WIND SHIRT HELP!!!

Randall, search the forums, you'll find a lot of info. The name "wind shirt" gives its purpose away. It's purpose is to stop convective heat loss ( the wind ) while leting water vapor pass through easily. It will resist water for a time but that is not it's main purpose. Don't confuse it with a water proof or water resistant jacket or shell. They are usually zippered and can be a pull over or have a full zipper. Buttons might not block the wind well enough. They are usually between 3 and 5 ounces. A wind breaker is probably the same thing as a wind shirt. Windshirt, windbreaker and rain jacket are imprecise terms when use by marketers. The lighter the fabric the better, until durability becomes an issue for you. Gortex does not allow enough water vapor to escape to be a good windshirt. Event and Epic treated fabrics might work but would be marginal as a windshirt, in my opion. This weekend I used my windshirt over an Ibex hooded Shak while nordic skiing to great effect. My wind shirt of choice is the Patagonia Houdini. Much cheaper alternatives can be found.

A simple nylon anorak makes a great windshirt any time of year.

The concept is simple: a very light wind-resistant layer over a light base layer is useful for hiking in cold weather, or for breaks and in camp in warmer weather. It can be layered over a 200-wt fleece for a very warm combination. Most are half-zip pullovers, but some have a full front zip and even a hood. Wind shirts are generally made from breathable nylon, and range from under 3oz to almost a pound.

One of the most popular wind shirts has been the Marmot Driclime, which is a two-layer jacket with the thin nylon fabric on the outside, and a light knit wicking layer inside. Lots of people — me included — love this jacket year-round.

I think 'windbreaker' is the older non-techie name for a wind shirt or wind shell. Anybody could wear a windbreaker back in the day(grandma, little kids, etc.) but only hi-tech ultralight dudes and dudettes know about wind shirts! HAHA

I like my Patagonia Dragonfly hooded pullover(now the Houdini.)

To all that replied. Thanks so much!!!

Randall

Eric, excellent reply. Really appreciated reading it.

Two points:
1) I use a Wild Things Epic treated nylon windshirt – works well, but as you say, not quite as breatheable as SOME windshirts. I seems to me to be more breatheable than my GoLite Wisp (both '04 & newer Ether-fabric '05) and is probably more breatheable than the newer Marmot Ion windshirts. I like the WT Epic windshirt for use under a poncho in long-term &/or heavy rain as it keeps my forearms dry for hours, whereas a more commonplace DWR windshirt, while generally more breatheable, wets through faster (10-20 minutes typically), depending upon the rain. The Epic windshirt also, in some cases, allows me to refrain from donning full rain gear, poncho, or cape when the rain is lighter and long lasting.

2) DrJ once enlightened me on why heavier fabrics, like eVENT & GTX are not optimal choices for a windshirt. His info was the increased "pumping" effect/losses that a heavier fabric can produce due to one's body moving about (bending, moving, etc.), resulting in the very thing that an UL fabric windshirt is trying to avoid, viz. convective heat losses due to cold air exchange.

Again, very articulate post you authored. Thanks.

Great points, all; especially enjoyed Eric's and PJ's posts. My newer Marmot Ion is a sweaty garbage bag with arms. ("new" ones, unlike the great old ones the reputation was built on, can be identified by the tag saying filling is "down")
So, I am already eyeing possible replacements; the Patagonia Houdini in DWR nylon, or what appears to be better in my subjective opinion, the Montane Lite Speed, in Pertex. I really love Pertex based on the items I have which use it (Snugpaks), breathes enough to vent moisture while still blocking most of wind. BUT, I heard there is a new Pertex type from Mitsui, so I might wait till it is used in a windshirt.