Best windshirt.

I have one of the army issue ones, for starters it's heavier ~ 10 oz vs my "regular" Houdini (both size Large) @ 4.2 oz

part of the weight is the hood is tuckable into the collar, most however is the denier is clearly thicker on the army issue one, breathability appears to be the same, DWR I haven't reached a conclusion- I've only been in light precip w/ the army one (and it beaded fine)

I wanted something a little heavier for hunting (was worried about tearing my "regular" Houdini)

it's possible Patagonia has the "regular" Houdini offered in Alpha Green and it is the same????, but the army issued one definitely differs

Ah thanks, I couldn' find much anecdotal stuff online and I was worried about that.

I have a MontBell Tachyon Anorak that I purchased in Nov 2016. I have used it quite a few times when backcountry skiing and mountaineering, when I don’t expect serious precip. It has done an incredible job keeping me comfortable when I get to an exposed, windy ridge but don’t want to add more insulating layers – the typical perfect situation for a wind shirt.

More details follow, but my summary is that this is an amazing “just in case” rain jacket, but if you’re looking for a true wind shirt that you can wear while active, look for something more breathable. Will R reviewed this jacket on BPL in 2010, so the material may have changed in the 6 years between then and when I bought mine. But MB still describes the fabric as “7-denier Ballistic Airlight ripstop nylon with Polkatex DWR finish”.

What I love about the Tachyon is how unbelievably light it is – I weighed it at only 2.0 oz (58 g) for a size Large. That makes it easier to decide to bring it.

The other thing I like about it is that it seems to be completely waterproof. I have worn it in the shower to test it out, and have sprayed water from a faucet sprayer directly at the sleeve while wearing it. Absolutely no water got through.

Now the downsides. As far as I can tell, the fabric is not air permeable at all. I cannot draw any air whatsoever through it with my lungs. I imagine it is marginally more breathable than a plastic bag. The lack of breathability is evidenced when I wear it and my layers underneath begin to get soaked very quickly – fine while you’re wearing it, but pretty chilly when you take it off.

One thing I have found quite annoying is that the rear hem of the jacket works its way up my torso as I hike while wearing a backpack over it. This may be specific to my backpacks, but no amount of tightening the elastic hem drawcord prevents the back from riding up. The only solution I have found is to keep tugging it back down when I notice it (probably every 10-15 minutes), which gets old quickly.

The fit is spot-on for me. I consider myself to be averagely proportioned. I am 6’1” tall and weigh 185-ish lbs, and the Large fits perfectly over any of my layers other than my extremely puffy down parka, with enough room to not be restrictive – which is good since the fabric has no stretch at all.

In summary, I plan to keep the Tachyon to take as a backup jacket when I could get hit by thunderstorms. But I am currently seeking another wind shirt / jacket that is breathable for use as a true wind shirt (which led me to this conversation). Right now I am beginning to try out a Black Diamond Alpine Start hooded jacket. It’s not nearly as light – at a claimed 8.8 oz it definitely is not “Ultralight”. But I was very impressed with its breathability when I did the “breath test”, and the water repellent finish works well enough I would trust it in s light shower or heavy snow. I plan to use it as both a wind shirt and rain/snow shell for now. Of course, I have yet to experience an actual “durable” DWR finish in any product, so time will tell (and yes, I do take proper care of my technical clothing).

I am also considering trying the MontBell U.L Stretch Wind Parka at 4.1 oz, in hopes that it is more breathable. But it uses fabric of the same description as the Tachyon in a heavier denier, so I don’t know how much more breathable it could be.

If anyone has other recommendations for a truly breathable (can draw a breath through it), shower-resistant (water beads up and does not soak into the fabric) wind shell that weighs 4 oz or less, please let me know! I am desperately searching for the perfect solution!

Search Fauxdini on this website. My comments are there.

Bryan,

I wouldn’t trust the Tachyon in a thunderstorm. It definitely will let you down in heavy rain. If you’re going to wear a breathable windshirt like the Alpine Start I would pack a rain jacket or poncho as well rather than also bringing the Tachyon. The Alpine Start is very breathable and very water resistant given how breathable it is. But I haven’t found the Nanosphere DWR to be much more durable than any other, despite the marketing claims of permanence, etc. For my needs, though, it’s the best windshirt available.

I have an earlier version of the U.L. Stretch Wind Parka, the Dynamo Parka. The fabric is listed as identical to the new one you’re eyeing, but I can’t say that in fact it’s the same fabric, though I would bet it is. This 12d fabric is quite nice, having no spandex content but stretching a bit in use due to the panels having been cut on the bias. Initially, I estimated this fabric to have air permeability of around 10 cfm (roughly the same as your Tachyon). However, after a couple trips and launderings its become much more permeable – about 30 cfm if my breath test is at all accurate. My guess is that the bias orientation of the fabric has allowed some fabric distortion with use that has opened up the pores at the interstices of the weave. There could be some other reason, but I haven’t experienced any other woven fabric to change in this characteristic so much with not a great deal of use. Unfortunately, as the air permeability has gone up the water resistance has gone down, as one would expect (and to much lower level than the Alpine Start). The Montbell DWR on this fabric is also terrible, or it was on the earlier version.

I also have a houdini hooded windshirt from 2 years ago, It weighs approx 4 oz. I always bring it, it is super usable clothing item. It has a trim fit, so it is ideal for putting-on over a base layer, and maybe a base-layer and thin middle layer, but it is NOT going to fit a puffy jacket underneath it.

It is a piece of gear that always comes along on every trip.

It is surprisingly water resistant

The Arc’Teryx Squamish is another good choice; I’m surprised no one mentioned it yet. I have the 2013 (I think) version and it seems like they change (or at least rename) their fabric every few years, but it is very breathable, right around 5 oz and can be found on sale with a little patience. I’ve found that it does wet out after 15 minutes of sustained rain, though, but dries quickly enough that it works for light intermittent rain throughout a day.

I’ve been very happy with the Nike impossibly light jacket for it’s light weight (3oz) and high breathability. It’s extremely breathable, like beyond most softshells, but it’s made out of a light nylon. Water resistance is probably not as good as some, but I find it way more useful and wear it way more than I wore other windshirt because of the breathability. It can also be found on eBay for like $40 or less sometimes. Steer away from the ‘shield’ version though because that’s a different fabric.