Wind shirt opinions

Never having owned a windshirt I gotta ask:
In the interest of keeping pack weight light wouldn't it be wiser to just use your Gore-Tex or eVent parka for a windproof garment?

When (on a multi day trip) would it make sense to carry a windshirt IN ADDITION to a waterproof, breathable rain parka??

Two days ago I was hiking in a Nevada wash, the wind was ripping and quite cool and on the return trip, facing the wind, I was forced to don my Gore-Tex parka. It worked fine. Did I need a windshirt? Why?

Jonathan,

The Patagonia Houdini is an awesome wind shirt. Check out the reader reviews for it; they are all very positive. It does have an excellent hood, and I feel that it is worth the small amount of extra weight. The Houdini is a great balance of breathability, water resistance, weight, features, solid durability and excellent fit. I don't think that any other wind shirt balances these so well. Check out the other reviews. You can find them on sale quite often online. I got mine for $75.

Eric,

For me there is no comparison between using a waterproof jacket vs. a wind shirt to keep the wind off of me. While the extra 3-4 ounces may seem unnecessary at first, it won't be once it is tried. I have tried wearing hard shells for simply the windproofness of them (even very breathable ones), and even the most breathable are noticeably below my Houdini. In most three season conditions here in PA, I would get simply too hot wearing a shell heavier than it. I didn't actually try a wind shirt until two years ago, and I too was skeptical. I am certainly not now. It is one of my most worn pieces of gear. Even with my sub-five pound base weight, I always find room for it.

In addition, I use a poncho for shelter and rain wear, so the wind shirt gives me something to put on to keep rain off of me while erecting the poncho tarp or leaving it at night. I love the versatility it gives me.

Try one out.:)

I just picked up a GoLite Ether windshirt yesterday from Moosejaw. Price $28.80 shipped. At that price I couldn't afford not to get one. Color choice is limited right now.

Do you have a link to that Ether on Moosejaw?

I was going to send the link and find that it doesn't show on sale today??? It was $80 reduced to $32 then -10% (supersale)= $28.80 yesterday and it already shipped to me at that price. Today it shows $80. There was a sale yesterday on the women's version and they may have inadvertently included the men's. It must have been a glitch…sorry.

Thanks for the thoughts on the Houdini. It does seem to get by far the best reviews.

Any thoughts on a down vest going over or under?

Thanks,

– Jon

J' I can feel for you, I had my pack stolen once, a few years back; and it's the most mentally devastating feeling I think a backpacker has to deal with. After sourcing, buying, and trying gear over the years you finally get your pack squared away and some crackhead steals it for a fix.

Try the Montane windshirts, seem pretty good to me as I have used one for the past year in all kinds of weather. they are'nt waterproof, but give you enough time to figure out what you need from your pack to stay waterproof once the rain starts IME.

Hmmmm… I never knew windshirts weighed so little.
That means they are extremely light and likely very fragile at only 3 to 4 oz. per shirt.
Are any windshirts made with the PTFE coated fibers used by bicycle garments? (Nextec, I think) This is not a FABRIC coating but the individual fibers are coated/treated before they are woven.

You're thinking of Epic by Nextec with the individually encapsulated threads producing a very water resistant, but NOT waterproof fabric. It's NOT a PTFE laminate though.

Wild Things makes (or made???) both hooded and non-hooded windshirts in an Epic treated fabric. Heavier than the windshirts most are speaking about here (6-6.5 oz for the hoodless, 9-10oz for the hooded, IIRC), but far more water resistant (perhaps at the cost of some breathability).

I own both the WT hooded and non-hooded windshirts. Both very immaculate in workmanship, quite water resistant (hours in the rain w/o wetting through – of course, that depends upon how heavy the rain is and perhaps other factors). I did soak one once with my own sweat when hiking uphill for an extended period – very humid that day, but not the heat of summer.

WT has redone both their website and part of their product line, so I don't know if they make the same windshirts that i purchased 2-3yrs ago. They still do make some Epic jackets though.

Here's WT's URL
http://www.wildthingsgear.com/index.html

About the vest- for me, if I wear my Montbell UL vest it goes over my other layers if that helps seal the arms better, and under if it does not. Depends on what I am wearing. As an aside, I cannot wear the vest alone and be warm- need another insulating piece with arms to keep my skinny self from shivering. I often wear it over a micropuff jacket.

In reply to Eric- yes, you can wear your hardshell for wind protection, as used to be the norm. As has been mentioned, this decreases breathability, although with an Event shell perhaps that is not such an issue anymore.
In my experience, the real issue with the constant wearing of a hardshell under conditions that do not demand one (rain, wet snow, meteor shower) is that you will inevitably wear down the DWR coating and, depending on the fabric, begin to wear down the fabric as well.
If every time I needed wind protection I wore my Paclite jacket, the back, shoulders and hips would lose their DWR and when it rained, would absord water and stop breathing well. That sucks. Also, if you have an ultralight hardshell, the fabric is not terribly robust. Hardshells tend to cost a bundle, I therefore only wear mine when I have to.
Coupling a good winshirt with a light hardshell not only gives better breathability in wind, but helps maintain the performance of your hardshell for when you need it most. The Houdinini is nice for the windshirt option, but I tend to go bit heavier for better water resistance (Cloudveil Epic piece). Thus, I only have to bring out my OR Celestial or Patagonia Spceter when it is really raining.

P.S. Who makes Epic windshirts anymore? I have noticed that mine is not terribly durable- velcro literally eats the stuff and it snags very easily. I do not think Wild Things is going to keep making their pieces- any other companies? Why has the stuff fallen out of favor for winshirts?

— P.S. Who makes Epic windshirts anymore? —

Thru-hiker has Epic as option for their Liberty Ridge kit. I made mine with the 1.1 oz DWR and its not the most breathable but its fine for me. Mine weighs in at 84 g in the large size and was pretty easy to make.

Adam

On 3-season day hikes, I'll bring a wind jacket (mine is a 2007 model Marmot Ion). I generally put it on when at rest. However, since I use a lumbar pack for day hikes, I can wrap the jacket around my waist and easily put it on or off as desired. While the jacket is only rain resistant, I feel adequately protected since I'm never more than a few hours away from trail head anyway.

But for multi-day hikes, I just bring my wp/b jacket (mine is the very breathable MontBell Peak Shell) and let it do double duty as wind and rain shell. YMMV of course, but I just haven't had a situation where I am feeling cold enough for a wind jacket — and yet feeling too warm for a rain jacket — even one that's highly breathable and comes with multiple venting options.

Michael,
Now I understand. Save the expensive WPB rain gear for wet weather and wear a light windshirt when it's cool/cold, windy and not raining.
Makes sense. especially for day hikes and expeditions, where, in my experience, EVERYTHING takes a beating.

Thanks Michael & others. Even we "Old Dogs can learn new gear (er, tricks, I mean)(Oh Boy, I NEED a windshirt now. Oh Boy! More New Item Worship ahead.)

Jonathan,
Sorry to hear all your gear got stolen.
I'll second the Patagonia Houdini. I've been using mine for about the last year for trail running, day hiking and backpacking.

Conditions I've used it in:
Howling, not so cold wind in the Santa Monica Mtns.
Howling, bone chilling cold wind in the San Gabriel Mtns.
No rain… yet.

What I like:
So light (M=3.5 oz.). Wrapped around my waist trail running I forget its even there. If you wear a fanny pack or camelbak, no sweat, bungee it to the pack, it compresses to the size of a tennis ball.
Functional. Wind protection has been good in the conditions described above. The fabric is so thin, you're able to layer up however you like.
I like having the hood, I use it when its really cold.
The jacket also provides me with lightweight poison ivy protection, when we're silly enough to get on trails that are not maintained often, and lightweight bug protection.

What I don't like:
The price. I paid $125 I think (full price).

Hope this helps.
-Trent