Wind Shirts

I think you will get many responses from people who use rain jackets as windshirts. You will also get responses from people, like me, who like the warmth that you gain from stopping wind while hiking. I’ve been really pleased with mine (Montbell) in chilly low 30s hiking with snow/light rain over my usual knit poly hiking shirt. My rain jacket would have become damp and sweaty in those conditions.

I dont always carry my windshirt but I feel like I get a lot of warmth for very minimal weight and a small packed size.

Yes, a waterproof jacket will block the wind. A wind jacket will breath better but while water resistant it is not waterproof.

Wind shirt/jacket saves your rain jacket from getting worn out prematurely. A good rain jacket is much more expensive than a wind jacket. A lightweight wind jacket is only a few grams.

Sure…. a rain jacket stops the wind.    For years that was my working assumption and I scoffed at carrying an extra garment when one would do.

I carry a wind breaker AND a rain jacket now.

My wind shirt (Houdini) and rain jacket go with me on every trip. The wind shirt is my favorite piece of clothing. Hiked without one for years, was very surprised how it quickly became my favorite piece.

I second that. The Houdini is definitely my favorite piece of clothing : )

Rain jackets have no breathability, you overheat easily and they trap sweat. I always carry a windshirt and a rain jacket.

I carry a wind jacket too, which is surprisingly effective in light rain.

If real rain is in the forecast, I also carry a poncho or an umbrella. Rain jackets don’t breathe despite miracle fabrics and heavy vents and zippers. I quickly get soaked in sweat with a rain jacket under any conditions, less so with a poncho, not at all with an umbrella.

YMMV.

— Rex

I’m curious about this too.

Sometimes it seems like the entire lightweight backpacking community is split into two groups: 1) Those who have never tried a wind shirt, and are skeptical of its benefit, and 2) Those who have tried a wind shirt, and are lifelong converts.

I’m in the former group, but I know there are many on here (some above!) in the latter group.

Maybe I should just take the plunge and try one? I guess what I grapple with is the fact that I can’t recall situations where a wind shirt would be definitely, definitely useful. If my core is cold while hiking, my rain jacket tends to not be such overkill that I overheat if I put it on (except in heavy rain, of course, in which case I’m taking putting on my rain jacket anyway). For what it’s worth, I typically wear one of those button-down Columbia long-sleeve woven shirts, which is relatively wind (and often more importantly, bug) resistant. Is a wind shirt more beneficial when paired with a knit shirt than a woven shirt?

To those who have converted: Did you see the light before trying a wind shirt? Or were you only able to attain enlightenment through practice?

To those who have converted: Did you see the light before trying a wind shirt? Or were you only able to attain enlightenment through practice?

It’s an old concept.

Here is some of the gear I used in the early 80’s.

The clothes are laid out on top of a PU coated nylon poncho/tarp.

On the left a REI polyester tank top made of a mesh material. The shorts are 5″ inseam supplex made by Sierra Designs before Patagonia came out with their Baggies. On the right is a Sierra Designs matching wind jacket and wind pants.

I learned as a distance runner in the 1960’s that a breathable windbreaker was a versatile piece of gear.

Don’t feel the need to conform.    You somehow survived all your hikes in the past without a nylon shirt.   ;-)

Adam, a windshirt seems less useful if you are wearing a woven nylon longsleeve shirt that is already wind resistant.

Nick,

Flashy! There’s a thread on here about the color pink that you’re pretty close to having some valuable contributions towards.

To be clear, it’s not that I’m unfamiliar with windbreakers. I have run/hiked a few paces in wind breakers myself. But it doesn’t have a place in my regular kit, and like the OP, I’m questioning whether or not the double-duty rain jacket is the way to go, or if a wind shirt is one of those things that you don’t know you need until you try it.

Kev,

Don’t feel the need to conform. You somehow survived all your hikes in the past without a nylon shirt. ;-)

Yes, but I’m more open-minded than that ;). A lot of folks survived wearing hobnail boots, but I don’t see too many these days (admittedly, many of them have since died, perhaps some due to wearing hobnail boots on smooth granite).

Matt,

Adam, a windshirt seems less useful if you are wearing a woven nylon longsleeve shirt that is already wind resistant.

Ah. So for those who bring wind shirts always, what do you do during mosquito season? Wear the wind shirt always? Wear the wind shirt when needed, over a woven shirt (to less, but perhaps still some benefit)? Wear the wind shirt over a permethrin-treated knit shirt?

After mosquito season, I tend to switch to knit shirts, because I find they are both better insulators and more breathable (at the cost of wind resistance, of course). These seem like the conditions in which a case for the wind shirt is most compelling, particularly if one carries a rain jacket that isn’t a pleasure to wear (poncho, e.g.).

Well, I wear my windshirt nearly always. Breathabilty is good even then (with my windshirt). Only when it’s warm enough and the wind is not that strong and I actually can use the wind as a means to cool, it’s put in my pack.

My MB windshirt is hotter than my button-down. I’ve tried wearing my preferred knit shirt and then pulling the windshirt on when I stopped for breaks but I got bit a bunch by those pesky Sierra mosquitos. Other trips I’ve left the windshirt at home and brought the button down instead. I don’t think I’d ever carry both.

“Just generally speaking, does a rain jacket do double duty as a wind shirt?”

It has for me, up until this year. I have long been able to hike comfortably until it gets really windy/cool without any protection, and then switch to my WPB jacket, a Montane Minimus, BTW. However, last year Berghaus came out with an insulated windshirt with 2 levels of breathability, along the lines of the Patagucci version Mr. Jordan is currently testing. It allows me to replace my second layer with a hooded jacket that both insulates in low breathability mode while protecting me from the wind, for when I am not actively hiking and, when reversed for higher breathability, allows me to hike with some protection from the wind, but not enough for moisture to build up. It weighs about the same as a combination of a windshirt and my old Montbell Exlight second layer. It performed well this year, and I am looking forward to seeing how durable it is. I hope it meets my expectations, because it is a couple ounces lighter than the Patagucci version and $20 cheaper.

if you use a WPB as a windshirt when active (not just sitting around) … youll wear out the DWR MUCH faster …

also because youll be wearing it much more …. body oils and dirt will get into it degrading the membrane … and youll need to wash it more which degrades it even more over time

if it a OR rain jacket, theyll just give you a new one … if its other brands who knows

but i personally dont think its the smartest financial decision to wear out a $$$$ rain jacket (cheap ones arent very breathable) to save like 3-4 oz ….

now if u just use a light fleece as a wind shirt substitute and only wear the WPB as when its raining or VERY windy (a la skurka according to his blog post) … that might be a bit different

;)

What is very windy ? I’ve experienced enough situations where even a mild wind in not too cold air got me cold (and I run hot to very hot). Even a light fleece would make me overheat then. And wearing a WPB would be out of the question as giving the same result..

A good windshirt is a specialized tool with a specific purpose: to act as an active layer piece with high breathability but just as able to cut the “sting” of the wind out.

While one certainly could use a rain jacket (one with  pit zips) to try to achieve the same purpose, it suspect most of us windshirt users would never consider it again, and reserve the rain jacket (or poncho) for rain. A good rain jacket is very likely to perform poorly as a windshirt.

Don’t know if it helps, but comparing rain jackets to windshirts is like comparing drills to impact drivers. I used to use my cordless drill for either tightening or driving screws – rarely did I actually use it as a drill. Then I see my carpenters start using impact drivers, and quickly realize why: like a windshirt, an impact driver is specifically designed for one purpose, and it does that very well.

Now, the impact driver sits on top of the tool box, and is used all the time. The drill sits in its box, and is finally only being used for one thing: drilling.

One thing that is very important: not all windshirts are the same, and can have very different measured cfm (breathability). I have an old Sierra Designs “windbreaker” from the 90’s, but it doesn’t have near the breathability of my Squarmish hoody.  If you go the windshirt route, you may want to find one that works for you. BPL has a lot of great resources on this subject.

Nice explanation Matt. I have an older Houdini and it is my most versatile piece of clothing and I take it on almost every trip

There’s some good discussion from 2015/2016 on wind shirts tucked away in the multi-use gear sub-forum:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/101532/

It’s recent, and still quite relevant.

“However, last year Berghaus came out with an insulated windshirt with 2 levels of breathability, along the lines of the Patagucci version Mr. Jordan is currently testing. It allows me to replace my second layer with a hooded jacket that both insulates in low breathability mode while protecting me from the wind, for when I am not actively hiking and, when reversed for higher breathability, allows me to hike with some protection from the wind, but not enough for moisture to build up.”

I used to have a Patagonia wind/water resistant shell with a light fleece lining on the inside which it and other similar styles used to be an ultralight choice in the 90’s. It was great for hiking in a cold drizzle as the moisture seemed to dissipate before reaching the skin.. Looks like this Berghaus VapourLight Smock might be a good replacement at much less weight. Thanks Kirk for pointing it out to me. Any clue on how it handles a drizzle?

Jeff

As is so often the case with discussions here on BPL, there can be a tendency to assume everyone is like you. The major missing variable here is physiological. Some people produce more heat and sweat more than others when hiking. If you are a person that perspires readily even at low levels of exertion, then a wind shirt may be a good option.

In contrast, if you are someone that does not, then you may be able to rely on a so-called WPB rain shell to serve the same purpose (warmth). I personally fall in this latter category, and can easily get by with my rain shell for warm even when moderately active. If I start to sweat in it then that means I am plenty warm and don’t need it any more. So, carrying a wind shirt is just extra weight that adds little functionality. I only use a wind shirt for trail running when my exertion level is very high.

But I know my situation is not the case for those, which includes many of my hiking buddies, that fall into the former category (i.e., those that sweat easily). I have seen where a wind shirt is a great addition to their gear, again, given their physiology.

What is very windy ? I’ve experienced enough situations where even a mild wind in not too cold air got me cold (and I run hot to very hot). Even a light fleece would make me overheat then. And wearing a WPB would be out of the question as giving the same result..

risk of hypothermia or frostbite … or windy enough to have everything go FLAP FLAP FLAP

mild warm wind is something that doesnt require a windshirt for many folks ….

personally i dont get why folks need to wear windshirts in mild winds in summer temps … i mostly wear mine in the winter when cold wind can be quite dangerous

as to bug resistance … im sure its different with each shirt … but i had a partner who had a newish houdini (he worked at an outdoor store and gets em for cheap) who kept being bitten through the shirt, which folks told me was impossible … maybe our BC mosquitos are bigger than those in the lower 48?

;)