which can change everything in the use of a jacket.

Hood : this can be fixed or removable. The adjustment can be achieved by a simple elastic cord or a more advanced multi-point system in order to adapt perfectly to your face and, possibly when wearing a helmet (mountaineering or cycling).

Finally, some have a semi-rigid visor to ensure that water doesn't run down your face.