Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell Jacket Review
The Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell Jacket is a lightweight shell for hiking, backpacking, and staying dry outdoors.
It features Columbia’s OutDry Extreme fabric (as the name suggests), billed as “An impenetrable, first-of-its-kind external membrane combined with an inner layer of soft fabric that keeps you dry—inside and out.”
Here’s everything you want to know about the Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell.
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Pros and Cons
+ Fabric is surprisingly soft to the touch – both inside and out
+ High hand pockets mean they’re functional when using a harness or hipbelt
+ Hidden stash pocket inside one pocket which can also be used to pack the jacket into itself
– Big and tall versions are only available in one color
– Fabric is shiny and reminiscent of a gargabe bag
– Large flaps over the pockets can be annoying
The Specs
- Weight: 12.3 oz / 350 g
- Material: 100% polyester
- Pockets: Two zippered hand
- Closure: Zip
- Hooded: Yes
- Fit: Active “body skimming fit with end-use mobility in mind”
- Colors: Canteen (green), Black, Dark Stone (white)
- Standard sizes: S-XXL
- Big sizes: 1X-6X
- Tall sizes: L-5X
- Warranty: Limited lifetime
- MSRP: $200
Photo Gallery
The Good
The Waterproofness: The Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell demonstrates that you need not choose between a much more expensive GORE-TEX shell and a shell that’s not waterproof but simply water resistant (i.e., many of the lightest weight shells). The OutDry Extreme fabric does an excellent job of repelling water, and it won’t soak through after ten minutes in the rain like other lightweight fabrics I’ve had the unfortunate misfortune of wearing.
The Weight: The average weight of the Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell in a size medium is 12.3 oz / 350 g. This doesn’t make it the lightest shell on the market, but it puts it into contention with the ultralight rain jacket contingent. And when you consider that oftentimes, the way to save weight on a shell is to compromise on waterproofness, you don’t always want to use weight as your only metric when selecting a shell. The Wyldwood hits the sweet spot between weight and waterproofness.
The Material: I have had jackets and pants that use Columbia’s OutDry material in the past, but the Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell appears to be using an updated version of the material. It’s no longer sticky and plastic bag-esque; it’s soft, almost silky, and nice against the skin. It’s honestly surprising how light the jacket is. I would expect something that feels this plush to have a heftier weight penalty than the Wyldwood’s 12.3 oz / 350 g.
The Okay
The Price: At $200, the Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell isn’t inexpensive – there are many less expensive shells on the market – but when held up to some of the comparable shells in its category that can go for $400+, the price tag doesn’t seem too big an ask. Yes, there are shells that cost twice as much or more with potentially preferably pockets, but plenty of shells cost the same as the Wyldwood that won’t keep you dry for longer than twenty minutes.
The Pockets: The Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell has two hand pockets. My least favorite part about the pockets? The flap you need to navigate to get your hands into them. I suppose the flap adds an additional layer of protection against water penetration, but wouldn’t a more waterproof zipper accomplish the same thing without the added inconvenience of what I can only describe as pocket flaps? There is one interior zippered stash pocket inside one pocket (I can’t think of a great use of this – maybe for a wallet if you’re on a short hike?) which the jacket can pack down into, if needed.
The Warranty: Columbia’s warranty for the Wyldwood Shell Jacket is a bit vague. According to the warranty information for outerwear, it “covers defects in materials and workmanship for the practical lifetime,” and this only applies to the original owner. It’s not the greatest warranty from a large international company, but I suppose it’s better than nothing. Time will tell how this jacket holds up – hopefully, I never have to test the warranty process.
The Bad
The Colors: The Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell comes in three colors: Canteen (green), Black, and Dark Stone (which is, for some reason, white). However, the Big and Tall versions are only available in Canteen (in any size). I can’t imagine the white staying clean for long, and the black isn’t all that exciting (unless you live in New York and are thus required to wear only black). The green is my favorite of the bunch, but it’s also the only color of note. The real question is how will SAR find me wearing any of these colors?
The Name: The Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell Jacket – it’s a mouthful. Why “Shell Jacket”? Isn’t this redundant? If I told you I got a new shell, would you ask me, “Jacket or pants?” Maybe this is because not all consumers know what a shell is? And putting the fabric, OutDry Extreme, in the name also seems a bit much. Why not just the Columbia Wyldwood Shell? Or, if you were already on the Columbia website, the Wyldwood Shell?
The Pit Zips: What’s wrong with the Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell pit zips? Their absence. Would pit zips add weight? Yes. Would they also be a welcome addition to any shell? Yes. I run hot, so the lack of pit zips means I can’t exert myself too much while wearing this jacket before deciding between getting wet from the rain and getting wet from my sweat. As far as I’m concerned, if you want a shell to be breathable, the only true way to accomplish this is to ensure it has pit zips.
Wrap Up
The Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell is a fairly priced and surprisingly lightweight jacket that will keep you dry when the weather comes in – and, perhaps more importantly, when the weather stays in.
Despite the lack of color options and interesting decisions surrounding the pockets, the jacket delivers where it counts and keeps you dry with a fabric that also feels pleasant against your skin.
Do you have questions, comments, or personal experience with the Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell? Leave a comment below or get in touch, and let me know! You can check out the Columbia OutDry Extreme Wyldwood Shell here.
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I’ve had 3 different Outdry jackets. I loved them, but they delaminated. The outer layer stared to flak off. Columbia sent me a full credit each time. No hassle. I sent them the jacket and they issued a credit. I’m sitting on the last $180 credit. I’d like pit zips, but the “updated version of the material” has me thinking about the Wyldwood Shell.
Yeah, I had an older Columbia shell that delaminated. This is definitely a new material – or at least different than the previous one. Curious to see how it holds up in the long run.