Topic

Windshirt Question


Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Home Forums Gear Forums Gear (General) Windshirt Question

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 60 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #1312714
    Scott Hayden
    BPL Member

    @spiffyguy

    Montane FeatherLite Smock for 30 bucks or the Patagonia Houdini for 70? Montane has no hood. I am assuming these are both 2013 closeouts. Not sure exact weights, would be XXL in the Montane and XL in Patagonia. Came to the conclusion my Tyvek job is not going to cut it. I do carry a rain jacket so not too concerned about the DWR.

    #2068500
    Dale Wambaugh
    BPL Member

    @dwambaugh

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    You could spend $30 on socks! Good deals on both, but is the hood worth $40? Do you normally wear some sort of cap anyway? The one nice thing about a hood is that you can't lose it and you don't have to dig it out of your pack. I do prefer a full front zip and a hood.

    #2068503
    hwc 1954
    Member

    @wcollings

    Sierra Trading Post has the Marmot Trail Wind Hoody for $52. Sign up for their e-mail list and you should get 35% off discount codes by e-mail, so under $40. Ultra light unlined windshirt/hoody. I think it weighs 5 ounces. Stuffs in its own pocket. I wear it more than any other jacket for hiking or travel in the summer when almost anything else would be too hot.

    #2068524
    Ito Jakuchu
    BPL Member

    @jakuchu

    Locale: Japan

    I always always want to have a hoody on my wind shirt. I use my hoody almost every time I wear my wind shirt.

    I bought a wind shirt without a hood once on a good deal. I never wear it so I consider it a bit of a €40 loss (I will pass it along to somebody that can use it eventually).

    So, unless you are racing (running or bike), I personally would buy the hoody, or search for another hoody for less.

    #2068528
    Woubeir (from Europe)
    BPL Member

    @woubeir

    That's a personal thing. My windshirt has no hood currently and I have no problem with that.

    #2068529
    Hiking Malto
    BPL Member

    @gg-man

    I used a hood less windshirt for a couple of years until switching to a Houdini. I don't think I would go back, I found the hood quite useful from hiking to sleeping.

    #2068531
    michael levi
    Member

    @m-l

    Locale: W-Never Eat Soggy (W)affles

    I use a montbell tachyon anorak, 2.3oz. -$60

    Regarding a hood, it's a necessity personally! For the extra weight it will provide much more warmth and keep water out and off your head.

    During summer trips I use my sensory as a rain shell so a hood is a must. All in all combined with a shirt and a beanie a wind shirt provides a TON of warmth for the weight.

    #2068532
    Scott S
    Member

    @sschloss1

    Locale: New England

    I love the hood on my Houdini. Despite having used it many, many times, I am always surprised at how much warmer I am with that thin piece of fabric over my head. On a cold, windy morning, the hood can be the difference between being cold and being warm enough to enjoy my hike.

    If I didn't have a hooded windshirt, I'd probably have to use some kind of fleece beanie instead on cold days. I think that hoods are better because they provide better coverage of your ears and neck and the sides of your face, and they're way more breathable.

    #2068543
    Andrew U
    Spectator

    @anarkhos

    Locale: Colorado, Wyoming

    +1 on the Houdini

    I almost never bring a beanie for anything except winter. 3+ season I wear a brimmed sun hat and layer appropriately with a fleece wind pro earband and then hoods. We all layer torso, why not the head too?

    Wind blows (pun!) when it shoots down your neck and zaps all that warm air against your torso. For extremely minimal weight gain a hood is mandatory on everything I take outside except base layers. But hey, I backpack a lot in Wyoming; maybe you don't have to hike in the windiest place on Earth. :)

    #2068551
    Scott Hayden
    BPL Member

    @spiffyguy

    I have put up the hood on my DIY tyvek and it was not bad. I guess it is worth having the option. So here is where I am at. What is your choice of these three? I have heard the 2013 houdini was not as good. Don't think I would mind the pull over action of the Tachyon but is a full zip a better option. Certainly like the weight though.

    Tachyon Anorak Jacket – Hooded – 2.3oz $52 (coupon to 40? Decent Colors) STP
    Patagonia Houdini – Hooded – 4oz – $70 (Blue, Purple or lime green)Backcountry
    Marmot Ion Hoodie – Hooded – 5oz – $52 (coupon to 45. Lime Green)Campsaver

    #2068585
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Would echo what a lot of other folks have already said, hoods are great because they are versatile at very little weight.

    Don't think i would ever buy a windjacket without a hood at this point.

    #2068591
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    I saw a USED Houdini go for $60 on eBay…!

    They hold their value better than my new car on the day after I bought it.

    #2068610
    Scott Hayden
    BPL Member

    @spiffyguy

    Normally I would have just got the houdini as it seems the #1 recommended windshirt. But after reading some threads on here and the complaints about the breathability I needed to do a discount double check on it.

    I was incorrect in my sourcing too, the Tachyon is at campsaver and the Marmot Ion is at STP. So between these 3, is the recommendation to just get houdini and be done?

    #2068707
    Andrew U
    Spectator

    @anarkhos

    Locale: Colorado, Wyoming

    I would say yes to just get the Houdini, but I have no direct personal experience with the other windshirts mentioned.

    It seems the general consensus is the Houdini is overall the best available shirt in this price range. Is it worth double the price of a shirt of only marginally less overall quality? Probably not, but it is still 'better.'

    If cost is not really an issue, get the Houdini. If you feel like that extra $30 could be much better spent elsewhere, go with one of the others. No matter what you choose they all seem to be able to fulfill the same role satisfactorily.

    #2068723
    Scott Hayden
    BPL Member

    @spiffyguy

    Mmmm the Kool-aid is good. Houdini on the way. Thanks for all the insight folks.

    #2068733
    Rick M
    BPL Member

    @yamaguy

    del

    #2068749
    Scott Hayden
    BPL Member

    @spiffyguy

    Bah. I checked their site and saw it on sale for same price as backcountry. Was't sure if they had free shipping so I got it at backcountry. No worries I guess. Hope it shows by friday, i have a trip.

    #2068770
    Paul Hatfield
    BPL Member

    @clear_blue_skies

    If you want a highly-breathable windshirt that is lightweight, the choices are very limited at this time. In the lightweight category, I think the only currently available options are:

    Arcteryx Incendo
    Westcomb Crest
    "Faux-dini" eBay special (very inexpensive and lightweight, but lacks hood and sleeves are short)

    If you are willing to carry some extra weight, then there are a few more options that fall more towards the soft-shell side:
    Rab Boreas
    Rab Vapour Rise Lite
    Mountain Hardwear Chocklite
    Outdoor Research Ferrosi
    Outdoor Research Whirlwind

    I don't have personal experience with any of these, except the Ferrosi, but this is the information that I've gleaned from reading the other windshirt threads. The current version of the Houdini has poor breathability. The Stoic Wraith is no longer available.

    #2068808
    hwc 1954
    Member

    @wcollings

    >> If you want a highly-breathable windshirt that is lightweight, the choices are very limited at this time. In the lightweight category, I think the only currently available options are:

    Arcteryx Incendo
    Westcomb Crest
    "Faux-dini" eBay special (very inexpensive and lightweight, but lacks hood and sleeves are short)<<

    I must be missing something. The Arcteryx is 4.4 ounces with no hood. The Marmot Trail Wind Hoody – with zipper chest pocket, drawstring hem, and drawstring hood adjusters is 4.9 ounces. I just weighed mine (Men's Medium). It is extremely breathable.

    All of the running companies make versions of ultra-light unlined wind breaker hoodies. Brooks makes one (their LSD jacket) that is 4.3 ounces (with no adjusters on the hood).

    http://www.brooksrunning.com/LSD-Lite-Jacket-III/210429,default,pd.html

    There are tons of options in this category. These can often be found for under $50.

    #2068836
    Paul Hatfield
    BPL Member

    @clear_blue_skies

    > I must be missing something. The Arcteryx is 4.4 ounces with no hood.

    The Arcteryx Incendo Hoody has a hood.

    > The Marmot Trail Wind Hoody…is extremely breathable.

    How easily can you breath through the fabric? (Not just through the underarm vent area.) By the way, I believe it is discontinued product. And I don't see it for cheaper than $80 for a men's medium.

    > http://www.brooksrunning.com/LSD-Lite-Jacket-III/210429,default,pd.html

    The drawback that I see to it is that it has back vents which I don't think are useful or desirable for backpackers.

    > All of the running companies make versions of ultra-light unlined
    > wind breaker hoodies.

    Perhaps you can suggest some of those.

    #2068856
    hwc 1954
    Member

    @wcollings

    >> How easily can you breath through the fabric?

    I don't generally wear mine turned around so the hood is not covering my mouth or nose :), but it's no problem to stretch the fabric over my mouth and breath. It's a 4.9 ounce piece of extremely thin polyester fabric with a DWR finish. It's not rocket science. It's fine if somebody wants to pay $135 for a particular brand or style, but these little ultra-light mini-ripstop 5 to 6 ounce wind shells are pretty much generic items. More zippers, more adjustments, a little heavier. Fewer zippers, fewer adjustments, a little lighter.

    You can buy the Marmot for $52 at Sierra Trading Post, before the 40% off discount in today's e-mail, which brings it down to $32. Marmot is not showing it on their site right now because it's the dead of winter. Whether they call it the Trail Wind Hoody or the Ion Wind Hoody, I'm sure it will be in their line. These things are a staple of every running and outdoor company's product line. STP has the Brooks for $58.



    Ah, I see the hoody version of the dead bird. They say it's 4.8 ounces for the hoody version (no adjuster on the hood). I don't see that as being significantly less than 4.9 ounces.



    Yeah, The Brooks has a back vent. May or may not be useful for hiking/camping, but it doesn't really hurt anything, even if it's covered by a pack. It actually might work a little with my Atmos pack.

    I have a Brooks that I keep in my car for emergency protection in a summer rain shower. I carry the Marmot version in my pack all the time, except in the dead of winter. I wear it more than any other top layer. Just the ticket for a windy 50 degree summit over a t-shirt or a little light mist/shower.

    I think this category is probably the first jacket I would buy for hiking and, personal preferences aside, I don't think the brand matters at all compared to just getting a 5 oz hoody and stuffing it in your pack.



    I've seen a Columbia version of these jackets, sold as a cycling wind shell, for $19 at Marshalls. I've seen a nice Nike version for $39 at TJ Maxx.

    #2069229
    Paul Hatfield
    BPL Member

    @clear_blue_skies

    > There are tons of options in this category.

    I still don't agree. There seem to be very few offerings in the highly breathable category, even by the outdoor clothing manufacturers.

    Your discontinued Marmot wind jacket may be very breathable, but you don't actually know about the breathability of other models Marmot wind jackets. And even if the same jacket was still available, the manufacturer may have switched the fabric (In fact there's a comment in the Sierra Trading Post review about Marmot switching fabrics on the jacket and these backpackinglight reviews:
    http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/reviews/display_reviews.html?forum_thread_id=1625

    I just tested Adidas, The North Face, and Uniqlo hoodies today, and they are not breathable at all.

    #2069231
    hwc 1954
    Member

    @wcollings

    I just got the Marmot Trail Wind Hoody last June. It is identical to the jacket reviewed by Outdoor Gear Lab in 2011.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7DlqMX0v6Q

    Marmot just redesigned their website and none of the out-of-season products are listed at the moment.



    You know, I'm not so sure that breathing through the fabric is the best test of a wind jacket. I mean, the whole idea of these jackets is to block the wind. If I didn't need some wind protection, I would just put on quarter-zip running shirt. Lightweight. Breathable like crazy. Alas, the wind cuts right thru it. If you weren't cold because of the wind, or temperature, you probably would just leave the jacket in the backpack and hike in a shirt. Breathability and wind protection are the same thing. Just flip sides of the same coin.

    Some of these jackets are slightly more weather resistant. Some are slightly less weather resistant. I'm not sure this isn't much ado about nothing. I've worn the Brooks. I've worn the Marmot. Functionally, big picture, they are the same. The hood is better on the Marmot for hiking, because it can be cinched down tight in a stiff breeze.

    #2069249
    Dan @ Durston Gear
    BPL Member

    @dandydan

    Locale: Canadian Rockies

    We should be mentioning Montbell in this conversation. The Tachyon Anorak is hooded for 2.3oz.

    I really like hoods. My main reason is bugs. With a good hood that seals around the face you can dramatically localize where the bugs can attack.

    The best windshirt I've come across is the MEC RD Windshell:
    http://www.mec.ca/product/5019-388/mec-rd-windshell-jacket-mens/?q=rd

    It doesn't pop out on the specs sheet (5oz, $78 CAD) but it makes excellent use of that weight by having very few features and all of the weight in a more substantial fabric that you don't have to baby. To me, a windshirt should be a more durable layer because it's protecting my down around camp, and it's what protects my arms on a bushwack. It also has an excellent fit: nice long torso cut so it doesn't ride up, and a somewhat geeky but exceptionally functional hood that seals around your head.

    #2069258
    Lapsley Hope
    Member

    @laps

    Anyone with opinion on the Arcteryx Squamish? FWIW it was listed as #1 on the Outdoor Gear Lab review of windshells.

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 60 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Get the Newsletter

Get our free Handbook and Receive our weekly newsletter to see what's new at Backpacking Light!

Gear Research & Discovery Tools


Loading...