Please forgive me if I’ve missed posts or reviews that answer this question. What is the current thinking on the best hooded option as a replacement for the 2012 Houdini (looking for more breathability than the 2013 onward vision)? I’ve seen Ryan’s review of the Airshed and I may purchase one, but would prefer one with a hood – and then there is the color thing. I’ve seen much of the amazing Mr. Nisley’s comments. He does a phenomenal job of discussing fabrics and CFM, but I don’t think he has offered an opinion on the best replacement for the 2012 Houdini (forgive me if I am wrong, I’ve likely missed plenty of posts). I also prefer the item to be something I can find and try on in a local store (Seattle area). Many thanks for your input.
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Windshirt – best current replacement to the 2012 Houdini?
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You may find Stephen’s recent posts interesting. https://backpackinglight.com/members/crashedagain/forums/
I’ve been really happy with the Nike impossibly light jacket. I looked for a long time and this is the lightest most breathable windshirt I know of. Mine is 3.3 oz in a large and breaths like a softshell. It’s an extremely useful piece and can be found on eBay for cheap. Consider sizing up though. And make sure not to buy the shield version.
Patagonia Houdini Air ?
Arc’teryx Squamish?
I like the Squamish a lot. It breathes so much more than my (previous generation) MB Tachyon but the Squamish weighs a lot (5+ ounces, iirc) so I end up not carrying it on backpacking trips.
I’ve moved from the Houdini to the Houdini Air.
The extra breathability is actually pretty remarkable – it’s allowed me to use the jacket across a much wider range of conditions than before. Also, the Air fabric dries faster from a soaking wet state, and is a fantastic piece worn over a light fleece layer for moving fast in cold, wet conditions – creating a layering model very similar to the pertex-and-pile model borne in the UK.
I just saw that Massdrop is offering a windshirt at 2.7oz – that’s lighter than the Houdini. At $60 it looks well priced as well. Anyone look at the specs want to give me their thoughts? I’m not a materials expert and maybe one of you all will look at it and go, “Yeah, no- this thing isn’t going to breathe” or something. Curious about people’s thoughts.
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