Your favorite Wind Shirt?

I second the Houdini. The fit is perfect and I have been able to find a use for it in all four seasons. I even tested it alpine skiing in New Hampshire once (with layers of course). I also have the Houdini pants (which I am not sure if they make anymore) and they fit really perfectly as well.

I’ve got a Marmot Ion and for once I love the fit. Sleeves and waist are *just* long enough and the chest isn’t way too big. I like the hood too for when I’m really trying to squeeze that last bit of warmth out of 3.35oz (Med w/ tags).

Montane Featherlite Smock. Light, packs real small, and holds off the wind pretty well.

Integral Designs Pertex Wind Jacket – replaced my beloved 11 oz Marmot Driclime windshirt.

http://www.integraldesigns.com/product_detail.cfm?id=678&CFID=7378347&CFTOKEN=43005992&mainproducttypeid=1

A simply designed hooded jacket made with Pertex 685, it is lightweight and durable with a DWR coating. It has Lycra cuffs, hem and hood brim to keep bulk down and a lightweight, full length YKK #4.5 separating zipper for easy access and venting. A shaped hood protecs you from the elements. The Pertex Wind Jacket is only 3″ x 5″ and 4.6oz. (130g) when packed in its included stuff sack and will fit in even the smallest packs.

Sizes:
Small 4.3 oz 121 g
Medium 4.6 oz 130 g
Large 4.9 oz 139 g
X-Large 5.2 oz 148 g

Colors: Black, Cobalt, Red

$ 80 (US)

Warmer weather: Montane Aero

Very good breathability, pullover style but zipper is long enough for good ventilation.

Cooler weather: Outdoor Research Ion

Pullover style, 3.5 oz, again with a nice long zipper for ventilation. Has pretty good breathability and good water repellency. Has a great hood with lots of adjustment

Dan

My favorite windshirt– a little short in body but otherwise perfect—and anyway, I use in conjunction w/ Montane windpants which ride high, so, no gap when bending over, etc. Great hood. Also is a great bug shirt—never been bitten through it and i just went thru several bouts of extreme mosquito activity in the Cascades. It’s part of my sleeping system, as well—helps to keep my down bag/quilt clean ( and thus warmer).

All this for 3.2 oz. in L (stripped of tags/labels). made of Pertex Quantum in old England’s dark satanic mills–now bought out and moved to Japan (hopefully the material specs have not changed).

Montane Lite-Speed

Not the very lightest at 5.6 oz Med.
but super-breathable with full zip, nice hood and drawcord hem.
Packs into its own stuff sack the size of my fist! It’s me and my wife’s go-to jacket.

full zip w/ hood

4oz

Which one would you recommend as a substiture for a light rain jacket (or would you ever)? I’m thinking of substituting a wind shirt for my drop stoppers (and saving a few ounces) when the weather looks pretty nice. I figure I’ll use it on summits and when I get unexpected drizzle.

For drizzle any of them with good DWR will work fine. My Ion was great while riding in an extended rain storm (3 hours) this past weekend. It wetted out only on the seams and dried quickly. Would I take it as my only rain gear in all weather? Probably not. Does it do the job for me on day trips and in the occasional storm? So far so good. Plus at 3oz I take the Ion when I’d be tempted to go without anything at all.

Thanks. Just to be clear, I would want a wind shirt that was less breathable, more rain proof and had a full hood. The Ion is certainly a contender.

Ross:

The old GoLite Helios (hooded) or Ventus (no hood) jackets would fit your requirements. They are breathable, but only barely; however, they also shed rain better than most other windshirts around.

GoLite has now gone the direction of the majority with their current windshirt lineup: more breathable but less water resistant.

I’d go for the breathable and use a poncho/cape. I’m using the cape for a shelter, so I get to toss the pack cover and rain jacket. I have a Montane Lite-Speed that works for me. If it starts to sprinkle a little, the Montane will take it and I can whip out the cape and become the Six Moons Avenger if it starts to pour buckets :)

I picked up a Columbia Titanium Silver Ridge II nylon hiking shirt (http://www.columbia.com/Product.aspx?top=4&prod=1414&cat=4105020&viewAll=False) and I’m nearly convinced it will make a good summer time compromise between the windshirt and a regular old button down shirt. It breathes well, can be worn tucked in or out, the sleeves can be worn short or or long and it can be worn wide open or buttoned as needed. There is a mesh vent panel in the back too. I got a white one for maximum cooling in the sun. There is still good room for a base layer under and I can wear a vest over.

Some of these “travel” or “adventure” shirts get totally out of hand with vents, pockets, tabs, hidden zippered pockets and– and a price tag to suit. Columbia kept this one pretty simple– two pockets, the tabs for keeping the sleeves rolled up and the back vent. It was $29 on sale. Along with my Tilley, it makes me a Handsome Devil on the trail. Keep your women in the tent when I pass through :)

Montane Aero. Size XXL 3.2 oz (fits like XL).

It’s the only one of the above that I have so I can’t compare, but I’m not looking for a replacement. I’ve hiked in it on temperate windy days and I didn’t sweat it up inside. Very breathable. I also wore it in a +15F 40mph blizzard over a 100wt fleece and didn’t get cold when the gusts hit. Very windproof. My nylon windbreakers have been moved to around-town duty.

Golite Wisp
2.5 oz

It’s a tough choice, but I’d probably lean towards the Marmot Ion. I really like the trim fit that doesn’t get flappy when I’m running.
-Mark

I love my Montbell U.L. Windshirt (2oz. after modifications).

Mountain Hardwear – Phantom Anorak. At 85grams it’s great for throwing on when you get out of the bush onto the tops where there is nothing to shelter you form a bitting wind. I note that mountaingear.com are closing these out for $US49.98. What a steal, Especially for us Kiwis!!

I think I saw the Mountain Hardware Phantom Anoraks on ems.com for like $30 – awfully tempting. I just wasn’t sure about the breathability. Can anyone elaborate on this feature of the Anorak?

Drew – yeah if I am climbing from say 1100 meters (our bushline) up the say 1700 meters over a couple of hours I sweat a bit in mine (who the hell wouldn’t!). But not to the extent that I have to wring it out! I’d reckon that would happen in any wind shirt. Usually I have an Ice Breaker T Shirt, or H/H base layer underneath that soaks up the bulk of sweat.
Hey for $US30 it’s a pretty cheap experiment. Go get one!

Robin, thanks for the feedback. I’m still weighing my options – cheap is a relative term, I suppose, which takes on a whole new meaning as one endeavors to pay for law school. Not to mention the fact that if things keep going the way they are this semester, I don’t know how much I’d get to wear it in the field anyway.

I have the pullover version (no hood) of this:
http://www.wildthingsgear.com/epic_hooded.html
I’ve had it several years, mainly using it for mountain biking, cross country skate skiing, and above-treeline spring & summer ski mountaineering. Great for wind, and does reasonably well with light rain.
I always thought it breathed very well, but apparently it’s at the other end of the spectrum:
http://www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/clothing.html
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/reviews/display_reviews?forum_thread_id=1160&cat=Clothing%20%2D%20Wind%20%26%20Soft%20Shell&cid=49

My current windshirt (no hood) weighs 4.8 oz for a men’s small.
The Helly Hansen Mars sounds like it maybe be under 2oz in my size:
http://www.hellyhansengear.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=305
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/helly_hansen_mars_venus_windshirt_spotlite_review.html
Any experience/thoughts out there? (And yes, I know it lacks a hood, but for my anticipated uses I’d rather use a separate hat or cap and reserve using a hood for my hardshell. And although the retail price is a bit high, I can get it for $50, so that’s not a personal concern to me.)

Seems like we have a lot of windshirt choices these days, and I am glad people are calling out which ones breathe better at one end of the spectrum, or repel rain better at the other end of the scale.

Glad to hear the Houdini breathes well; I have one but haven’t had cause to use it yet. The full length zipper and hood, coupled with light weight, make it may emergency “must carry” rain/wind/sleep jacket. My former Dragonfly was too hot, although it repelled rain really well and has found use as a sleeping jacket to keep my bag clean and my head a little warmer.

I will be trying my old Patagonia Helium (before they moved to the smoother finish recycled polester version) on my next trip to Sunrise High Sierra Camp, but since I walk “hot” it probably won’t come out until camp (unless the skeetos come out); when I tried it a couple of years ago, it was fine as a windbreaker but unsuitable in any serious rain.

I also have an untried Wild Things Gear thin nylon windshirt, which packs small but which got overshadowed, before any real used, by the others. The all black one I have makes good urban wear, or airplane wear, though (I reserve the expensive Houdini for rain in order to preserve the effectiveness of the DWR).