Patagonia Hoodini : Almost, but no cigar.

[Brian UL]

My theory is that these unusual colors are meant to attract a higher income market. The colors therefore are meant to differentiate oneself from the lower class hunter/camper type in subdued army gear and more importantly to signal that one is in fact not a dirty homeless person when they get back from some outdoor adventure because their clothes are brightly colored and styled. The draw back is that you will spend good money on something that dose not look good as casual daily wear unless your a teen or a club kid from the 90's

[Jeremy and Angela]

A worthy attempt Brian, but I don't think I would have had the color blindness necessary to wear something like this back in the 90's. I fear that with the current fall line, the "Stitchers in a dark cave" appears the most plausible.

(Observe also that the jacket I linked, in "cilantro", wouldn't make one much more visible to hunters.)

[Greg Pehrson]

More expensive than the current offering, but here's the army green houdini Mike referenced:
http://www.overstocktactical.com/products/patagonia-ms-houdini-full-zip-19040-984?utm_source=google-product-search

[David Adair]

Thanks much Greg! Ordered one. I have been looking for one in alpha green in XXL for ages.

[clay stewart]

Thanks Greg, I just ordered one as well. Someone mentioned the black ones, but I've yet to see one of them in stock, for the past year and a half, in my size. I contemplated the blue one, but I just didn't want another blue jacket.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Eddie Bauer did the same thing with the First Ascent wind shirt– bright blue with a red zipper. I got my Houdini on sale, but it is bright green. I guess they like to make it stand out on the rack. What the heck, these bright colors might save our bacon some day, making it easier to find us or maybe gag the cougar stalking us ;)

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I agree with Clay. I've passed on several backpacking items because they had "Clown colors", ESPECIALLY some shoes and boots. SHEESH!.

Not to be sexist (well, maybe a teensy bit) but many of the more "flourescent" colors in backpacking clothing and gear are better suited for the covers of VOGUE or GLAMOUR magazines than the trail.

My wildest color is my electric blue Eddie Bauer down jacket (in my avatar) and an REI Kimtah eVent parka in "Taro Leaf" green. The EB down jacket was SO inexpensive at $89. that I would probably have taken "Arrest Me Red".

Greens, browns, camos, grays, black, even subdued blues are fine with me. Being so "au courant" that you have to have outlandish colors is OK for the Streets of Boulder, Colorado, so you can fit in with the young "Trustafarians", but much less so on the trail.

[Dustin Short]

Jeremey, check out this link with some representative 90s fashion/colors. Mostly scroll to the bottom few pictures.

Just cuz YOU had style (or were into grunge) doesn't mean the rest of America had any taste ;). I was recently watching some home videos and I was definitely dressed in blue and neon oranges back in the 90s by my parents. At least now there's some "reason" to the clashing colors: they accent and highlight product features. Back in the 90s it was just random neon colored patterns and prints!

http://www.rubyvelour.com/2012/01/disappointment-tuesday-005/

[Jon Leibowitz]

Patagonia sells a grey and blue Houdini?

http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-mens-houdini-full-zip-jacket?p=24017-0-791

Those look earth tone to me.

[Wes Kline]

I think that the connection between 'earth tones' (itself a ridiculous idea, since almost every visible color is represented somewhere in the natural world) and LNT is one of the sillier ideas around. As Goethe points out in his theory of color, color should not be approached as a psychological event, but rather as a phenomenal event. If we try to approach color this way, it becomes more a 'fact in the world' and less a 'psychological disturbance.' As Wittgenstein notes in his "Remarks on Color":

"Therefore we seem to have two different views when it comes to our experience of colour: one which makes us not to question the fact that we see, and that we see in a specific way (use/ experience); and another view that makes us consider that the way we deal with colour, as apparently well grounded in logic, is logically unsustainable."

So I would propose that we approach 'color' as an opportunity to see further, slipping away from logic, moving towards 'pure' experience.

[Mike M]

I just noticed they have two Houdini's on their site- the "new" Houdini and the "old" Houdini

one (new) is a 10 denier and weighs 4.0 oz, the other (old) 15 denier and weighs 4.3 oz

both are full zip, both have hoods, both have a zipped upper pocket

the "new" one evidently is more wind resistant, but a little less breathable, weighs less and is $25 cheaper- very interesting :)

[Ed Biermann]

I like them except that I do miss hand pockets. Never use the chest pocket. Black should be a standard offering in everything, IMO.

[Ken Thompson]

But some really like the absence of color ie. black. Some of those colors offered seem pretty unnatural. It is one thing to see an inch long electric green tree frog, another to see a 250lb electric green hiker.

I too would like hand pockets instead of the chest pocket.

[clay stewart]

I agree, the only other complaint is hand pockets, with this jacket, but I got a color I like coming, so enough bitching for now, but next time, I'm going to want pockets. Now, I need some ultralight gloves, that aren't rainbow colored? :)

[Daniel Cox]

I'm diggin' that platinum color Houdini.

I thought the EB sirocco windshell in light grey with the green zipper was really nice too.

[Jeremy and Angela]

Come to think of it, I'm not actually bothered by the color Clay's original post mentioned. Small accents in a brighter color, like Ken's electric green tree frog or a brightly colored fungus, aren't necessarily annoying to me.

I used to like the idea of black, but I feel browns, blues, and greens work much better (aesthetically speaking) once trail dust enters the picture.

@Dustin: My eyes! The goggles do nothing!

[BlackHatGuy]

"I too would like hand pockets instead of the chest pocket."

That's why I bought the Feathered Friends Jackorack. 3.7 oz. with hand pockets and a hood! Great wind shell. Expensive though.

[Dean F.]

Just ordered the MARS Houdini! Thanks, greg!

EDIT- update: 4.3 ounces unmodified, even with the thingie to fold the hood up around the collar. It also comes stock with a modification that many people here choose to do to the normal "civilian" Houdini: The Napoleon pocket (that you can use to stuff the Houdini into itself) has a velcro dot instead of a zipper.

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