Ranking the Quietest Soft Shell Jackets/Vests

[Leatherneck]

I'm interested in trying out a soft shell jacket and vest for Eastern whitetail hunting and I want a quiet fabric. Im interested in a thin, classic soft shell fabric though. I don't want a thick nappy fleece on the outside. Would anyone here be willing to list the quietest soft shell fabrics they've seen first hand? Whether its the expensive hunting brands, big box hunting brands or even hiking/climbing brands.

 

[H80Hunter]

First Lite Catalyst. Lots on here, but I really like mine a lot. It's not windproof and barely wind resistant though but great for 45-60 degrees. I'm not super worried about windproof-ness at 55 degrees but some people are. That quality though allows the fabric to be VERY quiet.

 

[Hondo]

That has been my experience as well with the First Lite Catalyst. More quiet than the Sitka Jetstream or Kuiu Guide DCS jackets but far less effective at stopping wind. I think it also allows for greater range of motion but that might have something to do with mine fitting more loose than the other 2. I have a place for all 3 in my system.

 

[WhatToHunt]

I've come to the sad reality there's no perfect softshell for whitetail hunting because for me, a softshell must be windproof. There are some quiet-ish options fitting that bill, but not quite perfect. Then again, if it's windy and you need the softshell, a deer probably wouldn't hear you. But if it was calm in the moment of truth with a buck at close range, it could spell disaster.

 

[Tater86]

I will agree on the Catalyst line from First Lite. It is the most quiet and durable soft shell I have ever had. I use my exclusively for Archery hunting.

 

[Trey Arentz]

I have always been digging for the same thing. I’ll go through the ones I’ve owned.

Sitka Stratus: Warm, good fit, hated the little fleece. Stuck to a tree like Velcro.

Sitka Jetstream: Definitely the most bomb proof, best fit, best designed jacket out of the ones I’ve tried. It’s amazing. But it’s not as quiet as I like things. I’m super crazy about things being quiet.

First Lite Catalyst: Super quiet, well cut, but holds no warmth and didn’t stop the smallest breeze. More of an active insulation layer.

I sold all of them and was looking to get the KUIU axis. I found a Columbia ascender brand new for $35 and decided to try it. Fit is okay, not perfect. Layout is definitely reasonable. But it was the quietest/ wind resistant one that I have found yet. I am overly impressed with this jacket for what I paid. Even sheds water pretty well. I got rid of most of my name brand hunting clothes and have been sticking to hiking brands and have found great quality for half the price. Just don’t get the certain pocket layouts and such.

 

[Leatherneck]

I have always been digging for the same thing. I’ll go through the ones I’ve owned.

Sitka Stratus: Warm, good fit, hated the little fleece. Stuck to a tree like Velcro.

Sitka Jetstream: Definitely the most bomb proof, best fit, best designed jacket out of the ones I’ve tried. It’s amazing. But it’s not as quiet as I like things. I’m super crazy about things being quiet.

First Lite Catalyst: Super quiet, well cut, but holds no warmth and didn’t stop the smallest breeze. More of an active insulation layer.

I sold all of them and was looking to get the KUIU axis. I found a Columbia ascender brand new for $35 and decided to try it. Fit is okay, not perfect. Layout is definitely reasonable. But it was the quietest/ wind resistant one that I have found yet. I am overly impressed with this jacket for what I paid. Even sheds water pretty well. I got rid of most of my name brand hunting clothes and have been sticking to hiking brands and have found great quality for half the price. Just don’t get the certain pocket layouts and such.

I agree. I still haven't found the perfect system yet. I love wool and fleece, but wind rips through them and wool becomes heavy when wet. Even my Filson stuff lets wind through. I have some older Cabelas Berber stuff and it blocks the wind well for me, but all of that thick, bulky fleece is on the outside of the wind membrane and basically doing nothing for insulation. It's adding unnecessary bulk and thickness and is just making things quiet.
It's funny you mentioned the Columbia Ascender. I watched two different yootoob vids online where guys compared them favorably to the Kuiu Guide ones, especially for the price. I ordered in a Columbia Ascender and UA Ridge Reaper vest and they just came a day ago. A few guys commented online about the Ridge Reaper being quiet. In NO WAY can the Ridge Reaper be considered quiet. A quick flick of a fingernail against the fabric produces a loud "nylon" type swish. Pretty disappointed in this purchase. I'm glad I just experimented with a vest first, not the jacket.
The Columbia Ascender actually seems pretty decent. I haven't tested it in the wind yet, but it definitely is quieter than the UA Ridge Reaper, but nowhere near wool/fleece level. The best thing I've tried so far is wearing the Ascender under an oversized Microtex or Pendleton Board shirt. They're pretty thin and dampen the sound of anything hitting/scratching the soft shell fabric.

 

[EastMT]

I have few soft shells as I’m a bit of a jacket addict. The absolute quietest jacket I have is a fuzzy fleece jacket. Zero noise when it catches on thorns even. It’s not “the best” all around jacket, but def the quietest I own. I don’t have the FL, so can’t speak to that one