Four wind shirts to choose from. Help me pick…

My vote would be your NF Verto http://www.rei.com/product/809971/the-north-face-verto-jacket-mens
That looks amazing at 3.2oz!
My most used gear is my obsolete Marmot wind jacket at 3.5 oz. I love it. Just stopping that wind chill seems like a 20F warmth factor for me. I also use it biking so it’s a good all purpose jacket. It’s also my pillow at night when stuffed in its own pocket.

-Barry
-The mountains were made for Teva’s

the ether driclime is a dream winter action layer but too much for summer. Verto wins for weight, squamish for breathability.

del

Eric,

The Marmot Driclime pieces are excellent day-to-day jackets, but fall outside what most BPL folks are thinking about as a UL wind shirt. The Driclime has a thin fuzzy inner layer (insulation) bonded to a nylon outer layer (shell). Separating the insulation (like a LS 1/2 zip in wool or polyester) and the shell (super-thin nylon shell) gives you a more flexible system. A thin wind shell dries quick and is easy to stow in an outside pack pocket.

The Patagonia Houdini seems to be the standard wind shirt here; I have a Rab Cirrus that I like a lot and found on sale last year. If you wait and look online, one of those shells should come up for sale again.

As for REI and between the Verto and Squamish, I'd get the Verto for the price and weight. I don't remember what the Squamish is like, but the picture looks like a heavier fabric than necessary for a wind shirt.

Edit: quick search shows prolite.com has the Rab Cirrus for $87.98 (no mediums though) and http://www.backcountrygear.com has the Verto on sale for 20% off (you could use your REI discount on something else)

Rab Cirrus is very nice indeed – I have one and I can confirm it. The dead bird is way more than $65 as far as I know. But Montane has a nice hooded windshirt for about $80.

P.S. within $65 of each other – got it after second pass through your post.

Ya might want to consider the stoic wraith. 2.5oz, well made, and on sale sometimes for $30!
I'm 5'10, 160lbs, and the medium fits me perfect with enough room for an r1 hoody beneath it.

Alright so it appears I'm better off going with one of the following (which appear to be cheaper than REI's offerings). What say ye?

1. Patagonia Houdini
2. Rab Cirrus
3. Stoic Wraith

Looked into all three of these and am impressed but concerned about fit. 6'2", 190lbs, long arms.

"Alright so it appears I'm better off going with one of the following "

I don't know if you can say you're better off going with one of those three. What led you to that conclusion. What are your requirements/priorities?

Things I would take into consideration in no specific order are cost, weight, hood/no hood, breathability, windproofness, fit, packability, durability, etc. You could even throw looks/appearance on there.

Given all of the tradeoffs, I can't figure out how you pared your list down to the three you've listed. Is it only because those are ones other people in this thread have used?

Are you going to use this only for backpacking? Minor thing, but might help decide things. If you're going to use it around town at all I'd go with the Houdini. I've got an older Montane Lite-Speed, a Stoic Wraith, and a Rab Alpine Pull-over.

If you're not going to use it around town, I'd go with the Rab Cirrus. Most based on personal experience, but the hood of the Cirrus looks like it'd stay up quite a bit better than the Stoic Wraith. The Wraith's hood doesn't have any elastic or draw cord around the hood like the Houdini or Cirrus.

Aaron (in Duluth)

I don't have the wraith but have other stoic pieces. Stoic makes the arms extra long. It may fit you better.

Lined windshirts aren't as versatile. If you must, the Patagonia Alpine wind jacket is the same weight as the Driclime and you get pockets and a hem drawstring too. I like the lining better.

But what you really want is a Houdini. They breathe and have just enough features to be useful. Get one big enough for a fleece or vest under and you can cover 3+ seasons.

"I don't know if you can say you're better off going with one of those three. What led you to that conclusion. What are your requirements/priorities?"

– My conclusion is based mainly on price and weight. It's a windshirt. These three look to be less expensive and lighter than my original four.

"Things I would take into consideration in no specific order are cost, weight, hood/no hood, breathability, windproofness, fit, packability, durability, etc. You could even throw looks/appearance on there."

– Excellent advice here, and I appreciate these points. I won't be wearing this around town so appearance isn't terribly important. I'd like a hood, breathability, water "resistance" (this isn't intended as rain gear), and lengthy arms.

"Given all of the tradeoffs, I can't figure out how you pared your list down to the three you've listed. Is it only because those are ones other people in this thread have used?"

– Yep, that's exactly it. I trust the BPL community and I have to start somewhere. As I mentioned, I live in Minnesota where we don't have high alpine winds and low summer humidity. We have high humidity, lakes, temperature swings and bugs. But since I'll be doing some hiking in CO above treeline next month, my best option is to do exactly what you questioned: take the advice of the individuals in this thread. It's why I posted in the first place and, as far as I can tell, one of the main reasons this forum exists. I don't understand your disdain.

Anyway, I'm hearing some votes for Rab and the Houdini?

"I don't understand your disdain"

no disdain intended. Was just trying to hone in on why you chose those three in particular. Keep in mind others may be using them differently than you, or have different criteria for choosing them.

I'll contribute in saying I own a squamish and a montbell ul windshirt. They are very different and both have their place. All else being equal, I choose the squamish if I think I'll be wearing it a lot and the MB when I think it'll spend most of its time in my pocket or in my pack. Reason being the squamish performs better (breathability/water resistance etc.), feels better (fit, material feel, shape), has a hood, and is more durable – whereas the MB is significantly lighter and more packable. The MB probably comes with me more than the Arc, but I like them both about equally for what they're best for. The squamish isn't something I wear around town, but appearance wise it trumps the MB – which looks like a trash bag.

I haven't used any of the other ones listed, but I was almost swayed by this board into picking up a Houdini to complement the MB instead of the squamish. In the end the breathability of the squamish pushed me that route. You can probably tell that cost and weight weren't some of my highest priorities selecting that jacket though

So it's not the lightest, in fact at 8 ounces it's probably the heaviest. In spite of this I take it with me on every backpacking trip, because a fleece lined wind shirt is really a multi-use piece.

1. Wear it while hiking in the morning when it's chilly and I'm happy not only for its wind-blocking ability but for the insulation the lining provides, it is much like hiking in a light fleece.

2. In the heat of the day the jacket gets packed away.

3. At the windy passes, at a rest / lunch stop, or after a quick swim the jacket feels great.

4. When I get to camp I take off the sweaty hiking shirt and wear the driclime instead.

5. At night I sleep in my driclime.

Have had mine since 2004 and love it still. Recently the zipper broke and Marmot customer service replaced it and sent it back to me at no charge. Most excellent durability and customer service.

I agree – I love mine, and it is multi use and so comfy. I did buy a 3 oz wind shirt from Golite on sale years ago but I have seldom used it (I do bring the Golite on occasional day hikes where I don't expect much except some wind chill when I stop for lunch). The inside of the driclime also makes a superb pillow cover.

I recently wore holes in my first generation houdini. Looked at all the options, and ended up back with the houdini. I love the hood – first uktralight wind shirt whose hood really stays were it should be in hard wind, the material seems to be just right trade off of weather resistances and breathability, and it fits me well. The only thing I dislike about are the close to useless pocket (wish they would have left it off), and the elastic wrists don't close enough.

While the ArcTeryx Squamish is a bit heavier, I wouldn't rule it out. You are getting a number of nice features. The fabric seems really nice, and you have velco wrist closers. Everyone I know who has the Squamish seems to like it a lot. One of my friends who owns and outdoor store (access to lots of product) tells me that the Squamish is his favor and most commonly worn wind shirt.

I will go in with others and say the Dri Clim is in a different category due to the lining. On three seasons trips, I would rather have an unlined windshell. For cold shoulder or winter, I can see going with the Dri Clim when I will always want the liner… thought my preference then would Rab's Vapor Rise or Rab's Alpine Pullover + a light fleece (Patagonia R1 or TNF TKA 80). The counterpoint to this is my daughter more or less lived in her Dri Clim, and obviously several people here who find it very versatile.

–Mark

read the reviews on the Houdini (and elsewhere)- I think you'll be very happy w/ that choice- is very breathable (but still keeps the wind at bay), the DWR finish is excellent, is full zip, has good elastic drawstring on the lower hem, packs into a tiny ball in it's own pocket and it's relatively light considering it's full zip and has a hood

I use my all 4 seasons and is carried almost daily (4-5 days a week) trail running, it is hands the most versatile and favorite piece of clothing I own

if for some crazy reason you don't like, return it or sell it here- it'll last a hour at best :)

I'm also in the market for a windshirt so it's been helpfull seeing everyones thoughts here.

Price is a dominant factor for me, so this is seeming like a winner at the moment:

Stoic wraith for ~$40
http://m.backcountry.com/stoic-wraith-shell-mens

Food for thought…

First Ascent/Eddie Bauer has their Sirocco Wind Shell Jacket on sale for $39.99:

http://www.eddiebauer.com/catalog/product.jsp?ensembleId=38933&&categoryId=28480&categoryName=JACKETS–VEST&pCategoryId=28475&pCategoryName=FIRST-ASCENT&gpCategoryId=1&gpCategoryName=EB&catPath=~~categoryId=28480~~categoryName=JACKETS–VEST~~pCategoryId=28475~~pCategoryName=FIRST-ASCENT~~gpCategoryId=1~~gpCategoryName=EB&viewAll=n&pg=1

I've seen one in an EB store and they seem nice. Does anyone have any actual experience with one?

Yeah the hood on the Houdini is just awesome. Maybe my favorite thing about it.

For me, a hooded windshirt is essential. I have acquired three windshirts over the years, and the one without a hood – the no longer available Golite Wisp – doesn't get used much, though it seems to be Will Rietveld's favorite. The ones that do get used are the Patagonia Houdini and TNF Verto. The former has the best hood, as it is adjustable; however, it's a trim cut medium and so doesn't layer all that well. The latter I bought in a size large for better layering, but the hood just can't compare to the Houdini. Either one will do the job, but size up if you want to layer.

I picked up a Verto a while back as my first wind jacket, and I have been more happy with it than I expected I would. I picked up a size large and can layer it over my R1 and my MB UL Down Inner Parka together. Even though it is cut large enough to layer over these pieces, it is not too baggy feeling when over just a short sleeve tshirt. Also, my size large weighs in at 2.9 oz.

It is definitely more breathable than any of my hardshells, but I cannot compare it to other wind shirts since I have not had any. At this point though I am happy with the results. However, I agree with the above poster about the hood not being the best. If I am wearing a brimmed hat underneath the hat, it really doesn't matter, but if I am wearing only a boggin, it can get a little annoying after a while when turning my head to look side to side.

Anyway, if it helps any, here is a brief first look write up as well as a video I did on mine:

http://sticksblog.com/clothing/jackets/the-north-face-verto-wind-jacket/