NEWS: Gore-Tex Pro Shell in stores already!

Gore-Tex's lighter, less bulky new top-line fabric isn't due in shops til autumn, but we've spotted it for sale already. Cotswold is advertising Mountain Equipment Changabang (pictured) and Ogre jackets featuring the new lighter, more breathable material, at £290 and £230 respectively.
Pro Shell replaces XCR (eXtended comfort range) at the top of Gore's range, offering savings in weight and condensation, though (naturally) not cost. Pro Shell jackets will be an average of £25 more expensive than their XCR forebears. It retains the familiar '3-layer' construction (a microporous ePTFE membrane laminated between protective outer and lining fabrics), but the lining layer has been changed from the long-used knitted 'scrim' (with a more open, bulkier structure) to a new woven 'Micro Grid Backer' fabric, which is lighter, thinner and smoother-feeling, but more durable. The new jackets will feel lighter and less robust than XCR equivalents, but Gore insists they'll prove just as durable. Only time and Trail tests will tell.

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