The Planet Earth Ultralight Shell is a highly waterproof and breathable protective shell which combines extreme weather resistance with low weight. It’s part of a system of ultralight, highly technical all-weather clothing designed to take you across every climate, environment and terrain on the surface of Earth. Each jacket starts out with advanced material technology developed by Schoeller in Switzerland, before being assembled at a cutting-edge Portuguese factory that builds skin suits for elite Olympic athletes.

The outer layer is engineered with a structured, diamond-patterned weave which creates strength and stability without adding weight. It’s also been treated with a water repellent coating so that rain beads off its surface. The middle layer is an intelligent waterproof and breathable membrane. And the final layer next to your skin is a soft and abrasion resistant Nylon mesh backer, specifically designed to be seam-sealed for waterproofness.

This c_change® membrane mimics natural structures like flowers and pinecones, opening and closing in response to changes in temperature, humidity and sweat. It’s designed to keep you at a consistent temperature by combining really high breathability with heat retention. While it can open up like a series of microscopic vents to let heat escape, in the cold it closes itself like a protective barrier to stop heat leaving. So as soon as the temperature drops, or you stop moving, the membrane contracts to insulate you and retain heat close to the body.

As the air temperature rises, the membrane opens up so that excess sweat and heat can escape through the jacket. But while the membrane’s polymer structure opens up to become extremely permeable to water vapour leaving the body, it remains completely waterproof on the outside. It means that even if you held a jacket under a downpour in extreme heat, the jacket will only ever let the water through one way, while still letting heat pass through it.

At 350 grams this is a phenomenally lightweight and packable weatherproof shell. When you’re wearing it you hardly notice it’s there. Or it folds down small enough to make it into almost any bag. Pair it with our Planet Earth Ultralight Pants and your whole system will only weigh 625 grams. And while lots of ultralight clothing is completely stripped back to save on weight, we’ve not sacrificed features like zipped pockets that make the jacket as practical as it is lightweight.

The jacket will stretch with you whatever you’re doing. But instead of relying on elastane, we use an advanced weaving process which creates mechanical stretch to achieve the same effect. The intelligent membrane is engineered to stretch and move with the rest of the material, and articulated sleeves follow the natural shape of your arm.

We’ve added two laser cut and welded vents under each arm. They work alongside the highly breathable membrane to help keep air flowing around your body when you’re working hard.

Every detail of the jacket is designed to protect you from the weather without adding weight. All the seams are fully sealed with minimalist taping, and we’ve engineered out seams at the shoulders to eliminate the chance of water finding its way in. The two way front zipper is lightweight, water resistant, and comes with an internal storm flap to protect you from wind and rain.

The peaked hood comes with an elastic adjuster at the back so you can tighten it round your head fast when rain is coming down hard. And there’s an elasticated cord adjuster at the waist that lets you cinch the jacket closed, creating a seal between you and the elements.