Bike shells for hiking?

The only difference between backpacking and cycling gear is the perceived market and branding, along with the occasional design cue.

I bike in wool backpacking shirts and hiking jackets. I run in ski tights. I use Vibram water shoes as everyday shoes. I use casual sunglasses 100% of the time. Nothing matters except function.

I have a Sugoi eVent cycling jacket that I added a Showers Pass hood to.

Cycling jackets tend to have drop tails and no hand pockets.

The Sugoi does have pitzips though. The fit is super slim (good in the wind while riding) but would need to be double sized up for any layering at all.

I originally bought it to use while backpacking as well…but then I scored an EB BC-200 and then a Westcomb eVent shell for killer prices, so now I'm…umm…overgeared, as it were and use the Sugoi only for cycling.

-Mark in St. Louis

My point exactly. Get outside the "hiking" box and look around :)

I saw a guy biking in traffic wearing Playtex dish washing gloves for rain gloves– brilliant!

I don't mind the drop tail design at all and bike shells tend to have long arms that work well when using poles. The one caveat is complex back pockets that wouldn't work well with a hip belt. My windshirt has no hand pockets and they are typically useless with a hip belt. You really don't need jacket pockets for storage when wearing a 65 liter closet, often with hip belt pockets.

My primary windshirt is a marmot ion running jacket with mesh panels in the pits and upper back and it works well. I wear a north face running jacket on my bike as it is vented on the back … And use running shirts and tights hiking …

I'd say most of my clothes other than nylon convertible pants are repurposed non hiking specific gear (albeit some climbing specific) – I'm all about function and most use for the dollar!

Sure, take a look outside the 'hiking-box'. Just as for biking, running, etc… you should take a look outside their box.
But think functionall e.g. doesn't a backpack and a backvent interfere ?

"But think functionall e.g. doesn't a backpack and a backvent interfere ?"

Yes and no. Sometimes i make camp and leave my pack behind and go do some hiking without the pack.

Sure, but do you ask yourself when you need vents the most ? For me that is when using the backpack.

Yes, i agree. Might be interesting to put a vent lower, near the small of the back. I usually have some space there between my back and pack, but not sure it would make a big difference.

I was leaning more to large ventilated/breathable fabric panels rather than a typical cowl vent found on a runners jacket. The vest I found has a breathable stretch mess panel across the whole back. The patagonia nine trails jacket and vest have a similar arrangement.

The cowl vents are at odds with a pack, but I think the vertical mesh panels would work.

OK, although the opposite question can then be asked: what if you're not wearing a pack ?

"OK, although the opposite question can then be asked: what if you're not wearing a pack ?"

That is indeed the caveat. But the whole idea is ventilation and breathability while active, and I'm addressing backpacking, so I have a LOT of insulation when wearing a pack. All of these vented back shells are speed-sport oriented— running and biking, with the wind in your face. The "cure" for camp use is to just put on my rain shell while in camp to block the wind. I may be adding insulation anyway, some that may have 360 degree wind-blocking properties.

99% of this question is regarding wind shells. Insulation made with breathable back panels is quite rare I think.

Sure, but some people like Justin do hike (= being active) without a backpack.

"Sure, but some people like Justin do hike (= being active) without a backpack."

Then the cowl back vent would work great. I always have my essentials, so I always have a pack of some sort. We still have a little wilderness here, so we can't stop at every village for wine and cheese like you fellers in Europe :)

Getting back to my OP, I'm just surprised there aren't more wind shells with this sort of ventilation.

"We still have a little wilderness here, so we can't stop at every village for wine and cheese like you fellers in Europe :) "
How frequent is that according to you ? Because on most of our trips we only come in a village only every few days at the earliest (and I definitely remember at least one trip where we only came in a village at the beginning and end of our trip). And in most of the villages we pass through, there's no store or so to buy anything :-)