Has anyone already tested the HH of Patagonia Houdini Air ?

See this post:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/comparison-of-montbell-tachyon-and-patagonia-houdini-air-windshirts/

I measured 14.9 CMF/Ft2

Steve

Not the CFM but the HH. But I noticed you measured that also so thanks.

I can’t tell you the HH of a houdini, but I can tell you from personal experience that you will not be protected from getting wet in the rain.

Personally, I wash all of my wind shirts in aggressive detergent to remove the DWR. I want max breathability, not rain protection. And, if I’m moving fast enough, I really think that breathability contributes more to feeling dry (in light rain) than a wpb layer.

Interestingly, I find it harder and harder to do this. The new DWR treatments are really hard to wash out…need to start researching the chemistry more so I can hack that.

I have the Houdini Air and it’s my new favorite wind shirt. I wore it on my trip with Chase last week (cold, humid, wet, breezy) and absolutely loved it. The difference between this and some of the 2-3 oz “ultralight” wind shirts in terms of comfort is pretty remarkable when you’re hiking hard.

Ryan, please correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t DWR enhance breathability? Even in a windshirt fabric?Do you really notice a difference in breathability between a garment with DWR and one without?

I wish my experience was the same as yours in regards struggling to rid a garment of DWR! I work in the apparel industry here in New Zealand and my experience over the last 20 years of dealing with technical fabrics is that it is getting harder and harder to maintain DWRs!

Thanks, Scott