wind shirt

[Jace A. Mellinger]

I recently bought a marmot ion wind shirt. Supposedly made of Pertex quantum fabric. I have used it in temp ranges of 59 f down to 35 f today. I go for a 30min walk at lunch every day at a pace of 4-5 mph. It gets me outside and gets the blood pumpin. Well, I have not been impressed with the wind shirts ability to regulate moisture. I have worn a techwick shirt from ems and sometimes a light 200 fleece vest under it. It has kept me warm with the activity level. but when I get back to the office it is coated with water droplets on the inside. Is this because of the temp? I'm not getting the breathability I expected. I read that Ryan washed the trap out of his windshirt to make it more breathable. Should I do the same? I can't imagine wearing this with a pack on, I would be drenched. My first winter BP trip is in 2 weeks, does anyone have any suggestions.
Thanks,

[EndoftheTrail]

I think the culprit is your 200 fleece. Wearing it makes you feel comfortable at the start — but once you get going, I think it's too much insulation. 35F is not that cold (even for a guy like me who lives in So. Cal.) — you should not need to wear an insulation layer when active.

Next time, try walking without the fleece — or at least take it off after 10 minutes or so — and see how the Marmot performs.

When hiking, start with fewer layers (or take them off well before you feel hot) and moderate your pace. The trick is not to generate sweat to begin with. If you do, your jacket can move some of it out — but don't expect miracles.

[Carl Umland]

See other forum discussion on the Marmot Ion at; http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/5366/index.html?m=7AOgRXoue6RCYZt1wxYypQ

[Jace A. Mellinger]

Thank you for the other thread links. I called Marmot last night. They told me to send my wind shirt back and they will check it out in the warranty dept. He said that if my concerns are founded he would replace it with a 2007 version. My understanding is that the new version will have a proprietary cloth for Marmot. I will keep everyone informed.

[Jan Unneberg]

I agree with Benjamin that you need to get rid of the fleece vest underneath the windshirt. In Pennsylvania, when day temperatures are above freezing I wear a full-zip vest over the windshirt and a short-sleeve shirt underneath. I use an MEC NorthernLite vest that weighs about 7-8 oz in my size and is wind/rain resistant.
Works really well.

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