The new king of windshirts (by an unlikely candidate)

Some of you guys made me doubt my original post. Rather than post more replies, I decided to do a thorough comparison test of this windshirt with some of the well known ones out there. Wearing the EMS shirt on a hike last week felt good, but I didn't know exactly where it stands when compared to others. Plus, it was a great evening for exercise!

THE TEST

13.8 mile cycling from Boston to Lexington. Park the bike.
13.8 mile walk/hike back with a light pack from Lexington to Boston.

TESTING METHOD

Bike 2 miles, switch a shell. After biking and testing all the shells, park the bike and hike back switching shells every 2 miles. Assess the sweat amount – pseudo-scientifically. Does it feel more sweaty? Does it stick? What works? What doesn't?

SHELLS TESTED (let to right on photo)

1. EMS Excel Excel Ultra-Pak windshirt
(ripstop nylon, denier unknown)

2. Arcteryx Squamish
(2014 edition, Gossamera ripstop nylon)

3. Montbell Tachyhon anorak
(7D ballistic airlight ripstop nylon)

4. Westcomb Focus LT hoody
(light eVent DVL hardshell shell)

THE RESULTS

Overall, I had a fantastic workout and was able to make a few observations, with a small surprise along the way. To save you the reading time – surprisingly, all the above windshirts performed relatively the same, with the eVent shell failing pretty fast.

EMS WINDSHIRT + ARCTERYX SQUAMISH
These two were pretty much the same, it was very hard to tell which one is the more breathable of the two. For some context – Prolite Gear rated Squamish as the most breathable jacket of the lot. Better than Tachyon and Houdini. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh4Y3pmJsBQ

You can breathe a little through the Squamish, and a bit less so through EMS, however, I never felt clammy in either. Both jackets have a soft woven exterior and interior and feel comfy on skin. No plastic bag feel and you don't look like the Tin Man. Both are 2-way stretch. EMS seems to be significantly more water-resistant than Squamish, wetting out after 30-40 minutes, versus 10 min with dead bird. Still testing out the water resistance.

MONTBELL TACHYON
MB felt good and airy, but I started sweating while on hills. Because of the pure siliconized nylon fabric, it felt somewhat clammy when in full motion. The great thing about Montbell is it does pack a smaller than the two above. I could easily stuff it in the pocket while cycling. The EMS and Squamish jacket also packed small, but with a slightly bigger bulge in the pocket. Not surprisingly, Westcomb eVent shell does not even begin to fit into the pocket.

The big disadvantage of the Tachyon is that it becomes an airship in the wind. Seems like that's due to a very baggy fit and the light denier of the fabric. Even in light winds, MB is quite loud and constantly flaps in the wind, wrapping over your body. If there's a drizzle, the constant flapping causes mild misting and early seepage through the fabric. Neither Arcteryx nor EMS flap enough to notice, which is a big plus in my book.

WESTCOMB FOCUS LT
I brought it for context, to help compare the extremes. No surprise here – the Focus is by far the least breathable of the bunch. No surprise here. Even though waterproof-(slightly) breathable eVent DVL is one of the best hardshell membranes out there, it's still far away from actual breathability.

Curious what others think once they get the EMS jacket. Also, does anyone have any experience with Arcteryx Squamish?

why not simply do the coffeefilter test if no one else can test it like Richard does? That would help much more in my eyes than a very subjective training test which includes so many other factors..

Maybe Richard Nisley can test the EMS jacket out for us at his lab? For now, I think we can roughly figure out the CFM based on Richard Nisley's tests of Tachyon, Zpacks, and Squamish jackets. Here's a rough:

Arcteryx Squamish (2014 updated version)
CFM 53.3 (very breathable)
Hydrostatic resistance at 70mm H2O. (70 is not good. An actual rain jacket starts at 1,500mm)
Note: The 2013 version is quite a bit better on mm, but less so on CFM.

Montbell Tachyon
CFM 9.72 (pretty much no breathability)
Hydrostatic resistance around 800mm H2O. (800 is amazing for a windshirt)

Zpacks Windshirt (Pertex GL RS)
CFM 6.63 (no breathability)
Hydrostatic resistance around 210mm H2O. (normal for windshirt)

Based on the comparison testing I did yesterday, I think the EMS will land around 25-38 CFM with a hydrostatic head of about 400-600mm. If that's correct, that puts it right in the ideal windshirt range where it really withstands quite a bit of rain, while allowing a good amount of breathability and doesn't let a ton of wind through it.

From John Abela's windshirt article:
"Air flow in the 35+ CFM is optimal for the balance between dumping moisture from sustained aerobic activity (7 MET which is the average person’s maximum sustained rate), good wind resistance, and medium precipitation protection."

The Squamish, at 53CFM, is quite cold above the tree line. I think it's almost too breathable. Will have to test how cold the EMS will get in White Mountains in a few weeks.

Thanks for the info Richard. I would be curious if the wind resistance to breathability relationship is different with an canvas arctick anorack vs. a nylon windshirt.

"Daryl – please post your thoughts once you get it, would be curious if others think the same way about this thing."

OK

My size XL weighs about 4.4 ounces compared to about 4 ounces for my Houdini. I say "about" because my scale rounds off to nearest .2 ounces.

The new EMS windbreaker is less breathable than the (used) Houdini and is also less breathable than a coffee filter, based upon my attempts to suck air through each.

No comment on water resistance. Not a factor for me and I'm not sure how I could measure it in any meaningful way.

It's well made and I plan to keep it. Thanks for the tip.

I wandered into the employee store today and saw Mountain Hardwear's new Ghost Lite:

http://www.mountainhardwear.com/mens-ghost-lite-jacket-1572411.html?dwvar_1572411_variationColor=443#start=1

Pros: it lists at 3.1 oz and it seemed very breathable with my simple breath test (I only did this for a few breaths because, well, it's a store and I didn't own the jacket). Simple elastic cuffs and hood and one chest pocket. The fit was good on me, but I won't add much here because that is so subjective.

Cons: the material ("15D Ripstop Z-Grav") is a little shiny, kind of like my Rab Cirrus (Pertex Quantum) if that kind of thing would be bothersome. It says it is "water-resistant" but doesn't list any kind of DWR.

Anyway, just another option for those looking for a new wind shirt.

interesting; I have a Ghost Whisperer windshirt- 7D, weighs 2 oz, but not very breathable- I think it's the same material they use in their Ghost down jackets and has to be downproof, which typically cuts down on the breathability

it's relegated to trips (usually running) where I think I won't being wearing a windshirt, but I want a layer nonetheless if the weather should change (which is frequent in Montana :)) the jacket packs into a square that is smaller than a pack of cigarettes which is pretty handy

not sure how it's going to be in the breathability department – I sold my squamish but it seems to be about the same in terms of the darth vader test.

I'm really pleased with the cut of the jacket and the stretch fabric, as well as the hood. It's definitely a keeper; I'm anxious to see how well it breathes during exertion. I've got an assignment this weekend it seems!

Mike: I do think it's a different fabric than the Ghost Whisperer wind jacket.

Jen: they do have a women's version as well. You should buy one, just because. Edit: actually, I just looked at the website to make sure they had a women's version (thought I saw one in the store) and they have a video showing the fabric and features. No video for the men's but it's the same fabric.

Ghost Whisperer is a totally different fabric from EMS. Super light siliconized nylon. MH Ueli Steck light and fast summit kits – used in jackets, bags, sleeping bags. I have the sleeping bag and it's an oven. Not sure what fabric EMS is using here, maybe someone knows.

Update: sorry guys, misunderstood the above comment context, my bad. :)

@Jen: What didn't you like about Squamish. I think it's almost too breathable above treeline, gets cold. I love the fit of it and the fabric and now sort of torn b/n Squamish and EMS.

My beloved stoic wraith is the best I've found by far. 2.5 oz, and very breathable. Keeps me comfortable even in temps up to ~70F. (Used as mosquito protection)

Unfortunately it's discontinued..and does not hold up well over time. Anyone know what fabric this is made from? I've been trying to find something equivalent but nothing seems to compare…

Gary, the squamish was great – it just didn't fit me well. I gained more than 50 pounds in the last few years…and now I'm losing it, so stuff fits me really weird.

@chris + 1 on the wraith. Its a bit lighter and noticeably more breathable than the ems, which is why i'm returning the latter.

@Jen Ah, gotcha. I wasn't why you didn't like Squamish since it's so breathable.

The ghost is super light indeed. However, it flaps loudly in the wind, does not really breathe and looks like a plastic bag on a person when taking shots outside. Also, when you do start sweating in Ghost, even remotely, it clams up.The material on EMS, Squamish and Westcomb's Crest feels a lot better on skin. It does add around 1-2oz to the shirt, so it depends on what you like more, the slightly lighter weight or the overall feel. Personally, for me, that extra ounce or two goes a long way towards enjoying the hike and the pics after.

Not sure if this is true but I also feel like the sweat that builds up in the Ghost-like windshirts very quickly makes them heavier than the more woven ones.

Yeah, that Wraith was a real winner. Hope mine lasts forever. I highly doubt anyone will ever come out with a better windshirt for weight/breathability.

Yeah, the wraith has great breathability for the weight and even then I end up wanting something a bit more breathable. When its really windy, my wpb does just fine. I'd love it if someone made a totally paired down equilibrium shell, like this ems design.

I like my LL Bean Ultra Lightweight Wind Jacket (in blue!)

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/78989?page=ultralight-wind-jacket

No lab testing but I have taken it on my motorcycle at ~80MPH and it works exceptionally well. Also use it for running and snowshoeing and has always treated me well. :)

Has anyone tried the ZPacks offering? (http://zpacks.com/accessories/wind_shell.shtml).
I only wish Joe would make it without the hood.

Again, my steamy/rainy CharlieDog-walking jacket/windshirt/etc testing continues as Austin is inundated by 90 deg temps and ridiculously persistent thunderstorms (yeah to refilling aquifers!)

This time the EMS wind shirt had the duty – as the rain was light and the temps were hot.

My Westcomb Crest hoody definitely breathes better, but this was actually not that bad. It may be a good contender when one wants more wind-stopping power than equilibrium can provide.

Despite more than a half hour in the drizzle the jacket did NOT wet through. I was amazed actually – I never thought it would last that long – of course, it was drizzle, NOT hardcore rain, but it was a decent, persistent drizzle.

I was also NOT wet with sweat/clammy underneath; I'm wondering if that is the feel of the fabric rather than actual breathability. I have been using the Rab Cirrus for a few years now and I really like it, but the breathability is not great and when you sweat inside the pertex quantum really feels clammy. So realize that's where I'm coming from when I say this about the EMS jacket. But overall my t-shirt underneath was NOT wet either with sweat or with rain.

I really like the feel of the fabric, the stretch, the fit. It's quite nice actually – a great piece that definitely will have a place in my kit. It actually may take the place of the Westcomb during my CT hike this summer…….

Maybe.

Jen – glad to see it worked for you. I had a feeling positive comments will start coming in once people actually start using the windshirt. I have used it some more since and also really impressed with its water resistance. Really curious what the CFM and water resistance numbers are because it's good on both.

if you were interested when this thread first started, the price is now down to $41.40 – http://www.ems.com/ems-mens-excel-ultra-pack-jacket/300038831.html

Thank you Richard, nice price break, but had to add a few items to get free shipping. This wind shirt seems about what I need for winter snow shoe/snow camp trips. I need to loose the sweat and cut the cool wind (so to speak). :) I can side line my old one for car camping. Duane

At first I thought the jacket was discontinued because I couldn’t find it, but the name of it is actually “EMS Men’s Excel Ultra-Pack Jacket”.  The current URL is http://www.ems.com/ems-mens-excel-ultra-pack-jacket/1282090.html

I bought the EMS wind shirt back in the summer.  Mine weighs 124g/4.37oz for my XL.  I love this wind shirt and it has been very good to me.  I have been using it in the fall so as far as moisture buildup and breathability, I haven’t worn it in muggy conditions.